Engagement Ring - In Progress
Setting
Stone
Radiant Cut Diamond: 5 Flaws You Don't Want to Overlook
What is a radiant cut diamond?
A radiant cut diamond is a rectangular stone with clipped corners and megawatt sparkle. Radiant cuts are rare – less than 2% of diamonds cut today are Radiant! Most people who consider a Radiant cut diamond also consider Princess and Emerald cuts.
Do radiant cut diamonds sparkle?
With its brilliant faceting (kite and triangle facets FTW!) Radiant diamonds sparkle like crazy! There are two different styles of Radiant sparkle, “crushed ice” and “brilliant” – and both give off major glitter. So, choosing a Radiant is a great way to up your glitz factor.
Are radiant cuts popular?
Radiant cuts are one of the jewelry industry’s best kept secrets! And, we’re happy to announce they’re finally getting the attention they deserve! Those who learn about Radiants love them! However, there’s not too many people who have heard of them. Most people learn about Radiants as an alternative to Princess cuts. So, if you’re searching for a Radiant, you’re in a small group that’s in the know. You’ll find Patrick Mahomes’ wife, Brittany Matthews, in the Radiant club!
Top 5 Radiant Cut Diamond Flaws
1. Not Learning Radiant Cut Faceting
How many facets does a radiant cut diamond have?
Radiant cut diamonds have the most facets of any diamond at 70 individual cuts! Compare that against a standard round brilliant or princess cut, which have 57 or 58 (depending upon the culet), and you can see why people love them! Radiant cut diamonds have extra clipped corners on the side, as well as more facets on its bottom to make them super brilliant.
What is crushed ice radiant?
A crushed ice radiant is a Radiant cut diamond that displays a large amount of pinfire sparkle that looks like crushed ice. If that description doesn’t help much, you’re not alone…but humor me. Imagine looking at two buckets of ice glistening in the sun. One bucket is of big ice cubes, while the other is of crushed ice. The way ice sparkles directly relates to the size and amount of cut surfaces. So, the bucket of big ice cubes gives off a smaller amount of big flashes of light, whereas the bucket of crushed ice gives off a huge amount of small-sized sparkle. A crushed ice Radiant is like the bucket of crushed ice!
Traditional Radiant (left) vs Crushed Ice Radiant (right)
Is crushed ice or brilliant better?
It’s personal preference – a standard “brilliant” cut will be more dramatic, whereas a crushed ice will face up “whiter”. Some people prefer the drama of brilliant cuts, whereas others prefer the more uniform color and look of crushed ice. Both stones offer gorgeous sparkle. Either way – look for even contrast and sparkle without a dark bowtie. Crushed ice without evenly spaced contrast will look “dead”. Likewise, standard brilliant faceting without evenly spaced contrast (the dark areas in a gem) can show a dark bowtie or odd reflections. Look for even dark/light areas to ensure great sparkle!
How do I pick the best Radiant cut?
Regardless of whether you pick a more traditional sparkle or a crushed ice, the most important thing to look for is even contrast and brilliance. That means you want an even smattering of dark and light throughout your stone, without too much dark or light in any one spot. Check out how too much or too little contrast can make for a distracting radiant here:
How to avoid a “bowtie” in a Radiant cut
“Bowties” are triangular shaped areas in the center of an elongated stone. Most frequently talked about as being too dark, bowties are also actually be too “watery” looking. Bowties frequently occur in ovals, marquise, and radiant cuts. A distracting bowtie takes away from a diamond’s beauty. So, you are going to want to look for a stone with even contrast and brilliance, which well-hides your bowtie area! Here’s how:
Avoiding fisheyes in a Radiant cut
Fisheyes are pronounced circular reflections within a stone that is cut too shallowly. In a Radiant, these can also sometimes appear looking like parentheses. Because pronounced fisheyes/parenthesis disrupt crisp sparkle, you want to avoid them. Here’s what to look for:
2. Not Considering Radiant Cut Color
Do radiant diamonds hide color?
Brilliant cut Radiants hide color well, whereas crushed ice radiant tend to show color more than other shapes. This is because crushed ice Radiants do not show as much contrast as brilliant cuts (and contrast helps hide color). So, if you’re choosing a crushed ice radiant, we suggest looking at G+ color and up! However, if you’re choosing a traditional brilliant Radiant, you can easily select an H for great value (or even an I in yellow or rose gold)!
What is the best radiant diamond color?
The most colorless Radiant is D color, however, choosing a G color will give you beauty and max bang for your buck. While colorless stones are a foolproof way to get an icy crispness, because Radiants have so much sparkle, G colored stones look incredible, too! If choosing a warmer tone like HIJ, something to look for is color concentration in the ends of the stone. Stand back and look at the diamond (on your screen) from a few feet away – does it look warmer in its ends than in its middle? Avoid that for a crisper, more high end appearance.
3. Paying Too Much for your Radiant Cut
Are radiant cut diamonds more expensive?
No, they’re actually less expensive than most other diamond cuts! This is because a Radiant’s rectangular shape uses more of the diamond’s rough than rounds, ovals, and cushions. Plus, you can choose a near colorless VS stone clarity for max value, unlike other rectangular stones like Emerald cuts.
How to Choose a “White & Eye Clean” Diamond
Getting max bang for your buck in a Radiant cut means choosing a G-H color, eye clean VS2 clarity diamond with great measurements You can even get away with I color in yellow or rose gold! Typical industry guidelines for Radiants suggest you choose a stone that has a depth less than 68%. And, the smaller your depth percentage, the larger your diamond will appear. While you’re lowering your depth percentage, just make sure your stone keeps that beautiful contrast/brilliance proportion – shallow stones can lose out on sparkle. So keep a sharp eye!
4. Not Comparing Other Shapes
Do radiant cut diamonds look bigger?
Radiant cuts typically look just slightly smaller than rounds and slightly larger than princesses! Round diamonds carry their carat weight across their width with a one carat stone measuring ~6.5mm across. ~One carat Radiants, on the other hand, measure ~6.7 long by only ~4.7mm wide. This is because Radiants, in order to maximize sparkle across the entire stone and into its clipped corners, need to carry a bit more weight in their bottoms. The same is true for Princess cuts, which measure only ~5.5mm in a one carat, as they require even more depth to sparkle.
Is radiant cut better than princess?
Radiant cuts tend to sparkle more than Princess cuts and face up a bit larger! So, when considering a Princess, it’s definitely a good idea to look at some square Radiants to see what you think. For some designs (compass setting, for example), Princess cuts lend their pointy edges well. For most ring designs, however, a square Radiant will look brighter and bigger.
Does radiant or emerald look bigger?
Radiant diamonds and Emerald diamonds of the same carat weight tend to measure up about the same size, but Radiants sparkle more. And, sparkle tends to make stones look larger and brighter. Emerald cuts are not meant to traditionally “sparkle”, and instead take on a more mirror-like sheen. So, if you are looking for sparkle, choose Radiant! Or, if you want a more understated elegance, Emerald cut is the way to go.
What looks bigger cushion or radiant?
What looks bigger round or radiant?
Round diamonds are cut to be the most brilliant out there – and they are typically cut to look a bit larger than comparably sized Radiants. However, if the stone you’re looking for is an elongated cut, Radiant is an excellent option to consider. Radiants measure up larger than most fancy cut and elongated gems. Another option to consider is an elongated Oval, which may measure slightly larger than even the Radiant!
5. Picking the Wrong Radiant Cut Diamond Ratio
What is the best ratio for a radiant cut diamond?
Traditional industry standard is 1.20-1.35 – but I love square and super elongated Radiants, too! It is very much a matter of personal preference. A diamond’s “length to width” ratio is how skinny or plump a diamond is. And, it’s simply the length divided by the width! So, if you want a long, skinny Radiant cut, set your filter for stones 1.40 and above. On the other hand, if you want a more traditional Radiant, set it between 1.20=1.35. And they can also be square around 1.05 or under!
Can a radiant cut diamond be square?
Yes! Square Radiants are gorgeous and have a ton of sparkle. They are an excellent competitor for a Princess cut – with more sparkle! If you’re looking for a Princess cut stone, make sure to set your Ratio filter to 1.05 and below. The human eye cannot distinguish the difference between 1.03 and 1.00 – and 1.05 will only be noticeable if you know to look for it.
Can you help me find the perfect Radiant Cut Diamond?
We sure can. We love helping customers find the most beautiful stones – and Radiants can be tricky! Drop us a note here, or send us an email at care@doamore.com. We can run an extended search for you and curate a collection of max value, top quality Radiants to choose from!
Diamonds, Gemstones, & Metals
Verifiably Ethical & Sustainable
Clean Water
Guaranteed
1:1 Impact
Customer Service
Personalized
1:1 Support
Engagement Rings, Bands, & Jewelry
Handcrafted & American-Made
Our Promise
You Before Us, Always
