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
  • An emerald cut engagement ring appeals to women who value understated elegance.
  • Emerald cut diamonds feature a step-cut faceting pattern that gives off a subdued brilliance, in contrast to the greater sparkle of brilliant and radiant cut diamonds.
  • The emerald cut’s optical effects mimic looking down an endless hall of mirrors. This cut also allows for a clear view into the heart of the diamond.
  • Exceptional quality emerald cut diamonds prize clarity over brilliance. However, the emerald cut exhibits inclusions to the naked eye more readily than other shapes.
CARAT WEIGHT
  • Emerald cut diamonds generally show their true size, although some deeply cut stones may appear slightly smaller to the eye.
  • Elongated emerald cut shapes typically have a greater size appearance than square shapes. Square emerald cuts may look small for their size because they carry more carat weight on the underside of the stone.
COLOR

GIA COLOR SCALE

  • Emerald cut stones usually appear colorless through the I and J color grade range. They do not mask lower color grades as well as other shapes and cutting styles.
  • An emerald cut diamond in a high color grade looks brighter, with more life in its step-patterned facets.
  • At Kwiat, we do not offer stones that show obvious color flaws in their respective color grades.
CLARITY

  • The emerald cut allows for a clear view into the heart of the diamond, but also exhibits inclusions to the naked eye more readily than other shapes.
  • Kwiat’s recommend clarity range for emerald cut diamonds is between VS1 and VS2. On rare occasions, SI1 emerald cut stones can appear clear to the naked eye as well.
  • Our diamonds are the best of their respective clarity grade, and any SI1 emerald cut diamonds we offer will appear clean, without inclusions visible to the naked eye.
CUT

  • Emerald cut diamonds have four straight sides and cropped corners. Emerald cut diamonds feature a step pattern, a series of geometrically arranged horizontal facets.
  • Cut is the most important qualitative element when selecting an emerald cut diamond engagement ring.
  • Though traditionally emerald cut diamonds are rectangular, this cut can range in shape from rectangle to square. A square emerald cut is also known as an Asscher cut.
  • The GIA report for an emerald cut diamond will typically read “Emerald Cut” or “Square Emerald Cut” depending on the exact shape. The GIA does not assign Cut grades for emerald cut diamonds, which is why trusted professional guidance is so important.
  • Poor quality emerald cuts can be too deep, making them appear smaller than their true size. A poor cut will also have inconsistent or unattractive brilliance.
  • At Kwiat, our emerald cut diamonds are beautifully and expertly cut to maximize their beauty and size appearance.
RATIO
    • A diamond’s ratio is its length divided by its width.
    • For a square shape, the ratio range is 1:1 to 1:1.05. For a rectangular shape, the ratio can reach as high as 1:1.6. An emerald cut diamond will appear more square-like than rectangular until 1:1.2. The higher the number, the more elongated the shape will appear.
    • Our recommended range for a classically shaped emerald cut diamond is between 1:1.3 and 1:1.5. However, emerald cuts with a ratio beyond 1:1.5 are unique and dramatic. At Kwiat, we expertly mount these types of stones in creative ways to celebrate their shape.

Whether you prefer square or elongated emerald cut rings depends on personal taste. Both are beautiful.

DEPTH PERCENTAGE

  • There is not a rigid set of depth percentage parameters for emerald cut diamonds, but our recommendation ranges from 62 to 68 percent. This range allows for maximum brilliance and proper size appearance.
  • Emerald cuts with depth percentages beyond 69 percent look small for their size because too much weight lies on the stone’s underside. On the other hand, emerald cut diamonds with depth percentages that are too shallow can look glassy and flat.
  • For elongated stones, the depth percentage may be higher than normal because of the way the metric is calculated.
TABLE PERCENTAGE

  • There is not a rigid set of table percentage parameters for emerald cut diamonds. Although a wide range of percentages is deemed acceptable, we recommended choosing a table percentage between 60 and 70 percent.
  • Emerald cut diamonds with tables below 60 percent have high crown angles and look small for their size, while those with tables above 70 percent look glassy with less fire reflected from the crown.