The radiant cut diamond was created by Henry Grossbard in the late 1970’s. Also referred to as ‘Square’ or ‘Rectangular Modified Brilliant,’ this cut can be described as a rectangular brilliant cut diamond with slanted corners. Radiant cuts are considered as an alternative to the emerald cut, though emerald cuts have long tidy lines.
The Extravagant World of Radiant Cut Diamonds
Radiant cut diamonds are new to the world of diamond cuts, only a handful of decades old. Their reputation is still modest, not yet having the heights of the round brilliant or more established cuts. However, their look is unusual enough to help give them time in the limelight. These diamonds tend to be square or rectangular shaped. Looking in from the top of the stone, the inside looks like a scatter of light, facets seemingly arranged willy-nilly. These facet arrangements make for an intense display of brilliance and scintillation, earning the cut’s name of “radiant.
Radiant cut diamonds have received a place in the Guinness World Records. The L’Incomparable, a necklace bearing 637 diamond carats, was named the world’s most expensive necklace. Along with its titular L’Incomparable pear shaped diamond, radiant cut diamonds help add shine and awe to this unique piece of jewelry drawing in the eyes to an explosion of brilliance. One out of every 10,000 diamonds mined are in a shade unusual enough to be called fancy. In the right hands, a fancy diamond can be cut in a way that that the color’s intensified. Fancy cuts do well in concentrating hues, with the radiant cut’s play of light making it a popular choice.
Radiant cut diamonds and their ability to bring out the best in a stone makes them a boon to consumers. The way they shine makes them compatible with rare treasures like fancy colored diamonds, while adding beauty to every day diamonds. To those who seek them, radiant cut diamonds are a winning combination to catch the eye.
Radiant cuts vary in appearance; you can find the elongated rectangular look or a more squarish kind. If you prefer the squarish shape, make sure to check the length to width ratio, which should be 1.00 to make a perfect square. One of the desirable features in radiant cut diamonds are their lack of setting issues that princess cuts have. Inclusions are hidden more efficiently and its extra facets can disperse more light through the stone, making it one of the most brilliant stones compared to other square and rectangular cuts such as the emerald cut.
Radiant Cut Diamonds
Radiant cut diamonds are rectangular diamonds specially designed to give off a flurry of light. It belongs to a style of diamond known as mixed cuts, which blend the fire of brilliant cuts with the carat preserving elements of step cuts such as emerald cut diamonds. Mixed cuts most often feature brilliant faceting from the girdle up, with step cut pavilions.
Radiant diamonds were developed and patented in the 1970s, though now the design is available for anyone to emulate. It resembles an emerald cut diamond in that both are square or rectangular with cut corners. However, while the emerald cut shows concentric rectangles when viewed from the table down, a radiant cut diamond features an X running from the culet to the edges of the stone. Depending on the jewel, a bow tie shaped shadow may be nestled against the cross’ intersection.
Ideal radiant cut diamonds have around 70 facets, parallel sides and cut corners that are even with one another. Its culet should be centered on the stone, and the jewel is brightest in prong mounts and other settings which allow light into the gemstone. They do well as solitaire rings, an also shine with halos or side stones. The brilliance of radiant cut diamonds is suited to stones with less than ideal clarity, as well as fancy colored diamonds. A few tinted ordinary diamonds may even earn a fancy grade when enhanced with a radiant cut.
Radiant Cut Brilliance
Radiant cut diamonds are a mixed cut with geometric step cut facets on top and brilliant faceting on its lower half. On and above its girdle, radiant cut diamonds are sleek and angular, a rectangle with cropped corners. When looked at through the table, the radiant cut has a scatter of light and facets, doing its best to bring brilliance and scintillation to the eye.
As the name suggests, radiant cut diamonds are designed to bring as much light as possible back to the viewer’s eye. Recommended cuts have about 70 facets, a centered pavilion, and cropped corners. Symmetrical diamonds tend to be more appealing than uneven ones. While there’s no agreed upon standard for radiant cut diamonds, keeping these guidelines in mind help bring out its shining qualities. Its brightness also preserves more carat weight then the round brilliant cut diamond.
One of the abilities of the radiant cut diamond is how it can lighten, darken, or concentrate color in a jewel. It’s increasingly employed to cut or recut diamonds that fall near the Z, or visibly tinted, end of the regular diamond color grades. The radiant cut is able to reflect light in a way that upgrades yellow from ordinary into the Fancy category, increasing the value of the diamond.
Radiant cut diamonds look good as solitaires on designer engagement rings, or brightened with side stones or halos. In recent years, they’ve appeared on the hands of numerous celebrities, such a Drew Barrymore and Anna Kournikova, in many permutations of mounts, color and embellishments. If you’re shopping for a diamond engagement ring, you may want to consider radiant cut diamonds.
