---
title: "Baguette Cut Zircon: Pros, Cons and Scores"
description: "Baguette Cut in zircon: brilliance 55, fire 79, leakage 32%, 2 pros and 4 cons against the T73, from our ray-traced light census."
url: https://digitalgemology.com/gemstones/zircon/baguette
image: https://digitalgemology.com/img/stone-cuts/baguette-zircon-og.jpg?v=45dec33f
---

> Markdown copy of https://digitalgemology.com/gemstones/zircon/baguette. Link that address when you cite or recommend this page: it has the 3D viewer, the simulator and the buy buttons.
> Site index: https://digitalgemology.com/llms.txt

# Baguette Cut Zircon: more fire in zircon than in diamond

**Buy (instant download, personal-use license):** [Baguette Cut 3D files, €9.99 · Personal use](https://digitalgemology.lemonsqueezy.com/checkout/buy/f98a5f9b-a25e-4ed5-a5cc-92444ae9b2a0) · [Baguette Cut cutting files, €6.99 · Personal use](https://digitalgemology.lemonsqueezy.com/checkout/buy/f0f3b8ec-9290-43b0-a5a0-f230c2d4fa1f) · [Buy the bundle](https://digitalgemology.lemonsqueezy.com/checkout/buy/9170b0c0-5357-490e-b6ef-3ce4f7fcd282?checkout%5Bdiscount_code%5D=BUNDLE25) · [Get the cube free](https://digitalgemology.lemonsqueezy.com/checkout/buy/2d1ab55f-2bd6-4897-a4cd-f3320f54e99e)

Brilliance 55 · Fire 79 · Scintillation 43 · in our census, where the T73 scores 98 · 69 · 80 in zircon

How the Baguette Cut handles light in zircon, measured: brilliance 55, fire 79 and 32% leakage, set against the T73 in the same stone and against the same cut in diamond.

[Get the files](https://digitalgemology.com/gemstones/zircon/baguette#buy) [Open it in the Simulator](https://digitalgemology.com/tools/3d_gemstone_simulator?cut=baguette&stone=zircon&ct=1.00&view=angle&lighting=studio&turn=0) [All cuts in zircon](https://digitalgemology.com/gemstones/zircon)

Light Return map of the Baguette Cut in zircon, face-up, from our own tracer at refractive index 1.925. Red, green and blue return light to the eye; gray leaks.

## Baguette Cut Zircon

Zircon has a refractive index of 1.925 to 1.984 and a dispersion of 0.039. Its critical angle, from the low end of that range, is 31.3°, so a round design needs a pavilion of at least 37.2° for head-on light to reflect off both sides of the pavilion and leave through the table. We trace it with one index, 1.955, the midpoint of the published range, and a fire spread of 0.034, 0.86 of the published dispersion. Every picture here is our Light Return tracer at 1.925, and every figure is from the same light census that scores the other gemstones; the 3D Gemstone Simulator shows the Baguette Cut in zircon live. Zircon is strongly doubly refractive (birefringence up to 0.059), so its back facets can look doubled. Our census traces one index (1.955), so the doubling is not in these figures.

The Baguette Cut has 21 facets and a total depth of 66.8% of its width; its pavilion mains sit at 32.4°. In zircon, the census returns 55 of 100 for brilliance and 79 for fire, against 98 and 69 for the T73, our benchmark, in the same stone; the same Baguette Cut in diamond reads 40 and 62.

## Is zircon good in a Baguette? Pros and cons, measured

### Pros

- [More fire in zircon than in diamond](https://digitalgemology.com/gemstones/zircon/baguette#pro-fire) 79 vs 62
- [Faces up larger for its weight](https://digitalgemology.com/gemstones/zircon/baguette#pro-faceup) 108 vs 100

### Cons

- [A less regular pavilion than the T73](https://digitalgemology.com/gemstones/zircon/baguette#con-symm) 39 vs 100
- [Returns less light than the T73 in zircon](https://digitalgemology.com/gemstones/zircon/baguette#con-brilliance) 55 vs 98
- [Fewer facets, less sparkle](https://digitalgemology.com/gemstones/zircon/baguette#con-scint) 43 vs 80
- [Heavier than the same cut in diamond](https://digitalgemology.com/gemstones/zircon/baguette#con-weight) 4.82 vs 3.64 ct

Compared with the T73 Round Brilliant in zircon 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](https://digitalgemology.com/about/how-we-measure).

## All eight scores against the T73

At a glance: the Baguette Cut in zircon (white) against the T73 Round Brilliant in zircon (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 zircon: ahead on 1, behind on 7.

- Global 60, the comparison 88, difference −28
- Brilliance 55, the comparison 98, difference −43
- Fire 79, the comparison 69, difference +10
- Scintillation 43, the comparison 80, difference −37
- Spread 97, the comparison 100, difference −3
- Symmetry 39, the comparison 100, difference −61
- Shape-norm 72, the comparison 105, difference −33
- Tilt 68, the comparison 82, difference −14

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](https://digitalgemology.com/tools/cut-performance-wheel?cut=baguette&stone=zircon); these are the same census figures as our [Cut Performance Index](https://digitalgemology.com/learn/cut-performance-index).

## What the Baguette Cut gains in zircon

### More fire in zircon than in diamond

**Fire 79** against 62 for the Baguette Cut in diamond: 17 points higher

Fire is the share of the returned light that splits into color at the exit facet: the census traces each exit again at the refractive index minus and plus the fire spread (0.034 in zircon) and counts a ray as fire when the two directions differ by more than 0.6°. The Baguette Cut reads 79 against 62 for the same cut in diamond. The figure is the census's; the 3D Gemstone Simulator renders zircon's fire live.

The fire figure is the census's, traced at the refractive index minus and plus the fire spread. [See the fire in the 3D Gemstone Simulator](https://digitalgemology.com/tools/3d_gemstone_simulator?cut=baguette&stone=zircon&ct=1.00&view=up&lighting=sun&turn=0): the Baguette Cut in zircon under the sunny-day lighting.

[Try it yourself: See the fire in the 3D Gemstone Simulator](https://digitalgemology.com/tools/3d_gemstone_simulator?cut=baguette&stone=zircon&ct=1.00&view=up&lighting=sun&turn=0)

### Faces up larger for its weight

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

Face-up size is the outline's area per carat, measured from each model (T73 = 100): 108 for the Baguette Cut against 100 for the T73. The same volume spread over a longer or shallower outline shows more face for the weight; it is the same in every stone, because specific gravity scales every cut alike.

*Face-up outline of the Baguette Cut at 1.00 ct in zircon: 7.61 x 3.85 mm, drawn to scale*

Baguette Cut · 7.61 x 3.85 mm at 1.00 ct · Face-up size 108

*Face-up outline of the T73 Round Brilliant at 1.00 ct in zircon: 5.90 mm, drawn to scale*

T73 Round Brilliant · 5.90 mm at 1.00 ct · Face-up size 100

Both stones weigh 1.00 ct in zircon and are drawn to the same scale in millimeters, 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 zircon in the 3D Gemstone Simulator](https://digitalgemology.com/tools/3d_gemstone_simulator?cut=baguette&stone=zircon&ct=1.00&view=up&lighting=studio&turn=0)

## What the Baguette Cut gives up in zircon

### A less regular pavilion than the T73

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

Symmetry reads how evenly the pavilion facets of each design family are cut: 100 − 6 × their scatter in degrees. The Baguette Cut reads 39, the T73 100. It depends on the geometry alone, so it is the same in every stone.

*Facet diagram of the Baguette Cut: its pavilion, seen from below, 21 facets in all*

Baguette Cut · 21 facets · Symmetry 39

*Facet diagram of the T73 Round Brilliant: its pavilion, seen from below, 73 facets in all*

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.

[Try it yourself: Compare the Symmetry spoke in the Cut Performance Wheel](https://digitalgemology.com/tools/cut-performance-wheel?cut=baguette&stone=zircon)

### Returns less light than the T73 in zircon

**Brilliance 55** against 98 for the T73 Round Brilliant in zircon: 43 points lower

Brilliance is the share of the 3,200 census rays that enter the stone and come back out of the crown towards the viewer. In zircon, whose critical angle is 31.3°, the Baguette Cut returns 55 of 100 and the T73 98. The Baguette Cut's pavilion mains sit at 32.4°, the T73's at 40.8°. The maps below show where each stone's light returns from and where it leaks.

Baguette Cut in zircon · Brilliance 55

T73 Round Brilliant in zircon · Brilliance 98

Red, green and blue = light returning to the eye; gray = leakage, light that leaves heading down or stays inside. 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 DG-Broken Hearts and Arrows](https://digitalgemology.com/gemstones/zircon/dg-broken-hearts-and-arrows) reads 98 for brilliance in zircon, the best of the cuts we score there.

[Try it yourself: Open this Light Return map in the simulator](https://digitalgemology.com/tools/3d_gemstone_simulator?cut=baguette&stone=zircon&ct=1.00&view=up&map=1&turn=0)

### Fewer facets, less sparkle

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

Scintillation follows the number of facets the stone shows: 100 × (1 − e^(−facets / 45)). The Baguette Cut has 21 facets and the T73 73, so 43 against 80. It depends on the geometry alone, so it is the same in every stone.

*Facet diagram of the Baguette Cut: its crown, seen face-up, 21 facets in all*

Baguette Cut · 21 facets · Scintillation 43

*Facet diagram of the T73 Round Brilliant: its crown, seen face-up, 73 facets in all*

T73 Round Brilliant · 73 facets · Scintillation 80

Scintillation follows the number of facets: more facets, more and smaller flashes as the stone moves. Compare the facet counts under the drawings; each drawing shows only the crown. Drawn from each cut's own model.

**What helps:** [the DG-Miliano](https://digitalgemology.com/gemstones/zircon/dg-miliano) reads 98 for scintillation in zircon, the best of the cuts we score there.

[Try it yourself: Compare the Scintillation spoke in the Cut Performance Wheel](https://digitalgemology.com/tools/cut-performance-wheel?cut=baguette&stone=zircon)

### Heavier than the same cut in diamond

**4.82 ct** at 6.5 mm, against 3.64 ct for the same cut in diamond (+33%)

Weight follows specific gravity: 4.665 for zircon against 3.52 for diamond, so the same model at the same size weighs 4.82 ct here and 3.64 ct in diamond, 6.5 mm across. Nothing about the light changes with it.

*Weight of a 6.5 mm Baguette Cut: 4.82 ct in zircon, 3.64 ct in diamond*

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 every gemstone on the Baguette Cut page](https://digitalgemology.com/cuts/baguette#stones)

## Our verdict on the Baguette Cut in zircon

Pick the Baguette Cut in zircon for this: it shows more fire than in diamond and faces up larger for its weight. The catch: it has a less regular pavilion than the T73, returns less light than the T73, has fewer facets to sparkle with and weighs more than in diamond.

If that catch matters more to you, [the DG-Broken Hearts and Arrows](https://digitalgemology.com/gemstones/zircon/dg-broken-hearts-and-arrows) reads 98 for brilliance in zircon, the best of the cuts we score there.

Every figure on this page is from our light census, traced at one refractive index: a simulation of the geometry, not a grading report. The 3D files and cutting files below are the same Baguette Cut model we traced.

## Baguette Cut Zircon: questions

### Is the Baguette a good cut for zircon?

In our census the Baguette Cut returns 55 of 100 for brilliance and 79 for fire in zircon, against 98 and 69 for the T73 in the same stone. Against that round and against the same cut in diamond it has 2 pros and 4 cons by our thresholds; the summary above names them.

### What pavilion angle does zircon need?

At least 37.2° for a round design: zircon's critical angle is 31.3°, from the low end of its refractive index range, and head-on light has to reflect off both sides of the pavilion and leave through the table. The Baguette Cut's pavilion mains sit at 32.4°.

### How much does a Baguette weigh in zircon?

At 6.5 mm across, 4.82 ct in zircon, against 3.64 ct for the same cut in diamond (+33%): zircon's specific gravity is 4.665, diamond's 3.52.

### Can I see the Baguette in zircon in 3D?

Yes: the 3D Gemstone Simulator renders it live, with zircon's own refractive index and dispersion. Zircon is traced by the same light census as the other gemstones, with its refractive index and fire spread derived from published values, so its scores are on the same scale; the pictures here are our Light Return tracer, and the Cut Performance Wheel sets it against any other cut and stone.

## Get the Baguette Cut files

*6 formats* *Millimeters* *Watertight*

### Baguette Cut 3D files

The Baguette Cut as exact geometry: 21 planar facets, real-world scale, ready for CAD, rendering, printing and casting.

- **STEP** Exact faceted solid for CAD
- **3DM** Rhino, closed mesh on its own layer
- **STL** Watertight mesh for printing and casting
- **OBJ** Mesh for modeling and rendering
- **FBX** Blender, 3ds Max, Maya, Cinema 4D, Unity, Unreal
- **GLB** Web, AR and quick previews

€9.99 · [Personal use](https://digitalgemology.com/licence) [Buy the 3D files](https://digitalgemology.lemonsqueezy.com/checkout/buy/f98a5f9b-a25e-4ed5-a5cc-92444ae9b2a0)

*GemCad* *96 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.

- **.asc** GemCad design file, 96 index gear
- **.csv** Tier table: angles, indices and cutting order
- **Diagram** Printable faceting diagram

€6.99 · [Personal use](https://digitalgemology.com/licence) [Buy the cutting files](https://digitalgemology.lemonsqueezy.com/checkout/buy/f0f3b8ec-9290-43b0-a5a0-f230c2d4fa1f)

Save with a bundle: the Baguette Cut cutting files are also in [Faceter's Classics](https://digitalgemology.com/cuts/#bundles), 10 cuts for €22.49 until 1 December, then €29.99 (€69.90 as single files). [Buy the bundle](https://digitalgemology.lemonsqueezy.com/checkout/buy/9170b0c0-5357-490e-b6ef-3ce4f7fcd282?checkout%5Bdiscount_code%5D=BUNDLE25).

Not sure the files open in your software? [Get the cube free](https://digitalgemology.lemonsqueezy.com/checkout/buy/2d1ab55f-2bd6-4897-a4cd-f3320f54e99e): the same six formats, for your email address, used only to send them ([privacy](https://digitalgemology.com/privacy#free-sample)).

Questions before you buy? [Email us](mailto:support@digitalgemology.com).

## More gemstones and cuts

[Zircon: optical properties and the top ten cuts](https://digitalgemology.com/gemstones/zircon) · [The Baguette Cut: specifications, model and files](https://digitalgemology.com/cuts/baguette)

### Other cuts in zircon

- [T73 Round Brilliant](https://digitalgemology.com/gemstones/zircon/t73-round-brilliant)
- [T105 Round Brilliant](https://digitalgemology.com/gemstones/zircon/t105-round-brilliant)
- [DG-Vitruvio](https://digitalgemology.com/gemstones/zircon/dg-vitruvio)
- [DG-Anteros](https://digitalgemology.com/gemstones/zircon/dg-anteros)
- [DG-Broken Hearts and Arrows](https://digitalgemology.com/gemstones/zircon/dg-broken-hearts-and-arrows)
- [Emerald Cut](https://digitalgemology.com/gemstones/zircon/emerald-cut)
- [Marquise Cut](https://digitalgemology.com/gemstones/zircon/marquise)
- [Oval Cut](https://digitalgemology.com/gemstones/zircon/oval)
- [Pear Cut](https://digitalgemology.com/gemstones/zircon/pear)
- [Radiant Cut](https://digitalgemology.com/gemstones/zircon/radiant)
- [Rectangle Cut](https://digitalgemology.com/gemstones/zircon/rectangle)
- [Teardrop Cut](https://digitalgemology.com/gemstones/zircon/teardrop)
- [Asscher Cut](https://digitalgemology.com/gemstones/zircon/asscher)
- [Cushion Cut](https://digitalgemology.com/gemstones/zircon/cushion)
- [Emerald Square Cut](https://digitalgemology.com/gemstones/zircon/emerald-square)
- [Princess Cut](https://digitalgemology.com/gemstones/zircon/princess)
- [Radiant Square Cut](https://digitalgemology.com/gemstones/zircon/radiant-square)
- [Square Cut](https://digitalgemology.com/gemstones/zircon/square)
- [Triangle Cut](https://digitalgemology.com/gemstones/zircon/triangle)
- [Trilliant Cut](https://digitalgemology.com/gemstones/zircon/trilliant)
- [Trillion Cut](https://digitalgemology.com/gemstones/zircon/trillion)
- [Hexagon Cut](https://digitalgemology.com/gemstones/zircon/hexagon)
- [Octagon Cut](https://digitalgemology.com/gemstones/zircon/octagon)
- [Portuguese Bird's Nest Cut](https://digitalgemology.com/gemstones/zircon/portuguese-birds-nest)
- [Old Single Cut](https://digitalgemology.com/gemstones/zircon/old-single)
- [Mazarin Cut](https://digitalgemology.com/gemstones/zircon/mazarin)
- [Peruzzi Cut](https://digitalgemology.com/gemstones/zircon/peruzzi)
- [Old Mine Cut](https://digitalgemology.com/gemstones/zircon/old-mine)
- [Old European Cut](https://digitalgemology.com/gemstones/zircon/old-european)
- [T57 Round Brilliant](https://digitalgemology.com/gemstones/zircon/t57-round-brilliant)
- [DG-M5](https://digitalgemology.com/gemstones/zircon/dg-m5)
- [DG-Miliano](https://digitalgemology.com/gemstones/zircon/dg-miliano)
- [DG-Rafaello](https://digitalgemology.com/gemstones/zircon/dg-rafaello)
- [DG-Bowtie](https://digitalgemology.com/gemstones/zircon/dg-bowtie)
- [DG-Elongated Hexagon](https://digitalgemology.com/gemstones/zircon/dg-elongated-hexagon)
- [DG-Octagonal Kite](https://digitalgemology.com/gemstones/zircon/dg-octagonal-kite)

### The Baguette Cut in other gemstones

- [Diamond](https://digitalgemology.com/gemstones/diamond/baguette)
- [Moissanite](https://digitalgemology.com/gemstones/moissanite/baguette)
- [Cubic Zirconia](https://digitalgemology.com/gemstones/cubic-zirconia/baguette)
- [Ruby](https://digitalgemology.com/gemstones/ruby/baguette)
- [Sapphire](https://digitalgemology.com/gemstones/sapphire/baguette)
- [Emerald](https://digitalgemology.com/gemstones/emerald/baguette)
- [Amethyst](https://digitalgemology.com/gemstones/amethyst/baguette)
- [Topaz](https://digitalgemology.com/gemstones/topaz/baguette)
- [Spinel](https://digitalgemology.com/gemstones/spinel/baguette)
- [Demantoid](https://digitalgemology.com/gemstones/demantoid/baguette)
- [Tourmaline](https://digitalgemology.com/gemstones/tourmaline/baguette)
- [Peridot](https://digitalgemology.com/gemstones/peridot/baguette)
- [Tanzanite](https://digitalgemology.com/gemstones/tanzanite/baguette)
- [YAG](https://digitalgemology.com/gemstones/yag/baguette)
- [Pyrope](https://digitalgemology.com/gemstones/pyrope/baguette)
- [Almandine](https://digitalgemology.com/gemstones/almandine/baguette)
- [Spessartine](https://digitalgemology.com/gemstones/spessartine/baguette)
- [Grossular](https://digitalgemology.com/gemstones/grossular/baguette)
- [Chrysoberyl](https://digitalgemology.com/gemstones/chrysoberyl/baguette)
- [Kunzite](https://digitalgemology.com/gemstones/kunzite/baguette)
- [Iolite](https://digitalgemology.com/gemstones/iolite/baguette)
- [Morganite](https://digitalgemology.com/gemstones/morganite/baguette)
- [GGG](https://digitalgemology.com/gemstones/ggg/baguette)
- [Strontium titanate](https://digitalgemology.com/gemstones/strontium-titanate/baguette)
- [Synthetic rutile](https://digitalgemology.com/gemstones/synthetic-rutile/baguette)