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Emerald Cut or Radiant Cut

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Emeraldfan

Shiny_Rock
Joined
Apr 27, 2006
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I am trying to choose between an emerald cut or an Original Radiant Cut diamond and I am so confused. I have the radiant on hold but I'm having second thoughts. My boyfriend really likes the sparkle of the brilliant cuts/rounds but I've always loved emerald cuts for their shape and simple elegance. We decided to compromise and go for a original radiant to get the best of both worlds (shape & brilliance). I was fine with this at first because I liked eternity style/pave e-ring and thought the radiant would work well with it. Unfortunately, because of the weight of the stone (2.33 carats F VS1) my jeweler didn't want to put it on a small mm eternity band like I wanted (I hate thick bands on my 6 3/4 hands). Anyway, we compromised and settled on a whole new more classic look instead - side baguettes of about .30 carats each (like the tiffany & co. emerald cut with side baguettes).

My dilemma is this - I've always liked the side baguettes with the emerald cut and I've liked the radiants/brilliants with the eternity style/pave/leon mege look. However, now I feel as if I am mixing the styles and not getting entirely what I envisioned. I'm sure it will drive my boyfriend and my jeweler crazy if I say I want an emerald cut now. I don't know what to do and my boyfriend is getting sick of my indecision (the ring is going to be over 30k so he doesn't understand why I can't be happy with whatever I get). I know I don't really want to upgrade in the future so this is it. Do I go with the radiant with the baguettes and be happy or choose to look for an emerald cut instead? If anyone has any advice I would really appreciate it. How do you think the radiant with the baguettes will look? Will radiants be in style 20 years down the road or should I go with the more classic emerald? I do have to say that the radiant is very pretty - its more the traditional style radiant with very little cracked glass effect.

Any help/thoughtswould be really, really, appreciated. I need to make a decision soon cause I have a feeling my boyfriend is going to propose on our vacation in May.
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A guy''s perspective here, but you should get what you want, what will make you happy, what you will enjoy wearing for years to come. If you like emeralds, that''s what you should get.

Emeralds aren''t my favorite, so I wear a round. There are other''s who wouldn''t wear a round if you gave them one. Some people swear by Asscher''s (they are really beautiful - have you considered that cut??). And other''s would choose a Radiant or a Princess or an Oval or, well, you get the idea.

Get what will make you happy and don''t give a rats A$$ about what anyone else wants you to have.

And welcome to PS BTW
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Thanks for the advice. I moved to a new city to be with him and don't have any friends here that can see them and help me choose. I'm trying to compromise and make everyone happy - but in the end I have to be the one to wear it.

I looked at the Aschers but liked the more rectangular shape better for my hand. If I had longer and thinner fingers I think an Ascher like the leon mege's I've seen on here would be awesome.

I don't want to regret my decision after its too late to change it.
 
Remember that you will look at the ring on your finger countless times every day. Make yourself happy. I just got a 3 stone emerald cut and love it. I just posted it in a thread on Show me the ring - maybe that will help you with ideas about what you like or dont like. I think ECs are so interesting to look at with the way they reflect light.
 
You could hardly be choosing between more polar opposites! I mean, besides the shape of the stone, you''re talking the difference between crushed glass and soft simple step faceting! This is no small decision and you REALLY need to think about which you prefer, IMO, because mixing the two doesn''t seem to go well...I love the look of radiants with trillions, and ECs with baguettes, but a mix...dunno about that.

Seriously - I would really think long and hard before taking a step forward and decide what YOU like. You are the one who will be wearing the ring.
 
I agree, get what you will love for years to come. I wouldn''t worry about making the jeweler crazy by changing your mind, it is his job. Oh, and tell you guy that it is a girl''s perogative to change her mind, often many times
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As for my opinion, I think ECs are much, much more classy, elegant, and timeless than radiants. I love ECs with bags but not a radiant with them.
 
I don''t think that a radiant goes with baguette sides IMO. The look is just too different. If you like EC''s and your fiancee doesn''t then you need to keep on looking for something you both like and can agree on. Look at other step type cuts.

It seems like you are trying to talk yourself into a radiant to appease him and that''s why you are so indecisive because deep down inside, you''re not completely sold on it.

Like the old adage goes: "If in doubt, don''t!!"

This ring is someting you will be looking at a million times a day, everyday for the rest of your life and you just really gotta love it, otherwise it will drive you crazy!! Not to mention the huge $$ investment you are making.

A radiant is a very distinctive look, and if you are concerned about it going out of style, then it''s probably is not the stone for you.

When you find the right diamond and the right shape, you won''t care what anyone thinks, because you will just love it, unconditionally, no matter what. Your ring should bring you unlimited pleasure, everytime you look at it.

Just my 2cents, (that and 75cents will buy you a cup of 7-11 coffee!)
 
Emgirl - beautiful EC ring. Love it! You're really making me rethink this radiant.

SuzyQZ - I think you are totally right about me hesitating because deep down I'm unsure about it. I made the jeweler find the perfect specs on the radiant (62 table, 64 depth, medium girdle, etc), one that wasn't that crushed ice look, and one with a squarish/rectangular look L/W 1.20. Even then, and since I was reading this forum, I had him send it out for a colorimeter and Sarin report to make sure it actually was a great diamond. Finding this stone took 2 months and another 2 weeks for the baguettes. Now we were just in the process of getting the mold done and I am having issues with that.

I did want something sparkly and I love the halo's and all the pave. Part of me really wants that look but I think I may get sick of it in time. The radiant is probably the prettiest one I have seen of those though, and I've looked at a lot. The EC with the baguettes is simple and classic - but also very safe. I'm a conservative as it is, so I was trying to branch out a little bit and go with the radiant.

If I did go with the EC instead, how do you guys think it would look with an eternity wedding band (so I can at least get some of the bling look)?


Thanks everyone for your help. I am going out of my mind cause I want this to be perfect and don't have anyone to really help me figure it out.
 
I think that you need to be happy with what you get (thought I can sympathize with driving your bf crazy...I did the same thing). But don''t stress over it too much. Why not get the radiant on a slightly thicker pave band? I know that you don''t like thick bands, but a 3mm band or so would definitely NOT be thick. I think it would be gorgeous.

Good luck!
 
Emeraldfam, I know how you feel, I had wanted an emerald, because it was timeless, and I loved the shape with the cut corners. But I also loved the sparkle of a round. I got a radiant. But when we had such a hard time looking for radiants, I debated looking for something else, namely the EC, but my PS girls convinced me to wait, and I did! Also, because mine is smaller- .70 carats, I have it with some diamonds on the band. I love this look. I never regretted getting this stone, because I LOVE the cut glass look, and I don''t think an emerald would have looked as good on my finger. If you love the emerald - get it. It''s something you''ll be wondering forever. I think it would look great next to an eternity style band! I always loved the bags with the emeralds, too! I guess I''m no help.
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I tried to post a picture of what the radiant with side baguettes would look like but it won''t let me download it. If you go to http://www.harry-winston.com/loader.html under engagement rings there is a radiant in the 8th picture down. This is the picture I showed my jeweler and asked him to emulate.

What if I went back to my original two designs, which would be better:

1) the emerald cut with the side baguettes

2) the radiant in an eternity/pave band - maybe I could get Leon to do it (although that would mess up the suspected May vacation proposal)

Again, thanks you guys. It''s really nice to have some great opinions on such a lifelong decision I''m going to have to love and live with.
 
Emeraldfan:

I don''t think you will ever get a consensus. If you ask 100 people what they like you will get 100 different answers.

The question really is, what do YOU like, really? What diamond makes your heart skip a beat? I love radiants BECAUSE of the broken glass look and the random pinpoint sparkles and fire. I love looking at my ring every day.

Does an EC give you that rush or is it a radiant, or is it some other cut? I''ve always thought of ECs as the most timeless and elegant of diamonds. If you are conservative by nature, why are you trying to stretch out of your comfort zone for one of the most important purchases you''ll ever make? I think your ring should bring a smile to your face and make you proud so show it to anyone and everyone who will take the time to look. It should be a reflection of you and reflect back to you what YOUR perception of diamond beauty is. Be it a radiant, EC, asscher, cushion, RB or who knows??? One thing I think though, it that once you find "the one" all others will pale by comparison. You will "know" you''ve made the right choice.

I can''t help but notice your screen name is Emeraldfan, hmmm there must be something to it!

Good luck to you.
 
Emeraldfan, I've got to say, I love the HW picture with the bags. I like the radiant with it! Then again, I really like the emerald with the bags, too. You want timeless, right? I'd say emerald. I liked my radiant because it was different. But then again, in my family, so is an EC. Get what you love.
 
As far as the eternity band with the EC, it looks great. I just picked my wedding band and I thought the eternity band would be too much with the 3 stone, but they complemented each other very well. I went with 7 rounds instead of an eternity, just because I thought that the eternity seemed too delicate - I was afraid of damaging the diamonds on the inside of my hand.
 
From what you have said, it sounds like you really want to get an emerald cut with baguette sides, but you are hesitant because you don''t think that it is what your boyfriend wants and you don''t want to inconvenience the jeweler.
I don''t think those are good reasons to NOT get the ring you truly love. I''m sure that your boyfriend wants you to have a ring that you will truly love, even if it''s not necessarily what he would choose for himself. So don''t feel bad about speaking up.
 
Date: 4/27/2006 7:10:21 PM
Author: saturn
From what you have said, it sounds like you really want to get an emerald cut with baguette sides, but you are hesitant because you don''t think that it is what your boyfriend wants and you don''t want to inconvenience the jeweler.
I don''t think those are good reasons to NOT get the ring you truly love. I''m sure that your boyfriend wants you to have a ring that you will truly love, even if it''s not necessarily what he would choose for himself. So don''t feel bad about speaking up.
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Saturn: That is one mighty fine cushion cut you''ve got there! I went to your other thread to see the pictures and it''s a beauty! It''s got so much "goin'' on"! I''ve never seen a cushion with so much sparkle! I really like it!
 
Saturn, thanks for your advice.

I guess you gals are right, it is my jewelers job to help me find the stone of my dreams so I shouldn''t worry about making him search for some EC''s. Actually, I have a RHR that the jeweler said should be ready tomorrow so I will try and take some pictures of the radiant with the side baguettes. Also, I know he has an emerald cut I will try and get a picture of as well (although not my specs so I would still have to get him to bring some in).
 
You definitely shouldn''t worry about inconveniencing your jeweler by having him hunt down some ECs if that''s what you really want. I did look at the HW website...and sorry to say, wasn''t a big fan of the radiant with side baggs. But I ain''t wearin'' the ring.
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Have you considered a three stone emerald? That could satisfy your need for something more blingy.

I really don''t think that (other than price) you should compromise and get what your bf likes or prefers. YOU are the one wearing the ring. I really wouldn''t give a rats a$$ what the jeweler thinks either. You are paying him to get you what you like.
 
Emeraldfan: I vote for the EC with baguettes! You mentioned a few times that you are torn because you love the EC, feel that you would love a more "conservative" or "clean" look (plus some extra bling) and that ahem, you''ve already made a significant change by moving to a whole new city to be with him...why should you change what your heart really desires?

Alright, I will admit to being a little biased and taking your story a bit personally. I moved to Chicago to be with my now husband a few years ago and when he asked me what type of stone I would like to have I told him a RB, without question. If he''d said, "well, I think I''d rather you had an asscher or radiant or princess," I would''ve been torn as well. I would''ve felt that I was facing another compromise, I think. But my taste was the same before I met him as it is now, and I haven''t experienced any desire to change shapes since I received my RB 3 years ago! An e-ring is something some women dream about forever. I feel that knowing what you would love to have on your hand for the rest of your life before you even meet the man of your dreams speaks very strongly of your personal preferences and style. Don''t go changing ("to try and please me" as the Billy Joel song goes)!

Have you thought about an eternity band with baguettes and square stones to go along with the EC + baguettes e-ring? I think bluenile has one...can''t remember but will try to find a pic! I think that would be gorgeous.

If you really are lusting after the pave look, you could always set the EC of your heart''s desire into a pave setting and change it if you grow tired of the look, or (?) it goes "out of style." I personally don''t think pave will ever go out of style...it''s one of those things that''s come and gone over the years but has remained very popular although maybe not "all the rage" as it seems at this time. I do feel, however, that a classic EC might not look as fabulous with a pave setting as it would in a setting with clean lines and baguette sides. Just my .02!
 
Welcome to PS
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Another vote here for an EC with bags - can''t go wrong with that, so classic and gorgeous! Go with your heart, you are the one wearing the ring!
 
Hi Emeraldcut. As other people have stated here, get what YOU want. Buy what speaks to you. Use the advice of the experts on-line here as a guide, but in the end it has to be YOU and the diamond together everyday! So, purchase the diamond that "speaks" to you! I just purchased 3 "Original Radiant Cut" diamonds; viewed them in person 3 times until I was sure. I kept reading the post and information on line here so that I pretty much knew if I was getting a good set of diamonds or not. But the parameters/specs on any diamond should be your starting point or "weed out" point. Use your brain to pick the starting point or parameters for what you will or will not tolerate and what is most important to you, but then use your eyes and your heart to decide what you visually like the most - - what speaks to YOU. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder in ALL things! The human eye can only perceive so much; less so in diminished lighting. Less so as we age. So IMO, don''t be too overly concerned with all the special "tests" / etc. These tests - - as well as how a diamond look in a store - are, again IMO, only good under perfect conditions - - perfectly clean diamond, bright flourescent lighting. Not at all the way we LIVE with a diamond day after day. Choose the diamond you will be SOOOOOOOOOOO happy to look down at everyday there winking on your finger.
 
Date: 4/28/2006 9:13:44 PM
Author: lionluv
Hi Emeraldcut. As other people have stated here, get what YOU want. Buy what speaks to you. Use the advice of the experts on-line here as a guide, but in the end it has to be YOU and the diamond together everyday! So, purchase the diamond that ''speaks'' to you! I just purchased 3 ''Original Radiant Cut'' diamonds; viewed them in person 3 times until I was sure. I kept reading the post and information on line here so that I pretty much knew if I was getting a good set of diamonds or not. But the parameters/specs on any diamond should be your starting point or ''weed out'' point. Use your brain to pick the starting point or parameters for what you will or will not tolerate and what is most important to you, but then use your eyes and your heart to decide what you visually like the most - - what speaks to YOU. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder in ALL things! The human eye can only perceive so much; less so in diminished lighting. Less so as we age. So IMO, don''t be too overly concerned with all the special ''tests'' / etc. These tests - - as well as how a diamond look in a store - are, again IMO, only good under perfect conditions - - perfectly clean diamond, bright flourescent lighting. Not at all the way we LIVE with a diamond day after day. Choose the diamond you will be SOOOOOOOOOOO happy to look down at everyday there winking on your finger.
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So, you bought the 3 ORC''s... WONDERFUL!!!
Start a new thread with pictures. Tell us about the setting, etc. I''m just licking my chops
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in anticipation of seeing
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those three Radiant beauties!!
 
As a radiant lover myself with a radiant center with a thin pave split shank...I would normally rave about radiants, but in this case it really seems like you want the emerald. The emerald with baguetts and a round eternity band would look gorgeous, and so would a pave radiant, either way...even if you change your mind three more times, DO NOT FEEL BAD ABOUT THE JEWELER LOOKING MORE FOR YOU. You are spending 30K to him!!!! That should be motivation enough to put up with your every need haha
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I vote for the EC with baguettes- a beautiful, classic look, that is sure to never go out of style. EC's are my favorite- I have never really been drawn to any other cut quite like I am drawn to them...

As far as an eternity band with rounds to go with an EC e-ring, try them on together and see how you feel about it. When I tried on a round eternity band with my EC, I felt it just didnt look right- rounds and ec's sparkle completely differently, and to my eyes, it just didnt look good...it made my otherwise lively EC look dull in comparison to the different kind of brilliance the rounds have. The 2 cuts just didnt complement eachother well at all, but that is just my opinion- you may feel completely different about it.

Good luck in your search, cant wait to see what you pick!
 
I went back to the jewelers on Friday afternoon. I explained the situation to him and he was very nice abut it. He said he justs wants to get the right diamond for me
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. I asked him to bring in a few emerald cuts to see. Hopefully in the next few days he''ll be able to find some with my specs.

I took a picture of the radiant together with the side baguettes but it didn''t come out very well. I have a canon sd500 so if anyone knows how to take better close ups please let me know and I will try and get better pictures when the EC''s come in. The radiant does actually look nicer with the baguettes than I remembered. We''ll have to see how the EC''s look.

I also spoke to my boyfriend more about everything. He is frustrated that he thought it was all picked out and now I am changing my mind. He agreed to the EC though if that''s what I really want. I told him I''d wait to make a decision when they get the EC''s in. He did say as far as bling goes, that if I really wanted the pave, bling look, that I could get another ring in a couple years (maybe a vivid yellow radiant diamond with pave???). So that could work - I get the classic emerald now and the bling later. I kinda wish we had gone with Tiffany''s or Cartier like I wanted when we first started looking - there is something to be said about a limited number of options for the center stone cut and the styles of the settings. I wouldn''t be having this much indecision but I would also be getting a smaller lesser quality stone (I looked at an EC with sides bags at Tiffany''s - it was a 1.6 H VVS2 with setting for 36,000)
 
I think following your heart and going with what you know you''ll be comfy wearing every day is the answer. And it sounds like you came to that decision! ECs are gorgeous, classic, and classy....especially so when flanked by baguettes.
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How sweet of your boyfriend to already agree to getting you a yellow radiant down the line! (though I love radiants, I think they reach their maximum potential when they are fancy colored!) And I have to say that 36K for a Tiffany''s H VVS EC is just darn expensive. You can easily get a top-quality ring replica with a diamond that is at least as good with one of the online vendors for much less. Then again, for some people, Tiffany''s or HW has a magical quality and therefore they are worth the premium. Everyone is different!
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here is the picture of the radiant

Radiant Diamond.jpg
 
get the EC. its apparent that you prefer that one. yes i am biased but they are truly classic..............radiants are not my cup of tea.
 
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