Your Guide to Radiant Cut Diamonds
Welcome to The Clear Cut Classroom, where we take deep dives into all things diamonds and jewelry! Is a radiant cut diamond radiating to you? If this cut is for you, then learn all about what you need to know for this shape and what your preferences are!
Radiant cut diamonds are a gorgeous choice with tons of dimension. They're the more complexly faceted sister to the emerald cut diamond. Radiant cuts can be featured as a rectangular or square-ish shape, and with cut corners just like emerald cuts. With many fancy shape diamonds, you can refine your style choice with its specific shape. Knowing your desired diamond's length to width ratio can help you achieve the exact silhouette that you're looking for.
What type of radiant cut are you looking for?
For a more square shape, stay in between a 1.0 to 1.1 length to width ratio. Just above that, go for a 1.15 to 1.2 ratio for that almost square almost rectangle look. For a classic rectangular radiant cut, try a ratio between 1.2 to 1.3. You can always go for a super elongated look and that ratio is from a 1.35 and up. We typically see 1.15-1.35 is the common range for radiant cut diamonds but it varies depending on your preference!
1.71ct Radiant Cut Diamond
With radiant cuts, we love their ability to mask color. We recommend staying in the colorless to near colorless range, which is D-J on the color grade scale. There are even great radiant cuts slightly up in the K color grade but every diamond varies!
1.80ct Radiant Cut Diamond with Pave Band
Clarity is a radiant cut's stronger quality because this cut camouflages inclusions really well amongst other cuts! A clarity grade of VS2 and up is perfect for this diamond but you can always step into the SI1 and SI2 range as long as the inclusions are eye-clean. This way, you can lean into a colorless grade and go down in clarity or vice versa, have great clarity and switch into lower color ranges. It is your preference!
4.62ct Radiant Cut Diamond
There are two really popular faceting patterns for radiant cuts, which are modified rectangular brilliants but the two more specific modifications are either a crushed ice effect or a starburst effect.
When looking into a radiant cut with a crushed ice effect, the name is a given, it looks like a bag of crushed ice with a lot of detailed brilliance. The starburst effect has a more angular and widespread facets that extend from the center outwards.
A radiant cut's dimensions are important to consider as well. This just means that you are aware of where most of the weight sits in the diamond. Sometimes the diamond is bottom heavy and looks smaller from the top or the diamond is shallow and loses its brilliance. Carat weight does not necessarily mean how big the diamond will look but can give some idea of how the dimensions will fall. Either way, we can help you select the right diamond that ticks all the boxes for your radiant cut!
Remember, try to figure out your desired length to width ratio, your desired color and clarity combination, your desired faceting pattern, and to pay attention to the diamond's dimensions. With this knowledge of your own preferences you will find an easier time taking home the right radiant cut diamond for you!
Book a call with a gemologist to bling it on!