The radiant cut was invented by diamond cutter Henry Grossbard in 1977. At that time, he wanted to create a new diamond cut. It should keep the elegant outline of emerald cut, and own the brilliant fire like round brilliant cut. This design became an important innovation in the history of diamond cutting. The radiant cut is a mixed style. It combines the strong sparkle of round brilliant cut and the elegant shape of emerald cut. Today, it is widely loved for its bright shine and modern look.
Main Features of Radiant Cut
Mixed Cutting Style
The crown uses multi-facet design similar to round brilliant cut. It usual has around 70 facets. These detailed facets reflect light to the fullest. They bring amazing fire and brightness to the stone. The pavilion also adopts brilliant cut, which further boost light refraction and sparkle. The beveled facets on the crown are the most typical mark of radiant diamonds.
Outline Shape
A radiant diamond is a truncated rectangle or square. Its four corners are cut flat. This design is not only beautiful, but also very practical. The flat corners protect the diamond well. It is much harder to chip or crack than emerald cut or Asscher cut diamonds.
Visual Performance
Different from step-cut emerald diamonds, the rich facets of radiant cut can hide internal inclusions very well. So buyers do not need to chase super high clarity grade. Besides, its special cutting proportion makes the table look larger. A radiant diamond often appears bigger than a round diamond with the same carat weight. Long rectangular radiant diamonds also work well to slim down fingers when worn.
How to Choose a Radiant Cut Diamond
There are several key points you need to check.
Length-to-Width Ratio
This ratio decides the overall shape of the diamond.
For square radiant diamonds, the ideal ratio is between 1.00 and 1.05. It looks neat, symmetrical and modern.
For rectangular radiant diamonds, the common range is 1.15 to 1.50. It shows a longer and more traditional style. You can pick the shape based on your own taste.
Cut Quality
Cut is the most important factor for radiant diamonds. A good cut makes the stone shine brightly. A poor cut will make it look dull. You need to check symmetry first. All facets and cut corners should line up evenly. Polish is also important. Smooth surface guarantees good light reflection.
Almost all radiant, oval and marquise diamonds have the bow-tie effect. It means dark bow-shaped areas inside the stone. You must pick diamonds with faint or nearly invisible bow-tie marks. It is best to check the real stone or related videos by your own eyes.
Color Grade
Radiant cut can mask slight yellow tones well. You can choose a slightly lower color grade than round diamonds. G to H color and above are popular choices with great value for money.
Blue Nile diamonds are worth buying：1，Both milky tint and brown hue:Tap to see full diamond info 2，The diamond has milkiness:Click to view detailed diamond information 3，The diamond has medium green fluorescence.:View details 4，The diamond has a cavity:See details
Clarity Grade
Thanks to dense facets, inclusions are easy to cover. VS2 and SI1 clarity are safe and cost-effective choices. Just make sure no obvious inclusions sit right under the table or ruin the overall look.
Carat Weight
Select carat according to your budget and preference. Since radiant diamonds look larger visually, a smaller carat radiant may look as big as other fancy cuts with higher carat.
Advantages of Radiant Cut Diamonds
It delivers outstanding fire and brightness, extremely sparkling.
It has a unique modern geometric shape, fashionable and timeless.
Truncated corners prevent damage, so it is durable for daily wear.
It hides inclusions effectively, so the requirement for clarity is lower.
It looks visually larger than other cuts at the same carat.
Disadvantages of Radiant Cut Diamonds
The unavoidable bow-tie effect needs careful selection.
Cut quality greatly affects appearance, so you need professional knowledge or trustable sellers.
It is less classic and resale valuable than round diamonds, though more popular than most other fancy cuts.
Since cut quality and bow-tie effect matter so much, we strongly suggest you view the real diamond in person. You can also buy from reliable sellers who provide high-definition 360° videos. You may read customer reviews from Blue Nile and James Allen, which two brands have merged now. In this way, you can make sure the diamond meets all your expectations.