Cut

Cut has a decidedly secondary effect on Emerald values.

The Emerald CUT is made up by the faceting, shape, width and depth. The ideal cut emerald should be symmetrical in shape and the facets should be uniform to give the maximum colour and brilliance, as it will reflect the light evenly across the surface.

A cut that is too shallow will lose light from the bottom of the stone and therefore brilliance. Similarly if the cut is too deep then light is lost out of the sides and the emerald will appear darker than it should. Generally, a washed-out area in the centre of the emerald is the result of a cut that is too deep or too shallow.

Ideal cut. Most brilliant

Deep and shallow cuts. Considered to be Very good to good

Too deep or too shallow. Considered to be Fair to poor

The best score and scale in Cut is combination of perfect gem cut, a clean Polish surface free of surface fissures and an excellent faceted Shape

SHAPE

The shape is usually determined by the rough stone. Square, baguette, emerald cut, round, oval, marquise, princess, heart, pear, octagon.

There are many different variations on the basic shapes. For example;

ovals: cushion, antique and barrel;

emerald cut: elongated, baguette, princess cut, cut corners; among many others.

The "emerald cut" or octagon is the most popular shape for emeralds. Next popular are pear shapes, ovals, marquises, rounds. Round shapes over 1/2 carat in weight are very rare and demand higher prices.

Emeralds have a table, crown, girdle, pavilion, and culet. Emeralds are frequently cut in a rectangular step cut — a cut used on emeralds so often that it's usually referred to as an "emerald cut." The clipped-off corners protect the stone from breakage and provide places where prongs can grip securely.

Cabochon cuts pre-date faceting cut technology, but being an ‘older’ cut does not imply less value. There are some stunning deep, glowing green, clean cabochons in differing grades from Muzo with wholesale prices greater than $5,000 per carat. Other cuts include the dazzling “trapiche” and “cats eye”

POLISH

Refers to how smoothly the facets of an emerald have been finished, whether any marks are visible from the polishing wheel, and how defined the edges of each facet are. Since these characteristics are rarely visible to the naked eye, look for a polish grade of very good or good, though the higher grades of ideal and excellent are also recommended. Avoid emeralds with polish grades of fair or poor, as the quality of their polish may affect the brilliance of the emerald. The polish should be smooth, without any nicks or scratches.

Within the 4 C’s, cut is the characteristic that with least influence on Emerald values. For diamonds, cut is probably the most important quality factor, and most challenging, of the four Cs to understand. The brilliance of a diamond depends heavily on its cut. Emeralds on the other hand don’t rely on a faultless cut for value. For emeralds, Colour and Clarity are the most important features.

AGS Cut Grading Scale      
0…......Ideal                     
1…......Excellent      
2…......VeryGood
3,4......Good
5,6,7...Fair
8,9,10.Poor

SHAPE Scale
- Symmetrical
- Good
- Average -windows
- Fair
- Poor

Polish Scale
- Perfect
- Very good
- Good
- Fair
- Poor