Emerald vs. Radiant Cuts
What are the differences between emerald and radiant cuts? Inspired by your questions from our weekly Q and A’s on Instagram, we’re chatting ALL about it! What should you optimize for in each cut? Listen in to find out our best practices!
Watch the full video here:
A lot of people come to me loving both emeralds and radiants… it’s no surprise! Both cuts have cut corners! But, they have totally different vibes, so let's talk about them! An emerald cut has step cuts, that means it literally looks like there are stairs going into the stone. Usually they are rectangular with cut corners. This cut is classic -- it is elegant and understated and will always be in style. They’re not the sparkliest, but they're classic and timeless. If you want to go for an emerald cut, the first step is to decide what ratio you want. The typical emerald cut is called the tennis court (between 1.3-1.4 in length to width). Anything below is considered square. Square cuts of emeralds are typically more unique and less mainstream. The shorter you go, the more like an asscher cut, which is essentially a square emerald cut! Anything above a 1.3-1.4 is considered to be elongated. These cuts take up more real estate on your finger (who doesn't love that!).
Once you figure out what ratio you like, then it’s time to go to the 4 C’s! Emeralds are amazing at masking color. Anything D-J is usually safe for emeralds. Even in some cases, K’s face up completely fine. Clarity is something that needs to be prioritized for emerald cuts because they tend to show lots of inclusions. Usually VS1 and anything above is a safe bet! For VS2 and SI1 you really want to have an expert look at the diamond to ensure that none of the inclusions will be visible.
A lot of people like radiant cuts because they can have a beautiful rectangular shape as well! You can have either a square or rectangular ones too! Radiants tend not to come as elongated as emeralds to -- those cuts are super rare! Anything above 1.3 is extremely rare and elongated for a radiant cut. Radiant cuts have brilliant and modified faceting patterns. Brilliant cuts have a crushed ice appearance which makes them super sparkly and gives the stone a totally different vibe!
With radiant cuts, you can get a bit more bang for your buck. Similar to emerald cuts, radiant cuts mask color very well! D-I colors are usually safe. One great thing about them is their clarity. They are amazing at camouflaging inclusions. VS2 and up, you will be totally good! Most times you can even find an SI1 that’s good too!
Which do you prefer?? Comment down below!!
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