Emerald Square Cut Cubic Zirconia: Pros, Cons & Fire

Our emerald square has 49 facets on a square outline with cropped corners, 61.0% deep over a shallow 28.16° pavilion. Its pavilion facets repeat evenly: Symmetry 100.

Both of its pros are set against the same cut in diamond, and both gaps are modest. Its cons for light, leakage and sparkle are set against the T73 in CZ, and they are wider. Weight, the fourth con, comes from the material: CZ against diamond, whatever the cut.

Is an emerald square cut good in cubic zirconia? Pros and cons

Pros

More fire than a diamond emerald square 89 vs 84
Holds its light better than in diamond 84 vs 79

Cons

Heavier than the diamond version 2.40 vs 1.46 ct
Two-thirds of the T73's light 65 vs 98
A fifth of the light leaks 21 vs 1
Slightly fewer flashes 72 vs 80

Compared with the T73 Round Brilliant in cubic zirconia and with the Emerald Square Cut in diamond. A difference counts from 3 points (Brilliance, Fire, Tilt, Leakage), 5 (Scintillation, Symmetry), 4% (face-up size per carat) or 5% (weight); Tilt counts as a pro only for a stone within 5 points of the brilliance it is compared with. How we measure.

All eight scores against the T73

At a glance: the Emerald Square Cut in cubic zirconia (white) against the T73 Round Brilliant in cubic zirconia (dashed): solid white where it reaches further, hatched where it falls short. Each pro and con is explained, with pictures, below.

Against the T73 Round Brilliant in cubic zirconia: ahead on 2, level on 1, behind on 5.

Global79, the comparison 93, difference −14
Brilliance65, the comparison 98, difference −33
Fire89, the comparison 87, difference +2
Scintillation72, the comparison 80, difference −8
Spread108, the comparison 100, difference +8
Symmetry100, the comparison 100, difference 0
Shape-norm86, the comparison 106, difference −20
Tilt84, the comparison 87, difference −3

Face-up light census, a different measure from the Cut Grading Tool; Spread and Shape-norm above 100 sit on the ring. Spread is the census's estimate from depth alone; the face-up size in the pros and cons is measured from each model's outline.

Open it in the Cut Performance Wheel

What the emerald square gives cubic zirconia

More fire than a diamond emerald square

Fire 89 against 84 for the Emerald Square Cut in diamond: 5 points higher

With the same steps, the CZ shows more colour than the diamond version. It sits a little above the T73 in CZ, 87, as well.

Emerald square cut in cubic zirconia face-up under a single bright light: a render from our simulator, its coloured flashes are the fire (score 89) — Look at the coloured flashes: those are fire. Same light, same size, same face-up angle; rendered by our 3D Gemstone Simulator from each cut's own model.

Emerald square cut in diamond face-up under a single bright light: a render from our simulator, its coloured flashes are the fire (score 84) — Look at the coloured flashes: those are fire. Same light, same size, same face-up angle; rendered by our 3D Gemstone Simulator from each cut's own model.

Try it yourself: See the fire in the 3D Gemstone Simulator

Holds its light better than in diamond

Tilt 84 against 79 for the Emerald Square Cut in diamond: 5 points higher

Tilt is the share of face-up light a stone keeps at 20°. The CZ keeps 84, the diamond 79, and because both return about the same light face-up (65 and 64), the gain counts.

Emerald square cut in cubic zirconia tilted 0 degrees: Light Return map, 19% of the face leaking — Tilt is how much of its own face-up light a stone keeps when tilted. Each frame is the Light Return map with the stone tilted away from you by the angle shown; grey is light leaving through the pavilion. The share under each frame is that picture's own.

Emerald square cut in cubic zirconia tilted 10 degrees: Light Return map, 21% of the face leaking — Tilt is how much of its own face-up light a stone keeps when tilted. Each frame is the Light Return map with the stone tilted away from you by the angle shown; grey is light leaving through the pavilion. The share under each frame is that picture's own.

Try it yourself: Compare the Tilt spoke in the Cut Performance Wheel

The catch with an emerald square CZ

Heavier than the diamond version

2.40 ct at 6.5 mm, against 1.46 ct for the same cut in diamond (+65%)

A 6.5 mm emerald square weighs 2.40 ct in CZ and 1.46 ct in diamond. Specific gravity alone makes the difference: about 5.8 against 3.52.

A Emerald Square Cut 6.5 mm across, weighed from the model's measured volume and each stone's specific gravity.

What helps: Specify the side in millimetres.

Try it yourself: Weights in all seven gemstones on the Emerald Square Cut page

Two-thirds of the T73's light

Brilliance 65 against 98 for the T73 Round Brilliant in cubic zirconia: 33 points lower

Square steps return 65 in CZ against 98 for the T73. The diamond emerald square returns 64, so the material is not the limit.

Emerald square cut in cubic zirconia face-up Light Return map: red, green and blue show where the light returns from, grey shows where it leaks (Brilliance 65) — Red, green and blue = light returning to the eye; grey = light leaving through the pavilion. This is the head-on view; the Brilliance score averages a wider cone of light, so the score can differ from what one picture shows.

T73 round brilliant in cubic zirconia face-up Light Return map: red, green and blue show where the light returns from, grey shows where it leaks (Brilliance 98) — Red, green and blue = light returning to the eye; grey = light leaving through the pavilion. This is the head-on view; the Brilliance score averages a wider cone of light, so the score can differ from what one picture shows.

What helps: The Asscher Cut Cubic Zirconia, a square step cut with deeply cropped corners, returns 74; DG-Octagonal Kite Cubic Zirconia, eight-sided, returns 93.

Try it yourself: Open this Light Return map in the simulator

A fifth of the light leaks

Leakage 21 against 1 for the T73 Round Brilliant in cubic zirconia: 20 points higher

21% leaves through the pavilion in our census. The T73 in CZ loses 1%, the diamond version 17%.

What helps: We have no figures for a steeper emerald square. The Asscher Cut Cubic Zirconia leaks 15%, DG-Octagonal Kite Cubic Zirconia 5%.

Try it yourself: Tilt it yourself in the simulator's light map

Slightly fewer flashes

Scintillation 72 against 80 for the T73 Round Brilliant in cubic zirconia: 8 points lower

49 facets against the T73's 73. Steps make fewer, larger reflections, and the score trails the round's 80.

Emerald Square Cut · 49 facets · Scintillation 72

T73 Round Brilliant · 73 facets · Scintillation 80

Scintillation follows the number of facets: more facets, more and smaller flashes as the stone moves. Count the facets in each crown. Drawn from each cut's own model.

What helps: This is the step plan. The Cushion Cut Cubic Zirconia keeps a squarish outline with 85 for scintillation.

Try it yourself: Compare the Scintillation spoke in the Cut Performance Wheel

Who an emerald square CZ suits

Choose the emerald square in CZ for a clean, architectural centre stone or earrings. It holds its light better than the diamond version when tipped (84 against 79), though not as well as the T73 in CZ (87).

For more light with steps on a square, the Asscher Cut Cubic Zirconia, which holds less when tipped, 77. For more light still, DG-Octagonal Kite Cubic Zirconia.

Next to its diamond twin, this CZ returns about the same light (65 and 64), shows more fire and keeps more of its light when tipped (84 against 79), and weighs 65% more.

Emerald Square Cut Cubic Zirconia: questions

Emerald square or Asscher cut in CZ?

For light, the Asscher: Brilliance 74 to the emerald square's 65, and 15% leakage to its 21%. The emerald square keeps its light better when tipped, 84 against 77.

Is an emerald square cut CZ bright?

Moderately: Brilliance 65 against 98 for the T73 in CZ, with 21% of the light leaking.

Does an emerald square CZ have more fire than diamond?

Yes, 89 against 84 for the same cut in diamond.

What does a 6.5 mm emerald square CZ weigh?

2.40 ct. The same square in diamond would weigh 1.46 ct.

Get the Emerald Square Cut files

6 formatsMillimetresWatertight

Emerald Square Cut 3D files

The Emerald Square Cut as exact geometry: 49 planar facets, real-world scale, ready for CAD, rendering, printing and casting.

STEPExact faceted solid for CAD
3DMRhino, closed mesh on its own layer
STLWatertight mesh for printing and casting
OBJMesh for modelling and rendering
FBXBlender, 3ds Max, Maya, Cinema 4D, Unity, Unreal
GLBWeb, AR and quick previews

€9.99 · Personal useBuy the 3D files

GemCad96 index

Emerald Square Cut cutting files

The Emerald Square Cut as a faceting design: 41 + 8 girdles = 49 facets, 96 index, 4-fold symmetry, ready for the machine.

.ascGemCad design file, 96 index gear
.csvTier table: angles, indices and cutting order
DiagramPrintable faceting diagram

€9.99 · Personal useBuy the cutting files

Questions before you buy? Email us.

More gemstones and cuts

Cubic Zirconia: optical properties and the top ten cuts · The Emerald Square Cut: specifications, model and files

Emerald Square Cut Cubic Zirconia: more fire and a steadier tilt than the same cut in diamond