Emerald Cut Diamond Buying Guide
Shape
The emerald cut is one of the first diamond cuts that were used for jewelry pieces. It has an elongated rectangular shape with straight facets, large table, and the specific ‘step cut’ style of the pavilion. The length to width ratio might differ, but 1.5 ratio is usually the one to choose. Such emerald cuts might appear bigger in size due to their rectangular form. It makes them attractive to the customers who want to spend less for a bigger-looking diamond. Though emeralds have less sparkle than brilliant cut diamonds, they look elegant due to the ‘mirror’ effect.
Cut
Geometrical proportions are the crucial factor for emerald cut. The ‘steps’ are uneven in a good cut, which makes the diamond lose some of its light performance. Emerald diamonds with excellent cut have balanced interplay of light and dark, since the ‘steps’ are placed evenly towards the center. When choosing your emerald, it is important to pay attention to the thickness of the girdle. It should not be disproportionate, too thin or too thick. Some cutters deliberately leave a thick girdle to add the carat weight, although it doesn’t have any positive effect on the appearance of the diamond. On the other hand, a very thin girdle might worsen the density of the gemstone, especially in the corners.
| EXCELLENT | VERY GOOD | GOOD | FAIR | POOR | |
| TABLE % | 61 - 69 | 57 - 60 or 70 - 72 | 54 - 56 or 73 - 74 | 51 - 53 or 75 - 79 | < 51 or > 79 |
| DEPTH % | 61 - 67 | 59 - 60.9 or 67.1 - 70 | 57 - 58.9 or 70.1 - 74 | 54 - 56.9 or 74.1 - 79 | < 54 or > 79 |
| GIRDLE | Very Thin to Slightly Thick | Very Thin to Slightly Thick | Very Thin to Thick | Very Thin to Very Thick | Extremely Thin to Extremely Thick |
| CULET | None | Very Small | Small | Medium | > Medium |
Clarity
Clarity is the second most important factor in emeralds after the cut itself. Since the emerald is one of the most translucent diamond shapes, any initial rough inclusions become even more visible. While SI1 clarity can be a good compromise between the quality and the price in any other shape, it’s better to go for at least VS1 clarity in emerald cuts. Moreover, due to the large size of the table, inclusions should not be located at the center, otherwise they will be easily noticed even in the stone set in casting.
Color
The color saturation is more visible in emeralds due to the same translucency and a wide table. Therefore, a slight yellowish tint is easily distinguished by a naked eye. The emerald cut will appear whiter in a right setting, and there are some options. While a three stone ring is the most traditional setting for emerald cuts, more contemporary settings, such as pave rings, are also applied. For someone who doesn’t want to spend a fortune on a gemstone, the go-to color in emerald cuts is H. While it’s more affordable than diamonds with higher colors, the yellowish tint is still not obvious to the viewer.