The
term "emerald cut" came about from
the fact that emeralds from Colombia
are typically cut in this shape.
The columnar, hexagonal Colombian
emerald rough crystals yield the
most attractive stones and suffer
the least weight loss when cut
into this shape. The emerald cut
is the standard for Colombian emeralds,
while rounds and ovals are considered
special shapes.
In contrast, it is usually much
more cost-effective to cut diamonds
into rounds, due to market demand
and the nature of diamond rough
material. Thus the most common
shape for diamonds is the round,
and all others are referred to
as "fancy" shapes. The diamond
rough that emerald cuts are made
from is shaped differently from
the rough that is cut into rounds,
and is limited to high-quality
material. Emerald cuts make up
less than 2 percent of all polished
diamonds. For any type of gemstone,
there is a certain amount of rough
material suitable for making specific
fancy shapes. Yet when demand for
a particular fancy shape increases,
material that is technically best
suited for other shapes will be
used, resulting in increased production
costs. The main factors in the
beauty of an emerald-cut diamond
are its transparency and its overall
appearance, and the quality of
the rough crystal has a direct
effect on transparency. |
Diamond
cutters say that you cannot hide
the rough's defects in an emerald
cut, emphasizing how a beautiful
emerald cut requires high-quality
material. This situation is comparable
to cooking- no matter how you improvise
with cooking methods, you cannot
make a tasty dish without quality
ingredients.
The photograph to the next page is
a 2.02-carat emerald cut diamond
with high transparency and strong
brilliance. The top portion (crown)
of the stone has three steps, and
though it cannot be seen in the photograph,
the bottom (pavilion) has four steps,
all placed in a regular pattern.
Unlike rounds or marquise cuts that
show a more flashy brilliance, the
emerald cut has a characteristically
understated and dignified appearance.
The emerald cut was particularly
popular in the Japanese market during
the 1950s. This probably was because
the emerald cut's reserved and deep-seated
beauty stands out when worn with
the Japanese kimono. |
