Emerald Cut

The emerald cut is a step cut: rectangular, with long parallel facets and cut corners. Instead of the scattered sparkle of a brilliant, it produces broad flashes of light and dark, often described as a hall of mirrors. It is understated, architectural and closely associated with the Art Deco era.

The name comes from the gemstone. The cut was developed for emeralds, whose cut corners protect a brittle crystal, and was later adopted for diamonds.

Those long, open facets act like windows. Inclusions that a brilliant cut would hide among its many facets can be plainly visible in an emerald cut. For that reason it is worth choosing a higher clarity than you would for a round, VS1 or above is a sensible starting point, and checking the stone by eye for anything near the centre.

Step cuts show colour more readily too. For a crisp white look in platinum, F or G is a good target. If you love warmth, a slightly lower colour set in yellow gold can look beautiful and deliberate.

A ratio of around 1.30 to 1.50 is the classic rectangle. Longer stones look more dramatic and slender. An emerald cut also has a large, flat table, so it can look generous for its weight, especially when it is elongated.

A four-claw solitaire keeps the lines clean. Tapered baguettes either side, in a three stone design, echo its step-cut facets for an Art Deco look; trillions add a sharper contrast. Turned east-west, an emerald cut sits low and looks strikingly modern.