In the jewelry world, there are many different cuts of diamonds. Some classic rectangle cuts include
Princess-Cut, Emerald, Asscher, Radiant, and Cushion. More often than not at IO Collective, we have clients asking about the various cuts their rings can be designed in. So we figured, what better way to address your questions than creating a blog post on the topic!
Princess-Cut
A princess-cut diamond was traditionally the most popular of the 5 cuts. That being said, Cushion Cut is taking the lead these days! This cut has pointed corners, known as a square modified brilliant-cut diamond. When you purchase a princess-cut it's important to note the setting varies from square or rectangular in shape. A princess-cut diamond tends to show color in the corners, which means you will need to budget for a high color stone.
Princess-cut diamonds generally have 50 - 58 facets. A facet is a flat surface on the geometric shape of the diamond.
When considering length to width, a 1.0 L/W would be more square in shape, while more rectangular would be 1.2 L/W. The optimal ratio for a princess cut is 1:1. But anywhere between 1.1 - 1.4 is acceptable!
Emerald-Cut
The emerald cut is an understated and glamorous setting with eye-catching depth. An emerald cut diamond is known as a step-cut diamond, because of the parallel facets. Generally speaking, emerald cut has 57-58 facets, which creates a 'hall of mirrors' effect.
The diamond's table is the flat surface on the ver
y top of the stone that resembles an actual tabletop. As the largest facet of a diamond, the table reflects and refracts light, making the diamond more brilliant! Emerald cuts have a large open table. This table highlights the color and clarity of the stone. The elongated stone also looks larger from the top, and makes your finger longer and slender!
A word to the wise, this cut doesn’t forgive a low quality like SI or lower. (SI stands for 'Slightly Included.' This means the diamond will have noticeable inclusions that are easy for a trained grader to see when viewed under 10x magnification.)
If you like this cut but prefer more square, see Asscher cut below.
Asscher
The Asscher cut was developed in 1902 by Joseph Asscher and was inspired by the table cuts of the Renaissance. Also known as a square emerald cut, the Asscher is nearly identical to the emerald cut.
A higher clarity is suggested in this cut. The shape also tends to show colors in the corners, meaning you should consider spending more on a higher color.
The ideal length to width ratio for an Asscher is between 1.00 and 1.05:1.
Cushion
The cushion cut is also known as a pillow cut diamond. This cut ranges from square cut to rectangular in shape, with soft edges and larger facets to increase its brilliance.
As with the emerald cut, larger facets can show more inclusions. This means higher quality is suggested. If you prefer the squarer shape, look for a length-to-width ratio of 1.05 to 1.10:1. For a more rectangular shape, look for a length-to-width ratio of greater than 1.15:1.
Radiant
Radiant cut diamonds have 70 facets in total and come in a square or rectangular shape. The trimmed corners of this setting combine emerald shape diamond with a round brilliance. Also known as ‘cut-cornered, rectangle (or square) modified brilliant’ the length of a radiant shape to width ratio is approximately 1.0 to 1.1:1.
If you're interested in a more rectangular shape, look for a ratio of 1.11 to 1.5:1.
