Emerald cut diamond engagement rings are hot right now. And why not. Adorned by the likes of Beyoncé and Jennifer Lopez, you’re in fine company. Also, with its large surface area, it appears larger than other diamond cuts of a similar carat weight especially compared to that of the Round cut. But it does come with its risks and downsides, especially if you don’t work with a respected jeweller.
In this article we will walk you through some of the bespoke designs we have done for our clients in New Zealand and around the world, and how to ensure you get the best emerald cut diamond that the eye can see. And while there are quite a few reasons you should not buy an emerald cut engagement ring, we explain why we still love them — and how we choose the best ones.
Why you should buy an emerald cut diamond
Emerald cut diamonds can make your fingers appear slimmer and longer, they work amazing with accent stones and they look much bigger relative to other cuts of the same carat.
1. Emerald cuts make your fingers appear slimmer and longer
When the emerald cut is arranged in the North-South orientation, it can make your fingers look longer and slimmer. This is because its rectangular shape draws attention to accentuating length instead of width.
However, if you already have long and thin fingers, you may feel bold enough to go for an East-West orientation. This is definitely putting out a statement and a design like this oozes confidence.
2. Emerald cut diamonds work well with other gemstones
Because the emerald stone is typically longer than other stones, it is a great centre stone. It makes working with accent stones much easier because most cuts are smaller. This is especially true if you want a good deal of symmetry. A three or five stone accent in white gold or platinum goes quite well with an emerald cut.
Below we have a 1.5 CT green emerald three-stone enagement ring, in 14k yellow gold, with two diamond accents.
Below is a 3CT Ruby solitiare engagement ring, crafted in 14k yellow gold.
3. Emerald cut diamonds look bigger than other cuts
If you compare an emerald cut diamond to a princess or round cut diamond, you will notice that the emerald cut just looks bigger. This is because of the larger table. In a princess or round cut diamond, there is more depth. In an emerald, there is more surface area.
If you are looking to maximise the visible size of your diamond, an emerald cut is a great option.
Why you should not buy an emerald cut diamond
While emerald cuts look bigger than most other cuts of equivalent size, they can lack a bit of brilliance, don’t really hide inclusions very well and can suffer from something called ‘windowing’. All of this is avoidable if you work with a respected jeweller like Four Words.
1. They can lack brilliance
Emerald cuts are prone to lack as much brilliance as other diamond cuts like the round, princess, and cushion. These stones are designed to reflect the maximum amount of light entering them. In contrast, the step-cut design of an emerald-cut is prone to the ‘Hall of Mirrors’ effect.
The emerald cut does not have the same number of facets as the round cut. But because of its length to width ratio, its facets do not act in the same way. These elongated step-cut facets exhibit a fiery flash instead. Now, this is not a bad thing. The diamond will still shine, just in a slightly different way. This is also why we love emerald cut diamonds.
2. They don’t hide inclusions well
As mentioned already, when buying an emerald cut, it is important to get a VS2 or higher diamond. Because emerald cuts are not as brilliant as other cuts, they can show their inclusions more.
Again, work closely with a trusted jeweller to pick out a stone that is a high enough quality for your engagement ring.
What You Need To Know When Picking Emerald Cut Diamonds
Cut
Cut is the most important factor. And finding a well cut emerald is extremely difficult! What makes it harder is you cannot rely on certification (as only round diamonds are officially graded on cut). Even if it has all the right measurements the stone can look very different in person. This is why it is essential to view a video or photo of the diamond to see how well cut it looks.
One key tell of a well cut emerald is the “halls of mirror” effect. This is where the combination of each steps appear like a never-ending sea of mirrors.
One thing to be aware of with emeralds is windowing and extinction. Basically this is where poor cut emeralds either leak too much light appearing clear, like a window; or don’t refract enough light and create very dark areas. You want to avoid diamonds like this.
While it is good to know what to look out for when picking an emerald diamond –it is important to work with a respected jeweller.
At Four Words – we make this easy – by doing this process for you. One frustrating part with selecting a diamond is the amount of time you need to put into finding a well cut diamond. We only work with the top 2% of diamonds in the world – which means you get the best diamond that the eye can see.
Clarity
Emerald cut stepped surfaces mean that inclusions and flaws are much more apparent. A slightly included emerald cut diamond, especially near the centre will decrease the visual appeal of the diamond overall. Due to the type of cut, it has less shininess and sparkle compared to a round diamond – which means you should pick a higher clarity stone.
We pick emeralds with VS2 clarity rating or higher.
It is better to spend a little bit more money upfront to get a higher quality diamond.
Carat
The greater the carat size, the more attention you need to pay to clarity. The great thing about an emerald cut diamond is that it appears larger than many of the other cuts such as a round diamond or princess cut.
Colour
Due to the large table size, colour is more noticeable in an emerald cut compared to an asscher or cushion. However, colour is a personal preference – if you like a white, clearer diamond then we recommend picking stones between the D-G range.
If you are more comfortable with warmer colours then play around with I-K graded stones (or even lower). These grades will provide champagne vibes allowing you to capture the original emerald appeal.
If you are looking to try another gemstone, our designers can help you create something classic but unique. For example, we created a bridal set featuring a sapphire gemstone emerald cut engagement ring featuring pave diamonds with a matching tiara wedding band in platinum.
How we incorporate Emerald Cut Diamonds into our designs
Only in the last 100 years did it start being a diamond cut. Traditionally, the stone was oriented at a right angle to the band. This is called the North-South orientation (as seen below). One of our most popular settings is an emerald solitaire due its classic design and clean look, featuring a yellow gold band.
If you want an extra sparkle you can pair with a pavé ring band (which are small diamonds on the side of the band).
A modern take on the emerald solitaire is setting the stone in the East-West direction featuring either a Moissanite gemstone or diamond, in either a white gold or a platinum band with pave diamonds three-quarters down going down the band.
Above is a 1.0 carat Emerald Cut Solitaire with an East-West setting using 14k Gold.
For some couples, the emerald stone on its own is not daring enough. Another emerging trend is pairing it with another stone. Below is a Moi Et Toi Engagement Ring using a 0.7 carat Emerald and 0.9 carat Pear Diamond with 14k gold.
Moi Et Toi Engagement Ring using a 0.7 carat Emerald and 0.9 carat Pear Diamond with 14k gold.
You can also use gemstones or diamonds on the band. Below we have a 1.0 carat diamond Emerald engagement ring with 14k gold band and pave diamonds running three-quarters down.
Work with jewellery experts
Emeralds can be a great choice if you are looking for a more elegant or art deco style of cut. Traditional jewellery stores are typically motivated to sell based on sales targets and get commissions. They don’t have your best interests top of mind. With Four Words, you don’t need to compromise on design because of the risks associated with a poor quality diamond.
We only deal with the top 2% of stones and are rigorous in ensuring that you get the best diamond that you can possibly see.
And this is how Four Words is different. We don’t pay our salespeople and designers based on commission. We pay them upfront to ensure that they have your interests top of mind.
If you want to get started on designing your engagement ring, give us a message or learn more about designing an engagement. Also, at Four Words we only use lab-grown diamonds (which are optically, atomically and physically exactly the same) and offset five times the amount of carbon that we produce — which is much less than the mined diamond industry.
Common Questions
At Four Words, we primarily use yellow gold, rose gold, platinum and sometimes white gold. We typically recommend platinum over white gold because white gold is plated. Over time this can fade leaving a yellow-tinged band. If you want to keep the white gold finish, you will need to get it re-plated every two or three years.
Four Words is based in Auckland, New Zealand — but we have done engagement rings, wedding bands and fine jewellery for those right across the country, and even across the world.
We have had orders from Australia, the UK, the US, and even Sweden.If you would like to visit our showroom, you can make an appointment with us through our contact page. If you can’t make it to Auckland, we also do virtual consults at a time that suits you.
We mostly do bespoke - made to order jewellery, however we do have collections where you can pick a design and your ring size.
Yes, we can design your wedding band at the same time, or after you get your engagement ring — even if you get your engagement ring from another jeweller.
If you do get your wedding band after your engagement ring, we can achieve a flush finish by 3D scanning your engagement ring.
