Emerald cut is not a style only for today but forever. These gemstones are a unique and elegant class of gemstone cuts. Emerald Cut has been the talk of the town for a while now. Some people like it for its subdued brilliance, on the other hand, some people are just simply fond of the elegance and royalty that this shape exhibits. Unlike other shapes that fall under the category of brilliant cut, the emerald cut falls under step cut. In this blog, we’ll get to know about what this cut is, its origin, and various other characteristics that will guide you if you ever decide to buy an emerald-cut gemstone.
What is an Emerald Cut?
Emerald-cut gemstones are the ones that cut in steps which results in long parallel facets with staircase imitations. Although most of the Emerald Cut gemstones are rectangular in shape, they can be either rectangular or square. The edges in an Emerald Cut are blunt, thus making them less prone to damage or breakages.
Origin of Emerald Cut
The origin of Emerald Cut dates back to the 15th century originally, the cutting style was used to reduce pressure and any sort of breakage while cutting emeralds as they are soft. The original structure of an emerald is a long hexagonal structure crystal structure with many inclusions. The emerald cut’s facets are simple enough to avoid any sort of breakage and show the internal clarity of the clear gems. This cutting style was adopted by the gemstone cutters to show the clarity and colour of the stone prominently. Clean lines and clarity were one of the most popular reasons why this gemstone cut became popular. With the help of Emerald cut people could get an elegant and classy look, both in one ring. Due to its timeless appeal, this cut became popular amongst engagement rings.
It became extremely popular in the 20th century, also when the Art Deco era of the 1920s and 1930s was soaring high. The clean and bold lines of the Emerald cut were a sign of glamor during that time. Also a symbol of refined high class, the Emerald cut became popular among celebrities as well. Many well-known figures from the showbiz have chosen Emerald Cut for their rings.
Why do people love Emerald Cut?
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Timeless elegance: Emerald cut gemstones are a unique and elegant class of cuts for almost all gemstones. The other shapes are brilliant cuts, on the other hand, an Emerald cut is actually a step cut. Its cuts are not like the traditional cuts such as the star and kite-shaped facets, rather these emerald cuts have rectangular facets that clone a staircase look.
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Old Money: The Emerald cut is famous among people who appreciate, sophisticated clean lines and elegant shine instead of a disco ball flashy sparkle. They do emit sparkle and brilliance but in a subdued way.
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Make the fingers look slimmer: Not everyone is blessed with long slim fingers. Emerald cut provides an elongated appearance and helps the fingers to look slimmer and graceful.
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Angular Drama: The elongated proportions complemented by geometric clean lines can never lose their lustre. These angles make the wearer feel forever modern.
Characteristics of Emerald Cut
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Symmetry: Symmetry is one of the most important factors when it comes to emerald cut gemstones as this cut is made of parallel lines. The quality of an emerald-shaped stone is judged by its symmetrical value. The higher the symmetry, the better the quality.
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‘Hall of Mirrors’ Effect: This effect is a unique phenomenon where a ‘Hall of Mirrors’ effect is created due to the presence of symmetrical facets.
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Clarity: An Emerald Cut typically has 57 facets and is distinguished by its step cuts, giving the infamous deep clarity that it possesses.
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Pavilions: The pavilions in an emerald cut gemstone is the bottom slanted portion that is responsible for sending light back up through the gemstone, making it appear brilliant.
Unique Faceting and Brilliance
One of the unique features that set the Emerald cut apart fro of the brilliant cuts is its subtle and elegant brilliance. In the round brilliant cut, the facets are arranged like the spokes in a wheel. These facets result in sparkly shine and brilliance. On the other hand, in the Emerald cut, the step-like arrangement of the facets exhibits a mesmerizing play of colours resulting in elegant brilliance. The flat planes in Emerald cut result in the showcase of colour and clarity of that particular gemstone in a prominent manner.
Best Setting for Emerald Cut Gemstones
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Solitaire Settings- The solitaire setting allows for the exhibition of the Emerald cut’s elegance and simplicity. Giving more room to showcase the qualities of Emerald cut. With the Solitaire setting, the wearers have an option to either get the Solitaire in a North-South setting or an East-West setting.
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Halo Settings- The Emerald cut is famous for its simplicity, a halo of beautiful diamonds can add a sparkle to the overall visual impact and create a contrast between the angular lines of the cut.
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Three-stone Settings- This Three Stone Setting goes well with the engagement rings as it allows you to become more creative with one of the most important jewelry of your life. An emerald-shaped gemstone can be paired with two baguette-cut side stones. This would keep the simplicity of the emerald intact and at the same time add an extra layer of sparkle to your ring.
By now you have enough knowledge about emerald-cut gemstones. You understood what an emerald cut is, and from where it originated. The benefits of this cut are that attracts people. The unique faceting differentiates it from other brilliant cuts and adds a subtle shine and sparkle to the jewellery. Most importantly the settings for these emerald-cut gemstones bring out their fullest beauty.