Emerald Cut Diamond Guide

Last updated on February 3, 2021

Being admired for their long lines and dramatic half-of-mirrors effect, emerald diamonds are cut in a unique manner known as step cut featuring long narrow facets and a large table. If you are interested in buying a diamond with a clean and sleek design, our emerald cut diamond guide is a must-read.

History of Emerald Cut Diamonds

Although the emerald cut is thought to be modern, it is one of the oldest diamond shapes with origins tracing back to the 1500s.

As the name suggests, the emerald cut was created for emerald gemstones. Due to the step-cut facets, the emerald cut reduced the pressure during the cutting process hence prevented chips in the gems. Diamond cutters took notice of this new cutting technique and applied it to diamonds as well.

While less fiery than the brilliant cut, the emerald cut highlights the clarity through its long step facets and make the stone sparkle and shine. Typically featuring 57 facets, emerald cut diamonds are prominent in a rectangular shape with cropped corners but they are available in a square shape as well.

Interestingly, the term “emerald cut” was not used until the 1920s when the cut increased in popularity. During the Art Deco period, where clean lines and symmetry were admired, the emerald cut became a huge trend. Since then, emerald diamonds are one of the most popular choices for engagement rings and other jewellery pieces.

Emerald Cut Diamond Cut Quality Guide

While the GIA (Gemological Institute of America) provides cut grading for some cuts, such as the round brilliant, it doesn’t provide cut grading for emerald cut diamonds. However, it grades polish and symmetry. These are some of the key features to be considered to have a brilliant and sparkly stone.

Since there is no industry-wide consent on what cut parameters make an ideal emerald cut diamond, we recommend using the table below as a general guideline for evaluating the cut quality of emerald diamonds.

	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

Emerald Cut Diamond Colour Guide

Colour of emerald cut diamonds is graded on a scale from D to Z, where D signifies a completely colourless stone and Z means an easily noticeable yellow or brown tint.

Due to open step facets and a large table, emerald cut diamonds retain more colour than other diamond shapes, meaning it’s easy to see the natural colour of the stone. This is especially true for diamonds weighing 1.50 carats and over.

Smaller emerald cut diamonds hide colour better, but you may still need to choose a stone in the colourless range (D-E-F) if you want your diamond to appear white.

Emerald Cut Diamond Ratio Guide

The length to width ratio expresses how relatively long or wide a diamond appears. It is calculated by dividing the length of the diamond by its width.

Each fancy diamond shape has a certain length to width ratio that is considered most appealing for that shape. Length to width ratio of emerald diamonds varies from nearly square to narrow rectangular. The classic ratio for emerald cut diamonds is between 1.30- 1.60. However, most people choose a ratio close to 1.50.

The chart below serves as a guideline for evaluating the ratio of emerald cut diamonds.

	EXCELLENT	VERY GOOD	GOOD	FAIR	POOR
SQUARE	1.00 - 1.03	1.00 - 1.03	1.04 - 1.05	1.06 - 1.08	> 1.08
RECTANGLE	1.40 - 1.50	1.30 - 1.39 or 1.51 - 1.60	1.20 - 1.29 or 1.61 - 1.80	1.15 - 1.19 or 1.81 - 1.90	< 1.15 or > 1.90