Emerald Cut Diamonds

Emerald Cut Diamonds

The emerald cut diamond gets its name from its singular square shape. Emerald cut diamonds fall under the 'step cuts' category. Step cuts were developed in order to allow diamond cutters to cut diamonds in square or rectangular shapes, without leaving their corners sharp. Sharp corners on a diamond may cause it to chip, fracture or cleave. Since it is square shaped, an emerald cut diamond has no culet and is cut shallower than a round brilliant diamond. Shallow cut pavilions allow for more light to leak out of a diamond's sides and its bottom. Consequently, emerald cut diamonds (and all step cut diamonds, for that matter) are likely to be less brilliant and appear less sparkly than round brilliant cut diamonds. However, what an emerald cut diamond lacks in brilliance, it makes up for in quality. An emerald cut is designed to highlight a diamond's clarity and its color. Since an emerald cut is so shallow, inclusions, blemishes and color impurities will be painfully visible. Therefore, only diamonds with the highest Clarity and Color grades will be cut into an emerald shape.

Emerald cut diamonds are understandably less versatile than round brilliant cut diamonds. Emerald cut diamond's square shape is more limiting than the classical round brilliant shape. As such, not every setting will necessarily complement or even accommodate an emerald cut diamond. When choosing a setting for an emerald cut diamond, it is important to select a design which will enhance the diamond's unique attributes. Open, airy settings, such as prong or semi-bezel settings, will be able to fit an emerald cut diamond and leave most of the diamond's surface exposed, enhancing the shallow cut diamond's already diminished brilliance. Also, a diamond's sparkle may be accentuated by the metals incorporated in the setting's design. Light colored, lustrous metals such as Silver, White Gold or Platinum, nicely highlight a diamond's natural sparkle. By choosing a silver-white metal for an emerald cut diamond's setting, the consumer could further enhance the precious gemstone's shine.

Emerald cut diamond's appealing square shape may be relatively limiting, but it also makes it the perfect center stone for a variety of jewelry pieces. Emerald cut diamonds are used in fine Diamond Necklaces, Pendants, Earrings, Bracelets and Rings. The emerald cut diamond have become especially popular in diamond tennis bracelets. Since the emerald cut diamond's overall shape is so proportional and symmetrical, emerald cut gemstones can easily be fit together. Pave set emerald cut diamonds give the tennis bracelet its glittering, glitzy and glamorous appearance.