CELEBRITIES WHO HAVE SAID YES TO THE EMERALD CUT

Jennifer Lopez

A stunning large emerald cut diamond ring that made its debut on Instagram

Elizabeth Taylor

Formerly called the Krupp diamond, this emerald cut of more than 30 carats was renamed the Elizabeth Taylor Diamond in 2011.

Amal Clooney

A sleek, simply set emerald cut diamond ring.

THE FOUR Cs AND MORE

GOOD TO KNOW
  • A radiant cut diamond can be either square-like or rectangular, with straight sides and cropped corners.
  • Unlike an emerald cut’s hall-of-mirrors look, the radiant cut features a faceting pattern that’s similar to the round brilliant, resulting in incredible sparkle.
  • Radiant cut diamonds are relative newcomers to the diamond world. The radiant cut was developed in the late 1970s and has steadily gained more popularity over the last few decades.
  • Radiant cut diamond engagement rings appeal to women who are drawn to linear styles like emerald and Asscher cuts, but prefer more brilliance and sparkle.
  • Most fancy color yellow diamonds are radiant cut, as this shape brings out their hue particularly well.
CARAT WEIGHT
  • Radiant cut diamonds sometimes appear small for their size, particularly in relation to other shapes with the same carat weight. This is because a radiant cut diamond is typically cut with more depth than other shapes, such as round brilliants, ovals, and the ASHOKA cut.
COLOR

GIA COLOR SCALE

  • Due to the modifications of the radiant cut’s brilliant faceting pattern, it tends to show color more readily than other shapes. For the same reason, the radiant cut is ideal for fancy color stones like yellow diamonds.
  • Radiant cut white diamonds appear colorless in the G to H color grade range. While some radiant cut stones in the lower H range and I range appear colorless, others may exhibit a yellowish tint when viewed from face-up. At the J color grade and below, most radiant cut diamonds display visible tinting.
  • At Kwiat, we do not offer diamonds for radiant cut engagement rings that show obvious color flaws in respect to the grade.
CLARITY

  • The brilliant faceting pattern of a radiant diamond cut helps to mask any internal inclusions.
  • The recommend clarity range for a radiant cut diamond is between VS1 and SI1, as long as the SI1 appears clean and clear to the naked eye. Infrequently, SI2 radiant cut diamonds can appear clear to the eye, though it is not typical.
  • Our diamonds are the best of their respective clarity grade, and Kwiat’s SI1 and SI2 radiant cut diamond rings do not show inclusions to the naked eye.
CUT

  • Cut is the most important qualitative element when selecting a radiant cut engagement ring.
  • The GIA report for a radiant cut diamond will read “Cut-Cornered Rectangular Modified Brilliant” for the shape and cutting style.
  • A well-cut radiant diamond cut is bright and brilliant across the entire stone, allowing the diamond to show its size properly, while a poorly cut stone will have inconsistent or unattractive brilliance. A poor-quality cut may also be too deep, making the stone appear significantly smaller than its true size.
  • The GIA does not assign Cut grades for radiant cut diamonds, which is why trusted professional guidance is so important.
  • At Kwiat, all of our radiant cut engagement rings are beautifully fashioned to maximize their beauty and size appearance.
RATIO
  • A diamond’s ratio is its length divided by its width. The higher the number, the more elongated the shape will appear.
  • For a radiant cut diamond, the ratio ranges from 1:1 to 1:1.25. Whether you prefer a square or a rectangular stone comes down to personal choice, as both shapes are beautiful.
DEPTH PERCENTAGE

  • There is not a rigid set of depth percentage parameters for radiant cut diamonds and a range is accepted. Depth percentages for a radiant cut diamond usually run from 64 to 69 percent in order to maximize brilliance and display proper size appearance.
  • Radiant cut diamonds with a depth percentage below this range can look glassy and flat, while those with depth percentages above 70 percent look small for their size, with too much weight on the stone’s underside. On occasion, larger radiant cut stones with low depth percentages may still appear full of life and sparkle.
  • For very elongated stones, the depth percentage may be above the accepted range because of the way the metric is calculated.
TABLE PERCENTAGE

  • There is not a rigid set of table percentage parameters for radiant cut diamonds and a range is accepted; however, they typically fall between 63 percent and 70 percent.
  • Radiant cut diamonds with table percentages below the recommended range can appear small for their size. They may also display unattractive reflections in the center of the diamond. On the other hand, radiant cut diamonds with table percentages above the recommended range often appear flat and glassy, resulting in less fire reflected from the crown.