Baguette cut diamond have been gaining popularity recently. Many celebrities have been seen wearing stunning pieces of jewelry set with baguette cut stones. But many people are still unfamiliar with them.
If you are one of them then you might be thinking – what is the baguette cut? What does it look like? Is it a good choice for an engagement ring (or some other piece of jewelry)? How does the baguette cut affect the price? Keep reading to find out all of this and more.
What is a Baguette cut diamond?
The baguette cut is basically a rectangular shape. Baguette cut belongs to the category of diamond cutting techniques called “step cuts”. You might be more familiar with other members of this family – emerald cut and Asscher cut.
In fact, from afar they might look slightly similar so many people confuse them (especially baguette and emerald cuts). But there are some key characteristics that make these types of cuts distinct.
We will tell you in detail about the differences between the baguette cut and the emerald cut below so that you are able to tell the difference like a pro.
When it comes to determining the value of the baguette cut jewelers tend to adhere to the 4 Cs (just as with other types of stones).
The vast majority of the baguette cut stones have 14 facets but they can also have as many as 24 facets. Compared to other cuts, that does not seem like a lot.
The placing of the facets is of course, important for every type of cut. However, in the case of the baguette cut, it is absolutely crucial. Each one has to be created with mathematical precision.
The baguette cut cannot match the brilliant round cut when it comes to the ability to sparkle. A very good cut baguette diamond allows as much light to come in as possible and displays incredible fire.
As we have said this is a step-cut diamond shape. The step-cut means that the stone has rectangular (or square) facets. These facets look like they are going down from the table in a series of steps (hence the name “step-cut”).
What differentiates these types of stones from other step-cut shapes is that the baguette cut diamonds have straight edges (and not cropped ones).
Also, a baguette does not always resemble a perfect rectangle. There is another variety that is called a tapered baguette cut. The tapered stones have one of the sides wider than the other, they resemble a stretched out equilateral trapezoid.
As for the ratio of the baguette cut, it can be whatever the cutter wants it to be. The baguette stone can be long and slender (5 to 1 ratio), or shorter and wider (almost a square).
But, generally, diamond cutters stick to a 1.5 to 1 length to width ratio for commercial stones.
Baguette cut diamonds do not have sparkle like other shapes. they typically play a second fiddle to more sparkly stones and are used for decorating a band of a ring.
Because of this large baguette cut stones used as centerpieces are quite rare, and diamond cutters tend to create baguette cut stones that have a smaller carat weight.
But when set in a band of a ring or a bracelet for example they do look spectacular. Because of their straight rectangular shape, these stones can be placed very close to one another and can create the illusion of one solid diamond stone going all around the piece of jewelry.
Just like all other diamonds the baguette cut stones can contain imperfections. Unlike round cuts, they are bad at disguising their flaws.
The cutting technique emphasizes the transparency of the stone and allows you to look deep inside it; thus it is quite easy to see the internal inclusions or some external scratches.
If you want a baguette cut stone we recommend picking one with a high clarity grade.
History of baguette diamonds.
You probably already know what the word “baguette” means. We have all seen that long, thin, iconic French bread. The baguette cut diamond was named so because of a somewhat similar shape.
The baguette shape was created in the early 20th century (circa 1930). The cutters were influenced by the Art Deco style which was prevalent at the time so they created the diamond shape that would fit in nicely into this artistic movement.
Western society was thrilled with the invention and embraced the new shape. Baguette cut stones were used in all types of jewelry items at that time.
The never-before-seen shape was so popular partially because it was so different from the round stones that dominated the market at that time. Everyone wanted to express their uniqueness by wearing these highly unconventional diamonds.
Another reason for their popularity was their light weight (typically under one carat), which meant that you could get more diamond for your money.
Differences between the baguette cut and the emerald cut.
people get confused wit Baguette cut and emerald cut . They both belong to the step-cut family and allow you to see deeper into the stone. They are also elongated and look rectangular from afar. But upon closer inspection, it is easy to see the key differences.
First of all, the number of facets is radically different. The emerald cut has at least 50 facets, whereas the baguette cut has only 14 (or in some cases 24).
Also, despite the fact that the emerald stone looks like a rectangle from afar it actually has 8 sides. The corners of the emerald cut stone are trimmed, thus creating additional smaller edges.
On the other hand, the corners of the baguette cut diamond are sharp and pointed (like a true rectangle).
In addition, emerald stones tend to be much more sparkly; and the facets create the so-called “hall of mirrors” effect.
Differences between the baguette cut and the Asscher cut.
Asscher cut stones also belong to the step-cut category, but unlike the previously mentioned emerald and baguette shapes they are square rather than rectangular.
In addition, Asscher cut stones have facets running from all four corners towards the point making an X shape. These stones also have a far greater number of facets than baguette cuts and are subsequently more sparkly.
Similar to the emerald cut, the Asscher cut stones have trimmed corners. Also, unlike baguette cuts, Asscher and emerald cut stones are not tapered (whereas some baguettes might be).
The best setting for Baguette cut diamond.
If you are planning to decorate the band of your ting with the baguette stones then the channel setting or the pave setting are the best options.
The difference between them is that in a channel setting the stones ate set into the groove in the middle of the band (which secures them in place better). Whereas with the pave setting each of the tiny stones has to set individually with the prongs.
With that being said, some brides want a large baguette stone to be the center of attention, so they opt for the solitaire ring.
In this case, 4 prongs hold the stone securely in place (each at one corner). The solitaire setting allows the maximum amount of light to reach the stone.
If you wanted to, you could set your stone in a bezel setting as well. That is when the metal closely follows the shape of the stone, holding it from all sides and highlighting its shape.
In the end, the choice of setting is down to your personal preference.
Are Baguette cut diamonds expensive?
A diamond’s job is to sparkle, and since the baguette cut stones tend to be less sparkly than, let’s say, round cut stones, the price of these types of stones tends to be lower.
On the other hand, the cutting technique requires extraordinary skill and patience. Not everyone can do it properly.
The clarity grading is perhaps what influences the price of the baguette stones the most. Since its appeal lies in transparency, it needs to have a high clarity rating, which is quite costly.
What to look for in baguette diamonds. Buying guide.
Here’s a shortlist of the things you need to keep in mind if you want to buy a baguette cut diamond.
- The GIA judges the color range of white diamonds and assigns them a grading from D to Z. The close the baguette stone is to the D grade the clearer it is (and the higher the price). Baguette cut does not sparkle enough to camouflage the imperfections so a high clarity grade is a must.
- If the ring is set with multiple baguette cut stones they must all have very similar clarity and color grades (that match the central diamond). It would be horrible if one noticeably yellow or cloudy stone spoiled the overall look.
- The step-cut facets need to be symmetrical. If the symmetry is not there this fact will be visible, even to the naked eye. This is why only the most skilled diamond cutters attempt to create these types of stones.
- Inspect the stone up close to make sure that the facets are symmetrical. It is better to do it in person rather than online.
- One of the most popular uses for the baguette cut diamonds is placing them on either side of the central stone (on the so-called shoulders of the ring). If you are planning to use your stones in this manner, then other than making sure they match the central stone in color and clarity, you will need to ensure that the baguettes match each other in length and width. Otherwise, the entire ring will look asymmetrical.
- Sometimes diamond stones may undergo treatment to enhance their appearance (e.g. a high temperature or high-pressure treatments). Ask your retailer whether the stones you are about to buy have undergone any treatment.
- Also, there are a lot of synthetic (lab-grown) stones on the market sold alongside natural ones. Do not forget to ask your retailer about that as well, so that you know that you are buying exactly what you want.
Some popular baguette cut diamond engagement ring designs.
For a simple and yet beautiful design allow your baguette diamond to be the center of attention. Complete with a simple band.
And what is better than a baguette diamond? Three (or five) baguette diamonds! You can add one or two baguette stones on either side of the central stone (each one of the side stones decreasing in size) to make them look like descending steps.
Tapered baguette diamonds are also very popular as side stones (with a wider side towards the center stone). They can be matched with a stone of any shape, but work best with square or rectangular cuts.
And if you buy a ring that has multiple baguette stones placed in a channel setting this will look as if the entire ring is made out of solid crystal.
Conclusion
Overall, baguette cut diamonds are an excellent choice for any type of jewelry, but they are becoming more and more popular in engagement rings.
The thing to remember is that these stones are not designed to blind you with their sparkle. The charm of baguettes lies in their unique shape and symmetry.
In the end what you decide to do with your stone and how you choose to set it is the matter of your taste. You are the one paying the money, after all, so do what makes you happy, first and foremost.