Radiant Square Cut Moissanite: Pros & Cons

The radiant square has cropped corners and a brilliant facet plan beneath. Our model has 49 facets, a 34.64° pavilion and a depth of 72.8%, deep for its width. It is more forgiving at the corners than a princess.

Diamond gets little colour from this plan, Fire 62. Moissanite lifts it to 93, one of the largest gains over diamond on our moissanite pages. Against the T73 it gives up light, sparkle, tilt and a little more leakage.

Its 49 facets are few for a brilliant, and the census shows that in sparkle as well as in light.

Radiant square moissanite: is it worth it? Pros and cons

Pros

Far more fire than in diamond 93 vs 62
Lighter than in diamond 1.48 vs 1.62 ct

Cons

Much less light than a round 71 vs 86
Fewer flashes than a round 66 vs 80
Loses more light when tipped 88 vs 94
Slightly more leakage than a round 11 vs 7

Compared with the T73 Round Brilliant in moissanite and with the Radiant Square 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 Radiant Square Cut in moissanite (white) against the T73 Round Brilliant in moissanite (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 moissanite: ahead on 1, level on 1, behind on 6.

Global82, the comparison 91, difference −9
Brilliance71, the comparison 86, difference −15
Fire93, the comparison 97, difference −4
Scintillation66, the comparison 80, difference −14
Spread101, the comparison 100, difference +1
Symmetry100, the comparison 100, difference 0
Shape-norm82, the comparison 93, difference −11
Tilt88, the comparison 94, difference −6

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 moissanite gains in a radiant square

Far more fire than in diamond

Fire 93 against 62 for the Radiant Square Cut in diamond: 31 points higher

Diamond, with dispersion 0.044, gives this plan only 62; moissanite at 0.104 gives 93, close to the T73's 97.

Radiant square cut in moissanite face-up under a single bright light: a render from our simulator, its coloured flashes are the fire (score 93) — 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.

Radiant square cut in diamond face-up under a single bright light: a render from our simulator, its coloured flashes are the fire (score 62) — 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

Lighter than in diamond

1.48 ct at 6.5 mm, against 1.62 ct for the same cut in diamond (−9%)

This is a deep cut, so a 6.5 mm stone is heavy for its width in any material; moissanite keeps it lighter than diamond would.

A Radiant Square 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 Radiant Square Cut page

The catch with a radiant square moissanite

Much less light than a round

Brilliance 71 against 86 for the T73 Round Brilliant in moissanite: 15 points lower

71 against 86. The Square, a full brilliant on a square outline, returns 82.

Radiant square cut in moissanite face-up Light Return map: red, green and blue show where the light returns from, grey shows where it leaks (Brilliance 71) — 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 moissanite face-up Light Return map: red, green and blue show where the light returns from, grey shows where it leaks (Brilliance 86) — 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 Square Cut Moissanite keeps a square outline, with less depth, and returns 82. For the most light, a round: DG-M5 Moissanite.

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

Fewer flashes than a round

Scintillation 66 against 80 for the T73 Round Brilliant in moissanite: 14 points lower

49 facets against the T73's 73, and our scintillation score tracks the count.

Radiant Square Cut · 49 facets · Scintillation 66

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: More facets help, and that is the plan, not the angles: the Cushion Cut Moissanite scores 85 and the Square Cut Moissanite 78.

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

Loses more light when tipped

Tilt 88 against 94 for the T73 Round Brilliant in moissanite: 6 points lower

Tipped by 20°, it keeps 88 of its face-up light, against 94 for the T73.

Radiant square cut in moissanite tilted 0 degrees: Light Return map, 16% 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.

Radiant square cut in moissanite tilted 10 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.

What helps: For tilt alone, the eight-sided DG-Octagonal Kite Moissanite scores 100 and matches this cut's brilliance.

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

Slightly more leakage than a round

Leakage 11 against 7 for the T73 Round Brilliant in moissanite: 4 points higher

11% against 7% for the T73 in our census. Its 34.64° pavilion is under the 39.5° guide minimum for rounds; we have no measurement of a steeper version.

What helps: For less leakage, a round: DG-Anteros Moissanite loses 3%.

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

Who a radiant square moissanite suits

The radiant square suits a square moissanite where fire is the point. It is a step down from the Square on light and sparkle.

Moissanite's double refraction can show as doubled facet edges, and our single-index renders cannot show that, so it goes unscored here.

For light in a square, the Square Cut Moissanite; for sparkle, the Cushion Cut Moissanite.

Radiant Square Cut Moissanite: questions

Radiant square or square cut moissanite?

The Square returns more light (82 against 71) and more sparkle (78 against 66); fire is close (91 against 93).

Is radiant square moissanite bright?

Less than a round or our Square: 71, where the T73 gives 86 and the Square 82.

Does radiant square moissanite have a lot of fire?

Yes: 93, against 62 for the same cut in diamond.

What does a 6.5 mm radiant square moissanite weigh?

About 1.48 ct, a heavy stone for its width; in diamond 1.62 ct.

Get the Radiant Square Cut files

6 formatsMillimetresWatertight

Radiant Square Cut 3D files

The Radiant 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

Radiant Square Cut cutting files

The Radiant 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

Moissanite: optical properties and the top ten cuts · The Radiant Square Cut: specifications, model and files

Radiant Square Cut Moissanite: a big fire gain over diamond, at a cost in light