Emerald Cut Diamond Rings
Emerald cut diamond rings are not as common as solitaire rings, but for some people they are the standout diamond shape.
The emerald cut is not an ideal one – so the stone quality generally has to be higher than for other, more imperfection tolerant cuts. This is an issue for both inclusions (they show up more easily) and also color – they retain color slightly more than round or princess cuts. A good rule of thumb for the average diamond purchaser would be to choose a stone with H color or better to be safe, if you’re going for an emerald cut diamond.
Same thing goes for inclusions – if the diamond you’re considering has SI1 or worse inclusions, you’ll want to eyeball the diamond carefully under 10x magnification and check that there aren’t any inclusions in the centre of the stone. The centre of the stone is like a portal showing you the inside of the diamond – imperfections aren’t hidden well at all in this section of the diamond.
Some people are also a little concerned about the apparent size of emeralds – although the jury’s still out on this – some people thing they look larger for the same carat weight than other cuts, other think they look significantly smaller! Up to your personal judgment I guess.