Emerald cut diamonds are making a big comeback in 2024, and it’s no wonder with celebrities like Beyonce, Paris Hilton, Grace Kelly, and Jennifer Lopez setting the precedent for big emerald cut diamonds in their engagement rings. Before buying an emerald cut diamond, there are a few things you should know to ensure you’re getting the best diamond on the market within your budget, and that you fall absolutely in love with your engagement ring!
History
An emerald diamond is a step cut diamond that was first created in the 1500's as a way of cutting emerald gemstones that didn’t put too much stress or pressure on the stones. Fast forward to the roaring 1920's where the art deco period brought this cut back into popularity for it’s clean long lines, coining the term “emerald cut” . In the 1970's the emerald cut diamond was refined to 49 facets, and took on it's modern characteristics including its unique way of reflecting light, and it’s elongated shape that flatters the finger.
Today, how can you know that you’re getting a well cut, high quality emerald cut diamond? It’s all in the specs.
Color
An emerald diamond typically has 49 or more facets, beveled corners and elongated step cuts that draw your eye to the center of the stone. These big flashy facets can be impressively clear, but without the major scintillation of a brilliant cut diamond, emerald diamonds will visibly show more color. At SHANNON, we recommend opting for a colorless emerald diamond graded DEF, or near colorless at GH. Of course, the amount of color in your diamond depends on personal preference. Some people really prefer the look of a warmer diamond, compared to the cool tones of a colorless one. If you’re setting the diamond in a white gold or platinum setting, you’ll definitely want the diamond to match the cool tones of the white metal, but if you’re setting your diamond in a yellow or rose gold setting, a warmer tone may actually complement the metal color quite beautifully.
Clarity
Emerald cut diamonds may be popular among the rich and famous because they demand a higher quality grade. Without flashy facets to cover inclusions, any imperfections in the diamond are highly noticeable in an emerald cut stone. Opting for a VS1 or higher clarity will ensure that your diamond appears clean to the naked eye.
Ratio and Cut
While emerald cut diamonds don’t have an official GIA cut grade, there are several factors to take into consideration when choosing the perfect diamond for you. The first is ratio. Most emerald cut diamond ratios fall between 1.4 and 1.5. An “ideal” emerald cut diamond is twice as long as it is wide, creating a perfectly cut rectangle. While ratios are really dependent on personal preference, keep in mind that a lower ratio like 1.3 will present a more square cut diamond, while a higher ratio like 1.6 will present a long skinny diamond.
Depth
The step facets of emerald cuts mean that these diamonds shows most of their weight on the top. This means the diamond will look bigger than a round cut of the same carat weight. A depth of 61-69% is considered excellent to show off the table of an emerald cut diamond. Anything deeper than that would mean that your stone looks smaller from the top, and all that carat weight is hiding inside your engagement ring where you can’t see it. You’ll also want to opt for a diamond with a very thin, to slightly thick girdle to keep within excellent cut standards. Since poorly cut emerald diamonds can present dark bowties, it’s important to keep all these things in mind when looking at its specifications.
Price
An emerald cut diamond is considered a less expensive diamond than a traditional round brilliant cut. This is because an emerald diamond has better cutting productivity. In other words, a very minimal amount of diamond carat weight is lost when cutting and polishing a raw diamond into an emerald shape, which make it less expensive to the diamond cutters, and less expensive to you!
While much of an emerald cut diamond’s beauty can be found within industry standards, choosing an emerald diamond for your engagement ring will always come down to your personal preference and budget. We only sell diamonds that are graded by GIA or IGI, and always recommend that you work with a diamond expert to ensure you’re getting the very best diamond for you and your engagement ring!
Ready to create your own custom diamond engagement ring? Your personal custom ring concierge at SHANNON is waiting to help you feel comfortable and confident at every stage in the process until you finally have that perfect custom ring on your finger!