Is there a reason why emeralds are often given an emerald cut?

[Indylady]

Emeralds are usually included, yet emerald cuts seem to be one of the less ''forgiving'' cuts out there.

So what gives? Why are there so many emerald cut emeralds? To show off the inclusions on purpose?

 

[Kismet]

To show off the color of course.

 

[Fly Girl]

Date: 8/15/2009 9:22:04 PM
Author:szh07
Emeralds are usually included, yet emerald cuts seem to be one of the less ''forgiving'' cuts out there.

So what gives? Why are there so many emerald cut emeralds? To show off the inclusions on purpose?

Gene at Precision Gem explains in this thread Link that it is because the emerald cut generally maximizes the yield from the emerald rough.

 

[Fly Girl]

Another try at that link.

https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/should-i-give-up.122788/

 

[marcy]

IMO Emeralds look great in EC too.

 

[Indylady]

Kismet- that does make sense. Emeralds also don''t seem very ''sparkly'', so it seems that that''s another reason to cut for color.

Fly Girl- Thanks for that link

Marcy- I really like emerald cuts too.

I also found this quote "Design Notes: Mostly Emerald cuts and step cuts because the crystals are usually small long and narrow." about emeralds here.

Thank you so much! I got to thinking about it because I just ordered an emerald from Gene. Its round, and I started looking up emeralds and noticing that most of what I was seeing out there was in an emerald cut.

 

[ma re]

As mentioned, mostly to maximize the yield, but for other reasons too.

Step cuts are generally less complicated to cut (have fewer facets which are larger than in brilliants, and you also don''t have to align them as precisely to get a nice stone), so if you have a fragile material, full of potential cracks and fissures, you''d have to either be very bored or very skilled to try cutting it in some very complicated style for no particular reason. Another aspect of it all, are emerald''s optical properties. Low refractive index usually can''t make a good use of many small facets as much as it can of fewer, larger ones (it can if we''d be talking about precision cutting, but we''re not). And many emeralds have a very rich, saturated color, which (when combined with a complicated cut and less than perfect clarity) further reduces potential for brilliance and scintillation. And let''s not forget that step cuts return less light than brilliant cuts (which even the name of the later implies), so they deepen the color, making it look even richer. Try comparing a band of step cut diamonds (or CZ''s) and a band of brilliant cut ones and you''ll see how brilliants are more white, cause they reflect more light. BTW, it is true that step cuts make inclusions more obvious, but highly saturated, medium-dark color does the opposite, so that doesen''t matter much.

But since each stone is cut in a way that will make the most out of it, some emerald rough is suitable for shapes other than an emerald cut, such as your stone. Cutting that rough to an emerald cut would probably result in a lot of wasted material and a finished stone of poor color, so the cutter opted to make a round out of it - and did a great job

 

[Sagebrush]

All,



While it is true, as Gene says, that the hexagonal rough emerald crystal lends itself, in fact suggests the form of the step or emerald cut, there is another reason related to the beauty and therefore desirability of the stone. Here is a beautifully proportioned crystal that I saw in Bogata. Note how it suggests the basic outline of the emerald cut:

Emerald is prized among connoisseurs for its satin like brilliance. Emerald can be very beautiful if cut in a round brilliant which improves the gem's scintillation at a sacrifice of the satiny quality.

I would upload another cut stone but it appears the post will only accept one at a time.

 

[serenitydiamonds]

While it is true the emerald shape yields the most material from rough, I strongly agree with Richard. The emerald cut displays the emerald''s raw and natural beauty in a very elegant and eye pleasing shape. While brilliance is most important in colorless stones, such as a diamond, that is not usually the case in color gemstones, and is usually considered second if it all. The saturation and glow from the color stone itself is most important and typically the stone is cut so as to maximize this.


--Joshua

 

[PrecisionGem]

Be assured that stones are ALLWAYS cut to maximize yield. If emeralds were commonly found in ball shapes as Malaya garnet and Songea Sapphires are, then you would see emeralds cut as rounds all the time. No one would take one of these round natural shapes, and cut it into an emerald shape. Given the shape of most emerald crystals, the emerald cut makes the most sense for recovery. It''s not uncommon at all form one of these shape crystals to get a stone that is 40 to 50% recovery. When you are selling a stone at thousands of dollars per ct. this means a lot. Take a 10 ct crystal, and get 45% you have a 4.5 ct stone. At say $7800 per ct that''s $35,100. Cut the same stone in an oval shape, and get 29% recovery and you have a 2.9 ct. stone which will only fetch $6000 per ct because it''s smaller, and you have a $17,400 stone. If you were the owner of the stone, how would you cut it? Even if the oval cut had more pizzaz, and made a prettier stone, move up a price range, then it would be 2.9 x $7500 = $21,750.

Stones are cut to maximize SIZE.

 

[serenitydiamonds]

Yes Gene, every cutter tries maximize the weight retention. However the crystal structure of the emerald is why they don''t typically pop out round, and that shape also lends to a very nice color display and ''feel'' with the right stone. In my experience dealing with emerald cutters in Colombia they maxmize color also, because as you know color above all determines the price of a cut stone. Color affects the price in orders of magnitude, cut by matters of few percent.

--Joshua

 

[chrono]

As mentioned, the emerald cut has many things going for the emerald rough.
1. The crystal rough is a pencil shape which lends itself to a rectangular outline.
2. Which now leads to carat weight and size retention which the crystal growth now dictates the shape as well.
3. With the inclusions and trying to preserve the rich satiny colour and flash, a step cut is the way to go.
I have seen a few round emeralds here and there but they are incredibly rare and of course, priced at a premium due to that.

 

[PrecisionGem]

Date: 8/16/2009 5:19:36 PM
Author: serenitydiamonds
Yes Gene, every cutter tries maximize the weight retention. However the crystal structure of the emerald is why they don''t typically pop out round, and that shape also lends to a very nice color display and ''feel'' with the right stone. In my experience dealing with emerald cutters in Colombia they maxmize color also, because as you know color above all determines the price of a cut stone. Color affects the price in orders of magnitude, cut by matters of few percent.


--Joshua

Did they happen to tell you how they maximize color? I''d be interested to here that. Did they do anything that would sacrifice weight?
My guess is that a deep stone gets cut deep, a shallow stone shallow... etc.

Do you typically sell poorly cut stones?

 

[beaujolais]

-- To show off the inclusions on purpose? --

I sort of like inclusions. Emeralds have some cool ones.

 

[Sagebrush]

Gene is right, if emerald crystallized in the cubic system, most would be cut round. That does not negate the point. Isn''t it great that emerald comes in a shape that allows for the maximization of its most pleasing characteristic?

Diamond does as well, oddly enough.

Best.

 

[Indylady]

Thank you so much Ma Re, Richard Wise, Gene, Chrono, and Serenity Diamonds! My question has been answered very thoroughly. Its wonderful to be able to learn more about the gems that I love, including the why''s and how''s of gem cutting.


Sonoma County- I feel the same way! I think the inclusions give a gem character.

Ma Re- Thank you for the compliment! It was such an exciting purchase to make.

 

[PrecisionGem]

often stones have a shape that is contrary to their best color. Blue Zircon comes to mind. It always seems the best color is down the narrowest part of the crystal, leaving the smallest stone. This is true most often with iolite too.

 

[serenitydiamonds]

Date: 8/17/2009 9:14:37 AM
Author: PrecisionGem

Date: 8/16/2009 5:19:36 PM
Author: serenitydiamonds
Yes Gene, every cutter tries maximize the weight retention. However the crystal structure of the emerald is why they don''t typically pop out round, and that shape also lends to a very nice color display and ''feel'' with the right stone. In my experience dealing with emerald cutters in Colombia they maxmize color also, because as you know color above all determines the price of a cut stone. Color affects the price in orders of magnitude, cut by matters of few percent.


--Joshua

Did they happen to tell you how they maximize color? I''d be interested to here that. Did they do anything that would sacrifice weight?
My guess is that a deep stone gets cut deep, a shallow stone shallow... etc.

Do you typically sell poorly cut stones?

I specialize in Ideal cut or better diamonds (I have been reading pricescope personally for years and have loved the business so much I started my own). I also have a very strong personal interest in Emeralds, they are my favorite stone and my birthstone. I have used brilliant cuts from Richard Homer before for clients in Sapphires, as well as native cuts. I prefer a beautiful stone, which is always a delicate compromise between cut, color, brilliance, and inclusions. Each stone is different, I prefer whatever stone has a life that personally speaks to me.

To illustrate the effect of an emerald cut, consider a near colorless diamond in an emerald cut vs a round brilliant. The slight tint of a colorless diamond is extremely visible, and typically even to the untrained eye, in an emerald or step cut. A brilliant cut from the top will hide this color in briliiance. Most pricescopers will state an emerald cut diamond will not mask much color in a diamond at all, and they should choose a colorless diamond. This effect is true for an emerald, except with a color stone you don''t have a desire to mask the color, you have a desire to enhance it.

The cutters I have dealt with balance color, inclusions, and weight for their stones. Weight of course, is always a very strong consideration, as is color. Color can be brought out by cutting a pale stone deeper, or a dark stone shallower in the very basic sense of an emerald cut. The diference in color severly affects the price of a color gemstone in the wholesale trade.

I truly respect the work you do, I''ve seen tons of excited customers post your work over the years, and I''m also from an engineering background so I can relate strongly to detail and precision in one''s work. I just really strongly feel that the step or emerald cut really helps an emerald''s true beauty come forward in a really elegant way.

--Joshua