All About Radiant Cuts

Radiant cut lab diamonds are a brilliant cut with an elongated, rectangular outline and beveled corners. The shape was developed in the 1970s to bring the fire and sparkle of a round brilliant into a more angular silhouette, and it makes for a very striking shape on hand.

Radiant cuts have more facets than rounds, which gives them intense sparkle, and in some stones a crushed-ice appearance. This guide covers what to look for and how we approach selecting them.

What Makes Radiant Cuts Special

The radiant is a versatile cut that looks bold and substantial in a variety of setting styles.

Radiant cuts have 70 facets compared to 57 in rounds, which gives them intense sparkle and, in some stones, a crushed-ice appearance. They also tend to run deeper than other shapes, which concentrates light but means they can look slightly smaller face-up than their carat weight suggests.

Radiants are cut in different proportions: square or elongated. At Ada, we specialize in elongated radiants with length-to-width ratios of 1.40 to 1.50, which offer a flattering shape on your hand.

Curating Radiant Cuts

Because radiant cuts are deeper, color can be more visible than in a round diamond, especially in the body of the stone. That depth works in favor of light concentration and sparkle, but it also means color nuance is more visible. If you want a brilliant white diamond, colorless grades in the DEF range are worth prioritizing.

Some of the qualities we screen for in radiant cuts are empty paneling in the crown, bow ties, fish eyes, light leakage, and bull’s-eye centers. Two stones with identical grades can look entirely different in person, which is why every diamond is reviewed in-house before it's ever offered to a client.

Settings for Radiant Cuts

The beveled corners of a radiant cut give it more flexibility in setting than a princess cut. There are no pointed edges to protect, which opens up a wider range of options without sacrificing the shape's clean, angular character.

Solitaire settings that let the diamond’s beauty speak for itself are the most popular choice among our clients. Three-stone settings with trapezoid or tapered baguette side stones are a natural pairing. The angular side stones echo the radiant's geometry without competing with the center stone. Halos suit elongated radiants particularly well, following the stone's extended outline and adding presence.

We offer a wide range of setting styles for radiant cuts, or you can work with an Ada Concierge to design something entirely your own.