Radiant Cut Diamonds Explained
The Radiant Cut Diamond Ring

Radiant cut diamonds are basically a square version of the emerald shape with more facets and therefore more sparkle. It's not as easy a shape to find as some of the others, so if this is the one for you make sure you leave yourself enough time to find the perfect one.

The radiant shape looks amazing on its own as a solitaire or with side stones like baguettes. It's usually square or rectangular in shape. The setting for a radiant cut should have special prongs to ensure the corners are secure and prevent chipping. Remember any diamond that has corners or protruding elements should be set in a way that protects them.

The radiant shape itself is only about 20 years old which makes it fairly new to the jewelry industry.

It's basically a combination of the step cut found in an emerald cut diamond along with triangular shaped facets which are typical of the brilliant cut. It's kind of a hybrid between the two. It is also a pretty close cousin to the princess cut when it is squarer in shape.

It has 70 facets overall, so it really sparkles and has a lot of brilliance. If you're looking for a shape that is sophisticated and has a lot of fire then this may be the one to go for. Again, choosing a diamond shape mostly comes down to personal preference and taste so let that ultimately be your guide regardless of what shape you are looking at.

Like all diamond shapes, radiant diamonds have an ideal length to width ratio. Because the radiant can be square or rectangular the ratios vary—for the squarer version it should be between 1 and 1.05 and 1.15 and up for the rectangular.

In terms of cost, radiant cut diamonds usually run anywhere between 20 and 30 percent lower than a round equivalent in terms of weight. Remember that with rounds you need to cut away all the corners so there is a lot of waste in attaining the desired weight of the final stone.

Even though the radiant shaped cut hasn't been around very long you can see that it really has a classic eel to it in so many ways. Some say the radiant diamond is associated with personalities that are spirited, social and energetic. We say the radiant diamond is just, well, timeless and elegant.

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