Guide to Emerald Cut Lab-Grown Diamonds

An engagement ring is a unique piece of jewelry that should reflect your personality and style. And when it comes to expressing yourself with this unique piece of fine jewelry, your options are limitless!

From the popular round cut diamond to the classic emerald cut lab grown diamond (the topic of this blog post) there are more than a dozen different diamond shapes to choose from. Each has its own distinctive characteristics, plus a wide range of colors, clarity, carat weight, and settings enabling you to design a ring that is customized just for you.

In this guide, the jewelry experts at MiaDonna will outline and examine everything you need to know about emerald cut engagement rings, including what features to keep in mind and what makes lab grown diamonds an optimal choice.

Emerald cut diamonds are incredibly versatile. Depending on the design, they can take on a vintage look or appear more modern. Slight variations in the stone’s proportions can change its appearance as well. Two key factors to take into consideration when choosing an emerald shape diamond are clarity and cut.

Clarity

Emerald cut diamonds are rectangular in shape creating a large, open surface area. This adds to the appeal of the diamond, but it also means any blemishes or inclusions are more visible depending on the clarity grade of the stone. These imperfections occur naturally during the creation of the diamond and are present in both natural diamonds and lab grown diamonds.

The Gemological Institute of America (GIA) categorizes diamonds into six levels of clarity ranging from Included (meaning there are imperfections visible to the naked eye) to Flawless (meaning there are no visible inclusions when viewed up to 10x magnification). For emerald cut diamonds, a clarity grade of Very Slightly Included 1 (VS1) or better is recommended.

With this level of clarity, the focus will be on the diamond’s natural brilliance as any minor inclusions or blemishes will not be readily visible to the naked eye. Your emerald cut diamond will have a clean surface that highlights its beauty. If you don’t mind small imperfections or have a limited budget, you may opt for a lower clarity grade.

Cut

Unlike a round, oval, or heart-shaped diamond, the emerald cut diamond features long, crisp lines. Each side of the stone has step-cut faceting that looks like tiny stairs going up to the top. This creates a “hall of mirrors” effect where the light catches and reflects off of each surface to give the emerald cut diamond its sparkle and brilliance. The open table only adds to the stunning appearance and transparency of the stone.

You can tailor the proportions and ratios of an emerald cut engagement ring to fit your preferences. The length and width should be symmetrical for a balanced aesthetic, but you can adjust the stone to be more square or rectangular in shape. The step facets should all be the same size and run parallel to the surface edge. A longer, slimmer rectangle can help elongate the appearance of your fingers.

Emerald cut diamond engagement rings are a popular choice among the elite celebrity set making them even more desirable to jewelry consumers. Famous faces you may have seen wearing this gorgeous and sophisticated diamond cut include Grace Kelly, Elizabeth Taylor, Beyoncé, Amal Clooney, Mariah Carey, and more recently, Bella Thorne. It is a style that spans generations and is a timeless classic, yet each of these engagement rings are unique in their setting and size.

Image Courtesy of Instagram: @beyonce

As famous celebrities announce their engagements with emerald cut diamond rings, new interest is ignited among would-be jewelry shoppers. You may see a finger adorned with an elegantly designed ring that you want to style your own after, or, as you explore your options, you may craft something completely different. It all depends on your own preferences, interest, inspiration, and budget.

Image Courtesy of Instagram: @bellathorne

While Bella Thorne’s 10-carat, three-stone diamond engagement ring is valued around $950K, you can find a similar lab grown emerald cut diamond at MiaDonna for a fraction of the price without sacrificing quality or aesthetic appeal. Our Isla ring is a beautiful three-stone setting that can be set with a grogeous emerald cut center stone to capture the beauty and impact of Bella Thorne's engagement ring.

Now that you have your sights set on an emerald cut diamond ring, it’s time to make some important decisions regarding your diamond. Slight variations can change the overall appearance and aesthetic appeal of your ring, so explore your options to find what you like best.

Color: Just like clarity grade, there are different color grades for diamonds as well. Diamonds with a K-M grade have a very light yellow or brown hue to them, while those that are a G-J grade are nearly colorless. To the naked eye, they may appear colorless, with only a faint hue of color noticeable when set side-by-side with a truly colorless diamond (graded D-F). Near colorless diamonds are a beautiful choice for an emerald cut diamond ring because they are less expensive than colorless diamonds while still offering pristine clarity and dazzling brilliance.

Balanced Proportions: Whether you opt for a stone that is on the squarer side or more rectangular, pay attention to the length-to-width ratio. The higher the ratio, the longer and narrower the diamond, while the lower the ratio, the squarer the shape. Many people prefer between a 1.3 and 1.5 ratio, but it depends on your personal taste and what you like the look of best.

Setting and Style: Do you prefer a gold or platinum band? Do you want to feature a singular emerald cut diamond or have side stones as well? Each of these factors can be used to tailor your ring and create a design you love that reflects who you are.

Certified Inspection: Be sure to have your emerald cut diamond inspected by a reputable jeweler or professional gemologist to verify the clarity and quality. Remember that clarity plays an integral role in the appearance of your diamond and determines whether any slight imperfections are visible.

Keep in mind your lifestyle as well, so that your engagement ring can keep pace with your activity level. You may want to choose a sturdier, more durable setting if you are especially active and know you’ll be tough on your ring. Look at features like the thickness of the band, the strength of the metal, the size or number of prongs, and how the stones are arranged. Make a point to have your ring regularly inspected and cleaned to maintain its integrity, brilliance, and sparkle.

Lab Grown Diamonds are the smart choice for those wanting to find the best emerald cut diamond. To explain why, we need to give a quick explanation of Type 1 vs Type 2 Diamonds:

Type 1 diamonds are very common and what you will find in most jewelry stores. They represent 98% of all natural diamonds and have detectable traces of Nitrogen, which means they don't rate as highly on clarity or color. As we discussed above, you really want to find an emerald cut diamond that has exceptional clarity.

Type 2 diamonds are the purest, most brilliant diamonds on the planet because they contain the purest form of carbon making them harder and brighter than regular diamonds. Lab Grown Diamonds from MiaDonna are Type 2, and the perfect diamond for those wanting an emerald cut diamond.

Lab grown emerald cut diamonds are an excellent choice if you are also concerned about the ethics and environmental impact of the diamond you are purchasing. Here are some points to consider:

• They are real diamonds, alike in every way to natural diamonds except that they are created in a lab rather than mined.
• There is greater control of the quality and clarity of the diamond because it is lab-produced using advanced technology. This can reduce the number of inclusions and blemishes present in the diamond giving you a cleaner appearance and transparency.
• There is no destruction or harm to the environment in creating lab grown diamonds, and they are conflict-free, meaning no human rights or labor abuses occurred in their production. These diamonds are ethically and sustainably grown.

And this makes MiaDonna’s emerald cut diamonds a logical choice.  

When you select an emerald cut engagement ring from MiaDonna, you can have peace of mind that it is conflict-free and ethically sourced. Our diamonds, metals, and business practices have been certified as B Corp, Carbon Negative, and Sustainable Choice Standard (SCS) by a reputable third-party organization. Your lab grown emerald cut diamond ring will be a captivating piece of jewelry you can be proud to showcase—and one that you will love and cherish for years to come.

Now that you know what to look for in a lab grown emerald cut diamond engagement ring, you can select a piece that aligns with your personal preferences and the qualities that make your engagement ring unique to you. Schedule a consultation with one of our diamond experts today for guidance in picking out your emerald cut engagement ring or check out our full range of lab grown diamonds online.