Trilliant Cut Sapphire: straight sides and sharp corners, with nothing that beats a round
Brilliance 86 · Fire 52 · Scintillation 79 · in our census, where the T73 scores 94 · 37 · 80 in sapphire
Straight-sided and sharp-cornered, the trilliant keeps most of a round's light in sapphire. It wins on nothing we count, and its pavilion is one of the least regular we measure.
Rendered in our 3D Gemstone Simulator from the Trilliant Cut model, 1.00 ct, studio light.
Trilliant Cut Sapphire
Three straight sides and three sharp corners make the trilliant, a brilliant most often used as a matched pair beside a centre stone. The model we measured carries 70 facets over a 39.0° pavilion, 58.9% deep.
In sapphire it returns 86 for light, the most of any fancy shape we measure in sapphire after the cushion, and more fire than the T73. Neither counts as a pro by our rules: the light is short of the T73's, and the fire is far short of the diamond trilliant's.
Is a trilliant a good cut for sapphire? Pros and cons
Pros
None by our margins. Fire beats the T73, 52 against 37, but trails the diamond trilliant by more.
Compared with the T73 Round Brilliant in sapphire 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 sapphire (white) against the T73 Round Brilliant in sapphire (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 sapphire: ahead on 2, level on 1, behind on 5.
Global74, the comparison 79, difference −5
Brilliance86, the comparison 94, difference −8
Fire52, the comparison 37, difference +15
Scintillation79, the comparison 80, difference −1
Spread101, the comparison 100, difference +1
Symmetry62, the comparison 100, difference −38
Shape-norm100, the comparison 102, difference −2
Tilt75, the comparison 75, difference 0
Face-up light census, a different measure from the Cut Grading Tool; Spread and Shape-norm above 100 sit on the ring.
Our rule counts every score a single time, where its gap is widest. The trilliant's fire, 52, is well over the T73's 37 in sapphire, but the same cut in diamond reaches 83, so fire lands among the cons. Brilliance, 86, is high for a fancy shape and still under the T73. What the trilliant offers is the outline, and a strong partner for a round or oval sapphire centre.
Where the trilliant falls short in sapphire
One of the least regular pavilions we measure
Symmetry 62 against 100 for the T73 Round Brilliant in sapphire: 38 points lower
Our symmetry score reads how evenly the pavilion facets repeat. A three-sided outline with straight sides cannot repeat them as a round does, and scores 62.
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 shape. The Trillion Cut Sapphire, with outward-curving sides, scores 100 for symmetry.
Fire 52 against 83 for the Trilliant Cut in diamond: 31 points lower
52 in sapphire, 83 in diamond. Sapphire splits white light into colours far less than diamond does, whatever the outline.
Trilliant Cut in sapphire · Fire 52
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.
What helps: In sapphire the Oval Cut Sapphire reaches 74; no triangle we sell comes close.
Tilt 75 against 89 for the Trilliant Cut in diamond: 14 points lower
Tipped 20°, the sapphire keeps 75 of its face-up light, the diamond 89. On this score it matches the T73 in sapphire.
Trilliant Cut in sapphire · Tilt 75
0° · 10% leak
10° · 19% leak
20° · 26% leak
30° · 34% leak
Trilliant Cut in diamond · Tilt 89
0° · 12% leak
10° · 16% leak
20° · 20% leak
30° · 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 Sapphire keeps 87 when tipped, though it returns less light: 72.
The trilliant suits a pair of side stones flanking a sapphire or diamond centre, where its light holds up well for a fancy shape. Sapphire's hardness of 9 helps, but the sharp corners still want a protected setting.
For a triangle as the centre stone, the Trillion Cut Sapphire has a regular pavilion and faces up larger. For the most light, a round: DG-Anteros Sapphire returns 97.
A pair needs matching colour, and colour-zoned sapphire rough makes two identical side stones harder to cut.
Trilliant Cut Sapphire: questions
Is a trilliant cut good for sapphire?
As a side stone it holds up: Brilliance 86 and 12% leakage. It beats neither baseline on any score we count.
Trilliant or trillion for a sapphire?
The trilliant returns more light (86 against 72); the trillion is more regular (Symmetry 100 against 62) and faces up larger.
Does a trilliant sapphire have fire?
More than a round sapphire, 52 against 37, but well short of a diamond trilliant's 83.
Get the Trilliant Cut files
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Trilliant Cut 3D files
The Trilliant Cut as exact geometry: 72 planar facets, real-world scale, ready for CAD,
rendering, printing and casting.
