Emerald Diamond
Explore the sophisticated emerald cut lab-grown diamond for your engagement ring. Aurela Diamonds' guide covers hall-of-mirrors brilliance, clarity selection, and ideal proportions.
The emerald cut diamond is the connoisseur's choice, a shape that trades the explosive sparkle of brilliant cuts for a mesmerising, mirror-like play of light known as the "hall of mirrors" effect. Its long, parallel step-cut facets create broad, luminous flashes that glide across the stone's surface with every movement, producing an understated elegance that feels sophisticated, architectural, and undeniably luxurious.
Unlike brilliant cuts that fragment light into hundreds of tiny sparkles, the emerald cut allows you to peer deep into the diamond, appreciating its transparency and internal purity. This optical openness is both the emerald's greatest strength and its most demanding characteristic: the step-cut faceting does not hide inclusions or body colour the way a round or cushion does, which means clarity and colour become more critical in stone selection. A well-chosen emerald cut, however, rewards the buyer with a look of quiet confidence that no brilliant cut can replicate.
At Aurela Diamonds, our lab-grown emerald cuts are selected with particular attention to clarity and transparency. Because lab-grown production allows for higher-clarity rough to be grown consistently, we can offer emerald cuts in VS1 and above at prices that make this once-exclusive shape accessible to a much wider audience. Our team guides Vancouver buyers through the specific grading nuances that matter most for step cuts, ensuring every emerald we sell delivers the crisp, luminous beauty the shape is known for.
History of the Emerald Cut
The emerald cut originated in the 1500s as a cutting technique developed specifically for emerald gemstones, whose natural crystal structure made them prone to fracturing during the cutting process. The rectangular shape with cropped corners and stepped facets reduced stress on the stone and minimised waste. Diamond cutters adopted this approach in the Art Deco era of the 1920s and 1930s, when the geometric, symmetrical aesthetic of the time perfectly aligned with the emerald cut's architectural lines.
The shape became a symbol of refined taste during the mid-20th century, favoured by style icons including Jacqueline Kennedy, Elizabeth Taylor, and Grace Kelly. Its popularity has ebbed and flowed with fashion trends, but it has always retained its association with sophistication and discernment. The modern emerald cut, with its precisely calibrated step facets and optimal proportions, represents a level of cutting discipline that demands the highest skill from the cutter and the finest clarity from the rough.
Emerald Diamond Characteristics
Pros & Cons
+Advantages
- Produces a unique, sophisticated hall-of-mirrors light pattern that no brilliant cut can replicate
- Elongated rectangular shape flatters the finger and creates an impression of size
- Art Deco aesthetic pairs naturally with clean, modern, and vintage-inspired settings
- Less demand than round and oval keeps prices per carat lower
- Cropped corners provide structural durability
-Considerations
- Step-cut faceting reveals inclusions and body colour much more readily, requiring higher clarity and colour grades
- Does not produce the explosive sparkle that many buyers expect from a diamond
- Requires precise cutting to avoid a "window" effect where light passes straight through the stone
- Color more visible than in brilliant cuts, generally requiring F-G or higher for a white appearance in platinum or white gold settings
Best For
Recommended Ring Settings
Solitaire
A solitaire is the quintessential setting for an emerald cut, allowing the shape's clean lines and hall-of-mirrors brilliance to command attention without competition.
View Guide →Three-Stone
Flanking an emerald centre with trapezoidal or baguette side stones creates a geometric, balanced composition that amplifies the Art Deco aesthetic.
View Guide →Hidden Halo
A hidden halo adds brilliance from the side profile without disrupting the emerald's clean top-down silhouette, providing a modern twist on a classic shape.
View Guide →Buying Tips for Emerald Diamonds
Prioritise clarity for emerald cuts. The open, transparent facet pattern makes inclusions easy to spot. We recommend VS2 or higher for an eye-clean stone.
Colour is more visible in step cuts. Aim for G colour or higher when setting in white gold or platinum. H and I can work beautifully in yellow or rose gold settings.
Inspect for "windowing," which is when the centre of the stone appears transparent rather than reflective. Well-cut emeralds should reflect light evenly across all step facets.
A length-to-width ratio of 1.35 to 1.50 is the most popular and visually balanced. Ratios outside this range are a matter of personal taste.
Lab-grown emerald cuts are an exceptional value because lab processes consistently produce the high-clarity rough that this shape demands.
Frequently Asked Questions
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