Baguette Cut Emerald: Pros, Cons & Fire

The baguette is a slim rectangular step cut with very few facets. Our model is 1.974 times as long as it is wide, 66.8% deep, with a pavilion figure of 32.37°.

Its light figure is not emerald's doing: the same baguette in diamond returns 40, slightly less than here. What emerald changes is how well the stone holds that light once it tips.

Is a baguette cut emerald a good idea? Pros and cons

Pros

Lighter than a diamond baguette 2.81 vs 3.64 ct
More fire than a round emerald 58 vs 39
A larger face for its weight than a round 108 vs 100

Cons

The least regular pavilion we measure in emerald 39 vs 100
Loses light when tipped, where the diamond baguette does not 60 vs 100
Few, long flashes 43 vs 80
Much less light than a round 42 vs 78

Compared with the T73 Round Brilliant in emerald and with the Baguette 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 Baguette Cut in emerald (white) against the T73 Round Brilliant in emerald (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 emerald: ahead on 1, behind on 7.

Global49, the comparison 73, difference −24
Brilliance42, the comparison 78, difference −36
Fire58, the comparison 39, difference +19
Scintillation43, the comparison 80, difference −37
Spread97, the comparison 100, difference −3
Symmetry39, the comparison 100, difference −61
Shape-norm55, the comparison 84, difference −29
Tilt60, the comparison 77, difference −17

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 emerald gains in a baguette cut

Lighter than a diamond baguette

2.81 ct at 6.5 mm, against 3.64 ct for the same cut in diamond (−23%)

Baguettes are long for their width, so a stone 6.5 mm wide is a sizeable one: 2.81 ct in emerald. Cut in diamond, the same baguette weighs 3.64 ct, because beryl's specific gravity is 2.72 against diamond's 3.52.

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

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

More fire than a round emerald

Fire 58 against 39 for the T73 Round Brilliant in emerald: 19 points higher

Emerald splits light weakly, with a dispersion of 0.014, yet the baguette's long steps score 58 where the T73 in emerald scores 39. Our census measures what share of the returned light is split into colour, not which facets send it; with Brilliance at 42, that is a share of a small return.

Baguette cut in emerald face-up under a single bright light: a render from our simulator, its coloured flashes are the fire (score 58) — 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.

T73 round brilliant in emerald face-up under a single bright light: a render from our simulator, its coloured flashes are the fire (score 39) — 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

A larger face for its weight than a round

Face-up size 108 against 100 for the T73 Round Brilliant in emerald (T73 = 100): 8% more face-up area for the same weight

Depth is quoted against the width, and a baguette's width is its short side, so for the area it shows there is not much stone below. At equal carat weight it spreads more face than the T73. The figure is measured from the model, not the material, so it holds in every gemstone.

Baguette Cut · 9.11 x 4.62 mm at 1.00 ct · Face-up size 108

T73 Round Brilliant · 7.06 mm at 1.00 ct · Face-up size 100

Both stones weigh 1.00 ct in emerald and are drawn to the same scale in millimetres, from each cut's own model. Face-up size is the outline's area per carat, with the T73 at 100: a deeper stone, or a rounder outline, spreads less area for its weight.

Try it yourself: See its size at 1.00 ct in emerald in the 3D Gemstone Simulator

The catch with a baguette emerald

The least regular pavilion we measure in emerald

Symmetry 39 against 100 for the T73 Round Brilliant in emerald: 61 points lower

Our symmetry score rates how evenly the pavilion facets repeat around a design. The baguette's pavilion facets differ in size around the stone, and it scores 39: the lowest of every cut we measure in emerald, and identical in diamond.

Baguette Cut · 21 facets · Symmetry 39

T73 Round Brilliant · 73 facets · Symmetry 100

Symmetry scores how regular the pavilion facets are within the design. Compare how evenly the facets repeat around each pavilion. Drawn from each cut's own model.

What helps: This is the design, not the cutting. For a rectangle with a fully regular plan, the Rectangle Cut Emerald scores 100, though it returns less light, 29.

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

Loses light when tipped, where the diamond baguette does not

Tilt 60 against 100 for the Baguette Cut in diamond: 40 points lower

Tipped by 20°, the emerald keeps 60 of the light it shows face-up; the diamond version keeps 100. Emerald's critical angle is 39.4°, against about 24° in diamond, so light arriving at a slant finds more ways out.

Baguette cut in emerald tilted 0 degrees: Light Return map, 36% 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.

Baguette cut in emerald tilted 10 degrees: Light Return map, 56% 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.

What helps: We have not measured a steeper baguette, so we promise nothing from one. Of the cuts that keep their light in emerald, the Octagon Cut Emerald holds 83 when tipped, at 69 brilliance.

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

Few, long flashes

Scintillation 43 against 80 for the T73 Round Brilliant in emerald: 37 points lower

Scintillation follows the facet plan, and 21 facets cannot match the T73's 73. Only the triangle scores lower on our emerald pages. Expect broad, slow flashes along the steps rather than glitter.

Baguette Cut · 21 facets · Scintillation 43

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: Only more facets change it. The Emerald Cut Emerald, with more steps and cropped corners, scores 72.

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

Much less light than a round

Brilliance 42 against 78 for the T73 Round Brilliant in emerald: 36 points lower

42 against 78, with 50% of the light leaking where the T73 loses 22%. In diamond the same plan returns 40, so here the baguette's design, not the stone, sets the limit.

Baguette cut in emerald face-up Light Return map: red, green and blue show where the light returns from, grey shows where it leaks (Brilliance 42) — 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 emerald face-up Light Return map: red, green and blue show where the light returns from, grey shows where it leaks (Brilliance 78) — 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: For a rectangular step cut with more light, the Emerald Cut Emerald returns 58; for the most light in emerald, DG-M5 Emerald returns 90.

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

Who a baguette emerald suits

The baguette suits emerald side stones and channel-set bands, where a long, clean step and some colour flashing along it count for more than light. With 21 facets it is also a sensible first emerald to put on the machine.

As a centre stone it is weak on light. For a rectangle that returns more, the Emerald Cut Emerald; for a step-cut outline that also holds its light when tipped, the Octagon Cut Emerald.

Baguette Cut Emerald: questions

Is a baguette cut good for emerald?

As a side stone, yes: more fire than a round (58 against 39) and Face-up size 108 against 100. As a centre stone, no: Brilliance 42 against 78.

Baguette or emerald cut for an emerald?

The Emerald Cut returns more light (58 against 42) and sparkles more (72 against 43). The baguette has more fire (58 against 36) and a slightly larger face per carat (108 against 105).

What does a baguette emerald weigh?

A baguette 6.5 mm wide and 1.974 times as long weighs about 2.81 ct in emerald, against 3.64 ct in diamond.

Does a baguette emerald keep its light when tilted?

Less well than in diamond: tipped by 20° it keeps 60 of its face-up light, where the diamond baguette keeps 100 and the T73 in emerald 77.

Get the Baguette Cut files

6 formatsMillimetresWatertight

Baguette Cut 3D files

The Baguette Cut as exact geometry: 21 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

Baguette Cut cutting files

The Baguette Cut as a faceting design: 17 + 4 girdles = 21 facets, 96 index, 2-fold mirror-image 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

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

Baguette Cut Emerald: more fire than a round, and more face for its weight