The Emerald cut is a rectangular diamond with trimmed corners, it is known as a step-cut because its concentric, broad, flat planes resemble stair steps. \n The Emerald cut has fewer facets to reflect light. It is popularly set with multiple side stones to provide balance to the elongated shape.

Emerald cut

The Emerald belongs to the Step cut type. It is a unique shape as its pavilion is cut with rectangular facets. Since the Emerald shape has a very open table, people often prefer a higher clarity grade stone to hide minor defects. The rectangular cuts along the pavilion are always done in steps, which are clearly seen through the table of the stone.

Below you can view a gallery of different Emerald cut diamonds in the many styles they appear:

Among the world's most famous diamonds you can find the following Step-cut diamonds:

The Graff Pink, a 24.78ct Fancy Intense Pink and The Kimberley, a 70-carat, champagne Flawless diamond.

During the years, different Step-cut diamonds were sold for record prices at auctions:

• On Oct 2007 a 6.04ct Emerald cut Fancy vivid Blue was sold for $1,321,496 per carat being the "Highest price per carat ever paid at auction."

• On November 2010, "The Graff Pink", a 24.78ct Fancy Intense Pink Emerald cut was sold for an astonishing price of $46,100,000 being the "Highest price paid for any diamond and any jewel sold at auction"

• In mid-2011 a 6.60 carat Fancy Intense Blue Emerald shaped stone was sold for 830,000 / per carat.

• On November 2010, "The Perfect Pink", a 14.23ct Fancy Intense Pink was sold for $23,100,000 and became " The most expensive jewel ever sold in Asia."

Learn more about the other common Diamond shapes:

All diamonds, including color diamonds, are graded based on the 4Cs: color, clarity, cut, and carat. Similarly, all diamond shapes can have a better cut or a worse cut. What makes one cut better than another? How important is it for a diamond to have a good cut? Let us take a look at the emerald cut and what conditions are ideal for this specific shape.

A 3.07ct fancy vivid orangy yellow diamond and a 1.07ct fancy vivid yellow diamond

The Step Cut

Emerald-shaped diamonds are created using the step cut. This is in stark contrast to the round diamond, which famously utilizes the brilliant cut. As its name implies, the step cut consists of step-like facets, which are quite large, and get smaller as they reach the center of the diamond. Therefore, emerald cut diamonds have larger tables, tend to appear larger than their carat weight, can elongate one’s finger, are less capable of hiding flaws and poor color, and depend very much on the quality of the stone’s cut.

Fancy Deep Orangy Yellow Emerald Diamond Halo Ring (1.23Ct TW)

Less Brilliance, More Shine

All diamonds are beautiful, but not necessarily for the same reason. A round diamond is mostly admired for its extraordinary brilliance that it exudes thanks to its many facets positioned around its round shape. Emerald diamonds on the other hand are coveted for the clean shimmer they tend to display as a result of their large top. Therefore, a diamond cutter will only select an appropriate stone for an emerald cut, meaning something with a high clarity and a good color grade that will look top-notch once polished. The stone may not be as brilliant as some of the other cuts, but they will display an excellent shine due to the mirror-like appearance of the cut.

A 5.01 carat fancy vivid yellow emerald diamond ring

Ideal Emerald Diamond Cuts

While there is no clear cut consensus regarding the ideal cut parameters that an emerald diamond should possess, there are certain guidelines that could help direct you towards the better stones. To clarify, the GIA does not give grades for cut for emerald cut diamonds, though it does provide grades for symmetry and polish. The following is a recommendation for a desirable cut: table size of 61%-69%, depth of 61%-67%, a very thin to slightly thin girdle, no culet or a very small one, a length/width ratio of 1.40-1.50. However, every stone is different and the final result will depend highly on the main attributes of the stone.

5.01ct-fancy-vivid-yellow-vvs2-emerald-diamond-ring

The 5.01 carat vivid yellow diamond ring up close

Although all of the 4 Cs are of equal importance when discussing colorless diamonds, there are a couple of factors that are slightly more important in regards to emerald cut diamonds. Because the stone is so exposed with this cut, there is nowhere for flaws or poor color to hide. Therefore it is highly recommended to go for a diamond with a VS2 grade or higher and a stone within the D-F, G-I color range. Carat size is something that can be flexible as emerald cut diamonds look much larger than they actually are.

Have a look at some of our emerald cut stones.