Things to Consider in Emerald Cuts

Are you considering an emerald cut? It's a great choice.

Emerald cuts are beautiful stones that exude grandeur and elegance. However, since the GIA does not grade emerald cuts based on cut quality, and emerald cuts tend to have more flaws than others, there is definitely a lot to learn about them before you buy.

Let's talk about some common mistakes our customers make when choosing an emerald cut without consulting us!

The emerald cut diamond is a rectangular diamond with elongated, mirror-like facets. It is a traditional cut with great historical value. Numerous celebrities have emeralds, including those adorning the fingers of Grace Kelly and Elizabeth Taylor , as well as Amal Clooney , JLo and perennial favorite Victoria Beckham .

Why do celebrities love the emerald cut?

Choosing an emerald cut diamond is a way to showcase value, as emerald cut diamonds require higher color and higher clarity to appear white and clean to the eye. In this regard, wealthy individuals enjoy purchasing emeralds because they show off their wealth. However, you don’t need a flawless D color emerald shape like them; read on for tips on how to get a gorgeous emerald without paying what celebrities pay.

Don't Make These Emerald Cutting Mistakes!

1. Not Knowing the Emerald Cut Quality

Do emerald cut rings sparkle?

Not really, emerald cut diamonds give off a shine rather than a sparkle.

Emeralds are not meant to be disco balls like other shapes. Instead, they are meant to display a simple, mirror-like elegance. In fact, the brilliance of an emerald cut diamond has been called a “hall of mirrors”!

So if “sparkle” is your biggest goal, you might want to look into radiant cuts instead of emerald cuts.

However, if you like a gorgeous, high-end shine, then emerald is the stone for you.

What is the perfect emerald cut diamond?

The perfect emerald cut diamond is white, may have imperfections that are not visible to the naked eye, and has a beautiful "hall of mirrors."

So, what is this hall of mirrors that you keep hearing about? These are the light and dark bands on either side of the table of an emerald cut diamond. These are important because in order for an emerald to sparkle, the stone needs to have a contrast that will shine back and forth. Otherwise, the stone can appear “dead.” Likewise, if there is too much darkness in the stone (often called a “black box”), it can detract from the beauty. So, you want to look for a hall of mirrors, not a box. Check this out:

2. Not Taking Clarity Seriously

Emeralds are “stepped” cut stones, meaning they have rectangular and beveled edge surfaces. Stepped cut stones (Asscher cut is one of them) show inclusions of peak and clarity defects more easily than “round, oval, radiant, cushion cut diamonds”.

As a result, couples choosing emerald cuts should choose a high clarity grade.

So which clarity should you choose?

What is VVS?

VS and VVS are the highest clarity grades available. The diamond clarity scale starts at Flawless and ends at Included. Both VVS and VS tiers each contain two grades: VVS1/VVS2 and VS1/VS2. VVS is more flawless than VS, and 1 is more flawless than 2.

The order is VVS1, VVS2, VS1, VS2. There are a lot of acronyms that can seem a little daunting, but here's a secret: They literally mean "very light" and "very very light."

"Very, very little" would actually mean that there is no residue in the stone.

In emerald cut diamonds the distinction between these two layers is very important, namely VS1 and VS2.

Our recommendation is to start at minimum VS1 and work your way up through the clarity grades.

Lab Diamond Special:

Be sure to pay attention to the “crystal tension” in your emerald; this is especially noticeable in these cuts. Crystal tension is caused by the stone growing too quickly and looks like a “striped” window. It is unsightly and unfortunately a stone’s certificate DOES NOT detail this. It can even happen in VVS stones.

In emerald cut diamonds, which is more important: color or clarity?

Clarity is more important because impurities in emerald shapes can be easily seen and the color can be hidden with the gold mounting color.

Clarity should be your first priority, as emerald-cut diamonds have an iconic brilliance and no shimmer that hides the inclusions. Definitely VS1+ or VVS! But color comes second, because nearly colorless tones like H and I can be masked by setting the gem in yellow or rose gold. If you’re setting a white metal like white gold, palladium or platinum, you’ll still need colors above G Color to appear white-on-white.

3. Not Taking Color Seriously Enough

Do emerald cut diamonds show color?

Yes, emerald cut diamonds show more color than other shapes.

This is because emeralds do not have that dazzling sparkle that would ruin their color!

Pro tip: If you’re prioritizing carat weight over color, choosing an emerald with significant contrast will likely reduce the color somewhat, so opting for a dramatic emerald with lots of contrast (but no black box) helps a bit.

The short summary hides a little contrast and a little color.

Table, Depth and Other Features for Ideal Emerald Cut Diamonds

The cut quality of an emerald diamond affects how beautiful it is.

Whether it has a hall of mirrors effect or a haphazard, lifeless appearance determines whether your diamond stone has a pleasant, eye-catching appearance.

Like all diamonds other than round cut diamonds, the GIA does not grade Emerald cut diamonds for cut quality.

If you see a cut grade listed on an emerald cut diamond, it is assigned by the jeweler, not the GIA. Therefore, the accompanying GIA certificate will not have a cut grade. While this is fine, we strongly recommend that you verify the cut grade yourself.

To do this, it is important to understand the cut characteristics. Unfortunately, there is no industry standard for what constitutes an “Ideal Emerald Cut Diamond.” However, there are some tips for finding a great stone. The table below serves as a general guide for evaluating the cut of an Emerald Cut Stone.

HALL OF MIRRORS

The defining characteristic of an emerald cut diamond is the “hall of mirrors” effect. So this should be your priority! The best hall of mirrors effects show alternating bands of dark and light. Here’s a great example of a hall of mirrors compared to a washed, non-mirrored stone:

BLACK BOX

Another thing to consider is to avoid a distracting black box. You want a hall of mirrors effect, not a picture frame. Here’s a nice example of a hall of mirrors next to a distracting black box (left)

Here are our other cutting suggestions:

IDEAL/PERFECT

VERY GOOD

GOOD

TABLE WIDTH

60-69%

70-71%

72+

DEPTH

60 – 67%

68-70%

71+

Color Recommendations for Emerald Cut Diamonds

A diamond's "color" refers to how much yellow (or no yellow) the stone exhibits. "Colorless" diamonds fall into the D, E and F color ranges. These stones, like water, exhibit no color at all. Colored stones G through Z exhibit increasing amounts of yellow.

Emeralds show color more easily than other diamond shapes because their mirror-like shine does not mask color like the brilliant cut sparkle.

The metal color you choose also plays a role; warm-toned gold colors can hide your diamond color!

Here is an example of an E color emerald cut (left) diamond next to an I color diamond.

Here are our recommendations:

WHITE GOLD

YELLOW OR ROSE GOLD

>1 cent

DG

D-me

1-2 cents

DF

DH

2+ct

ALSO

DG

pp

Clarity Recommendations for Emerald Cut Diamonds

A diamond's clarity grade reflects the size of the natural markings within the stone, which gemologists refer to as "pike."

These inclusions are your diamond's fingerprint; no two are alike. The extent of a diamond's inclusions determines what clarity grade it receives. The fewer inclusions, the more flawless your diamond will be.

EMERALD DIAMOND CUTTINGS THAT WILL BE CLEAN TO THE EYE

In order to ensure eye cleanliness in emerald cuts, it is necessary to actually see the diamond. Looking at the GIA Certificate or any certificate, talking from a distance is not enough. Yes, reviewing the video may be enough (it is useful to have an expert look at it)

 

Here is an example of a VS2 clarity emerald cut next to a VVS2 clarity emerald cut (left):

Here are our recommendations:

Clarity

>1 ct

VS2+

1-2 ct

VS1+

2+ct

VVS2+

Final Tips

When looking for an emerald cut diamond, be sure to stay away from the dark boxes and maximize the dimensions. Emeralds are usually cut quite deeply. This means that most of your carat weight is carried in the lower part of your stone; where you can’t even see it! So pay attention to the depth percentage when looking. You want to pay for the carat weight you see! A diamond with a depth percentage below 67% will help you make sure you are paying for the carat weight you see, not the weight carried in the lower part (belly) of the stone.