Trilliant Cut Emerald: a bold triangle, lighter in weight than diamond for its size

Brilliance 68 · Fire 41 · Scintillation 79 · in our census, where the T73 scores 78 · 39 · 80 in emerald

Straight sides and sharp corners: in emerald the trilliant returns the most light of the triangles we measure, and its pavilion is the least regular.

See it in the simulatorGet the files
The Trilliant Cut in emerald, rendered at an angle in our 3D Gemstone Simulator under studio light
Rendered in our 3D Gemstone Simulator from the Trilliant Cut model, 1.00 ct, studio light.

Trilliant Cut Emerald

The trilliant is a three-sided brilliant with straight sides, often set in pairs either side of a centre stone. The straight-sided triangle we measured carries 70 facets over a 39.0° pavilion, 58.9% from table to culet.

In emerald it returns 68, under the T73's 78 and above the bowed Trillion Cut Emerald. The pavilion sits a fraction under emerald's 39.4° guide minimum, and 31% of the light leaks. We have no measurement of a steeper trilliant, so we cannot say whether a degree more would change that.

Its fire, 41, is about the T73's in emerald. Where it falls behind its own diamond version is in fire, leakage and how steadily it holds light as it tips; its own pavilion layout costs it on symmetry in any stone.

Trilliant emerald: how good is it? Pros and cons

Pros

Cons

Compared with the T73 Round Brilliant in emerald and with the Trilliant Cut in diamond. A difference counts from 3 points (Brilliance, Fire, Tilt, Leakage), 5 (Scintillation, Symmetry), 2 (Spread) 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 Trilliant 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.

Performance wheel: Trilliant Cut in emerald, against the T73 Round Brilliant in emerald as an outline. Solid white marks where it reaches further, hatching where it falls short. The scores are listed below.50100Global−9Brilliance−10Fire+2Scintillation−1Spread+1Symmetry−38Shape-norm−5Tilt−5

Against the T73 Round Brilliant in emerald: ahead on 2, behind on 6.

  • Global64, the comparison 73, difference −9
  • Brilliance68, the comparison 78, difference −10
  • Fire41, the comparison 39, difference +2
  • Scintillation79, the comparison 80, difference −1
  • Spread101, the comparison 100, difference +1
  • Symmetry62, the comparison 100, difference −38
  • Shape-norm79, the comparison 84, difference −5
  • Tilt72, the comparison 77, difference −5
Face-up light census, a different measure from the Cut Grading Tool; Spread and Shape-norm above 100 sit on the ring.
Open it in the Cut Performance Wheel

What emerald gains in a trilliant cut

Lighter than a diamond trilliant

0.74 ct at 6.5 mm, against 0.96 ct for the same cut in diamond (−23%)

Used in pairs beside a centre stone, trilliants add their weight twice. In emerald each 6.5 mm stone is 0.74 ct, against 0.96 ct in diamond.

Emerald0.74 ctDiamond0.96 ct
A Trilliant 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 Trilliant Cut page

The catch with a trilliant emerald

Half the fire of the diamond version

Fire 41 against 83 for the Trilliant Cut in diamond: 42 points lower

41 against 83. Emerald's dispersion is the cause, not the shape: against the T73 in emerald the trilliant is about level, 39.

Trilliant cut in emerald face-up under a single bright light: a render from our simulator, its coloured flashes are the fire (score 41)

Trilliant Cut in emerald · Fire 41

Trilliant cut in diamond face-up under a single bright light: a render from our simulator, its coloured flashes are the fire (score 83)

Trilliant Cut in diamond · Fire 83

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

An irregular pavilion

Symmetry 62 against 100 for the T73 Round Brilliant in emerald: 38 points lower

Three straight sides do not divide evenly into a regular pavilion, and our symmetry score, 62, is the lowest on our emerald pages. The score depends on the design alone.

Trilliant Cut · 70 facets · Symmetry 62

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. The Trillion Cut Emerald keeps a fully regular pavilion at 100.

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

Nearly three times the diamond version's leakage

Leakage 31 against 11 for the Trilliant Cut in diamond: 20 points higher

31% against 11% in diamond, and 22% for the T73 in emerald.

Trilliant Cut in emerald · Leakage 31

Trilliant cut in emerald tilted 0 degrees: Light Return map, 34% of the face leaking0° · 34% leak
Trilliant cut in emerald tilted 10 degrees: Light Return map, 33% of the face leaking10° · 33% leak
Trilliant cut in emerald tilted 20 degrees: Light Return map, 39% of the face leaking20° · 39% leak
Trilliant cut in emerald tilted 30 degrees: Light Return map, 42% of the face leaking30° · 42% leak

Trilliant Cut in diamond · Leakage 11

Trilliant cut in diamond tilted 0 degrees: Light Return map, 12% of the face leaking0° · 12% leak
Trilliant cut in diamond tilted 10 degrees: Light Return map, 16% of the face leaking10° · 16% leak
Trilliant cut in diamond tilted 20 degrees: Light Return map, 20% of the face leaking20° · 20% leak
Trilliant cut in diamond tilted 30 degrees: Light Return map, 24% of the face leaking30° · 24% leak
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 trilliant, so we cannot say whether one would leak less. Among triangles, the Trillion Cut Emerald leaks 27%.

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

Holds less light when tipped than in diamond

Tilt 72 against 89 for the Trilliant Cut in diamond: 17 points lower

72 of the face-up light is kept at 20°, against 89 for the diamond trilliant and 77 for the T73 in emerald.

Trilliant Cut in emerald · Tilt 72

Trilliant cut in emerald tilted 0 degrees: Light Return map, 34% of the face leaking0° · 34% leak
Trilliant cut in emerald tilted 10 degrees: Light Return map, 33% of the face leaking10° · 33% leak
Trilliant cut in emerald tilted 20 degrees: Light Return map, 39% of the face leaking20° · 39% leak
Trilliant cut in emerald tilted 30 degrees: Light Return map, 42% of the face leaking30° · 42% leak

Trilliant Cut in diamond · Tilt 89

Trilliant cut in diamond tilted 0 degrees: Light Return map, 12% of the face leaking0° · 12% leak
Trilliant cut in diamond tilted 10 degrees: Light Return map, 16% of the face leaking10° · 16% leak
Trilliant cut in diamond tilted 20 degrees: Light Return map, 20% of the face leaking20° · 20% leak
Trilliant cut in diamond tilted 30 degrees: Light Return map, 24% of the face leaking30° · 24% leak
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: The Trillion Cut Emerald keeps 86 when tipped, at 63 brilliance.

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

Who a trilliant emerald suits

The trilliant suits emerald side stones and bold, graphic designs, set so its sharp corners are protected. Of the triangles in emerald it returns the most light.

For a steadier, more regular triangle, the Trillion Cut Emerald. For a centre stone with more light, DG-M5 Emerald.

Trilliant Cut Emerald: questions

Is a trilliant cut good for emerald?

As a side stone it is reasonable: Brilliance 68 against 78 for the T73, with 31% leakage.

Trilliant or trillion for emerald?

The trilliant returns a few points more light (68 against 63); the trillion is steadier tilted (86 against 72) and fully regular.

Do trilliant emeralds chip?

Emerald is 7.5 to 8 on the Mohs scale and can be brittle, and a trilliant has three sharp corners; protect them in the setting.

Get the Trilliant Cut files

6 formatsMillimetresWatertight

Trilliant Cut 3D files

The Trilliant Cut as exact geometry: 72 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

Trilliant Cut cutting files

The Trilliant Cut as a faceting design: 58 + 12 girdles = 70 facets, 96 index, 3-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 Trilliant Cut: specifications, model and files

Other cuts in emerald

The Trilliant Cut in other gemstones