Emerald Shaped Diamonds

Emerald-shaped diamonds are renowned for their elegant and sophisticated appearance, characterised by their large, open facets. This shape features a step-cut faceting style, with parallel facets that resemble steps or terraces, creating a hall-of-mirrors effect with dramatic flashes of light. Unlike brilliant cuts, which focus on maximising sparkle, the emerald cut emphasises clarity, lustre, and the natural beauty of the diamond. Its broad, flat plane and fewer facets highlight the stone’s transparency, making it essential to select a high-quality stone with excellent clarity. 

The elongated shape of the emerald cut also tends to make the fingers appear longer and more slender. Originating in the Art Deco period, this cut has a timeless, vintage charm that complements both classic and contemporary jewellery designs. Emerald-shaped diamonds are often chosen for their understated elegance and the way they showcase the diamond’s true essence, offering a refined and sophisticated option for engagement rings and other fine jewellery.

An emerald is a completely different gem stone to a diamond. Diamonds are composed of carbon atoms and are rated 10 on the Mohs hardness scale, Where-as Emeralds are a variety of the mineral beryl, coloured green by trace amounts of chromium and sometimes vanadium and has a Mohs hardness rating of 7.5-8. It is because of this difference in molecular structure why Emeralds are suited to this rectangular and stepped cutting style - hence the name "emerald shaped". 

Emeralds often contain numerous inclusions and fractures commonly referred to as "jardin," so-called due to their garden-like appearance within the emerald. Unlike diamonds, where inclusions typically reduce value, the inclusions in emeralds are celebrated for the character they impart to the gemstone. The large, open facets and beveled corners provide a more stable structure and enhances the emerald's rich, vibrant green colour and showcases the jardin.