Emerald cut Natural Diamonds

Emerald

Known for its beauty and precision, the emerald shape diamond is one of the most recognisable cuts in the world. Initially created for emeralds, this shape is commonly used on square or rectangular diamonds.

What makes the emerald shape so distinctive is its pavilion, which is cut with rectangular facets to create a unique optical appearance. When coupled with a large open table and step-cut pavilion, the emerald shape highlights the clarity of a diamond like no other.

It's a timeless cut that commands attention. Shop our collection of emerald shape diamonds today.

What You Need to Know About Emerald Diamonds

An emerald cut diamond usually consists of 57 facets and features an elongated rectangular shape with cut-off corners. Due to its linear and straight facets, you'll see flashes of light rather than the brilliance and sparkle of round or cushion diamonds. This effect is called the 'Hall of Mirrors'.

When it comes to engagement ring design, emerald diamonds provide a great deal of versatility. For example, it’s perfectly suited to something vintage or an Art Deco inspired design. Then again, the soft curves of a traditional band would balance out the emerald's clean, geometric lines.

Emerald diamonds are said to be worn by those who are charming, classy, attention seeking, confident and straightforward.

History and Origins of Emerald Diamonds

The emerald cut is one of the oldest diamond shapes, tracing its roots back to the table cut of the 1500s. Stonecutters initially used this shape for emerald stones - hence the name.

One of the reasons it grew in popularity was because the emerald shape allowed for reduced pressure during the cutting process. As a result, this decreased the risk of chips being made in the gems.

The term 'emerald cut' first came into use during the 1920s, as this shape was perfectly suited to the clean lines and symmetry of the Art Deco movement. Since then, its retro appeal has caught the eye of celebrity wearers including Beyoncé, Jennifer Lopez, Kim Kardashian, Jennifer Lawrence and Angelina Jolie.

A Guide to the Cut, Colour and Clarity of Emerald Diamonds

Cut

The quality of an emerald diamond's cut will determine whether the stone has its famed hall of mirrors effect. Otherwise the gem could look dull and lifeless. If you see a cut grade listed on an emerald cut diamond, it has been assigned by the jeweller not GIA.

Colour

Emeralds show colour more readily than other diamond shapes because their mirror-like sheen does not mask colour like brilliant cut sparkle does. Just bear in mind that colour evaluation is subjective, and one person's acuity could differ from another person's.

Clarity

On account of their unique window-like faceting, emerald shaped diamonds show inclusions much more easily than any other cut. Therefore you will need to select higher clarity grades in order to obtain an “eye clean” appearance.

Emerald Diamond Ring Settings

Even though emeralds are elegant and classic, not all ring settings show off their mirror sheen and clean edges. Here's some recommended settings:

Prong

This is the favoured option for most emerald rings as it allows for optimum light reflection and maximises the 'hall of mirrors' effect.

Halo

Halo settings tend to provide more protection for emerald cuts than prong settings, as they create a buffer around the diamond.

Three stone

You can never have too many emerald cut diamonds, so setting them side by side is beautiful and eye-catching.

Bezel

Its best to avoid bezel settings with emerald diamonds as this will reduce the amount of light that can reach the gem and refract through the facets.

Fluorescence

If a diamond is naturally fluorescent, it will emit a soft coloured glow when held under ultraviolet light. This is a unique quality that naturally occurs in only a number of gems and minerals.

Tips for Buying Emerald Diamonds

If you opt for an emerald-cut diamond with a lower clarity grade like SI, make sure you review the clarity plot on the diamond certificate to judge the visibility of the inclusions.
Due to the large, open facets of emerald cut diamonds, there’s no place for inclusions to hide. Therefore it's wise to consider clarity before colour and carat weight.
When looking for an emerald cut diamond, make sure to avoid dark boxes and to maximise measurements.
Because emeralds are usually cut quite deeply, much of the carat weight is at the bottom of the stone where you can't see it, so pay attention to depth percentage.

4C Of Diamond

Diamond Color

GIA developed the definitive diamond color scale or chart in the early 1950s, a time when there were a lot of different and subjective terms in the marketplace for describing a diamond’s color: white, blue white, AAAA, for example.

The GIA scale begins with the letter D, representing colorlessness, and continues with increasing presence of color to the letter Z, representing light yellow, light brown or light gray. The 23 color grades on the GIA Color Scale (or diamond color chart) are subdivided into five subcategories, which are: colorless (D-F); near colorless (G-J); faint (K-M); very light (N-R); and light (S-Z).

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Diamond Clarity

Diamond Clarity refers to the inclusions and blimishes.

To understand diamond clarity, we must first understand how diamonds are created. Natural diamonds are the result of carbon exposed to tremendous heat and pressure deep in the earth. This process can result in a variety of internal characteristics called ‘inclusions’ and external characteristics called ‘blemishes.’

Evaluating diamond clarity involves determining the number, size, relief, nature, and position of these characteristics, as well as how these affect the overall appearance of the stone. If you are trying to determine what is the best clarity for a diamond, remember that no diamond is perfectly pure. But the closer it comes to purity, the better its clarity

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Diamond Cut

Achieving the best cut for a diamond reflects in the stone’s final beauty and value.

Diamonds are renowned for their ability to transmit light and sparkle so intensely. We often think of a diamond’s cut as shape (round, heart, oval, marquise, pear), but what diamond cut actually does mean how well a diamond’s facets interact with light. Precise artistry and workmanship are required to fashion a stone so its proportions, symmetry and polish deliver the magnificent return of light only possible in a diamond.

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Carat Weight

Diamond carat weight measures Diamonds Apparent size.

To put it simply, diamond carat weight measures how much a diamond weighs.

A metric “carat” is defined as 200 milligrams. Each carat is subdivided into 100 ‘points.’ This allows very precise measurements to the hundredth decimal place. A jeweler may describe the weight of a diamond below one carat by its ‘points’ alone. For instance, the jeweler may refer to a diamond that weighs 0.25 carats as a ‘twenty-five pointer.’ Diamond weights greater than one carat are expressed in carats and decimals. A 1.08 carat stone would be described as ‘one point oh eight carats.’

All else being equal, diamond price increases with diamond carat weight because larger diamonds are rarer and more desirable. However, two diamonds of equal carat weight can have very different values (and prices) depending on three other factors of the diamond 4Cs : Color , Clarity , and Cut

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