Radiant
A radiant is a rectangular or square shape with cropped corners that combines a step-cut outline with full brilliant faceting, designed to keep more brilliance than a straight emerald cut.
Also known as: Radiant cut, Cut-cornered rectangular/square modified brilliant
| Origin | Patented 1977 by Henry Grossbard |
|---|---|
| Outline | Rectangular or square, trimmed corners |
| Faceting | Brilliant (hybrid with step-cut-style cropped corners) |
| Typical use | Engagement rings |
| Availability | Widely available |
| Typical L:W ratio | 1.00 (square) to 1.30 (rectangular) |
What defines the cut
The radiant was deliberately designed in 1977 to solve a specific problem: emerald and Asscher cuts look elegant but don't sparkle much, while round brilliants sparkle but aren't rectangular. Henry Grossbard's solution combines a cropped-corner rectangular or square outline (visually similar to an emerald cut) with a full brilliant facet arrangement underneath, giving noticeably more fire and scintillation than a true step cut of the same outline.
Visual characteristics
Because it's brilliant-faceted rather than step-cut, a radiant hides inclusions considerably better than an emerald cut of similar clarity — one of its main practical advantages over the shape it visually resembles.
Buying considerations
- Radiant is more forgiving of clarity than emerald cut, though still less forgiving than round brilliant — a reasonable middle ground if the rectangular look is wanted with less clarity sensitivity.
- Square versus rectangular ratio is a style choice; square radiants are sometimes marketed distinctly but use the same underlying faceting.
- The cropped corners protect against chipping in a way a true sharp-cornered rectangle would not, similar to the reasoning behind emerald cut's trimmed corners.
Jewellery suitability
Radiants suit similar settings to emerald cuts and princess cuts — clean, geometric mountings, trilogy rings, and pairing with baguette or trapezoid side stones.
Frequently asked questions
- Is a radiant cut the same as a cut-cornered princess?
- They are closely related in outline but radiant is its own defined facet pattern (58–70 facets, depending on style) rather than simply a princess with trimmed corners.
- Radiant vs emerald cut — which sparkles more?
- Radiant, by design — it trades some of the emerald cut's broad hall-of-mirrors flashes for smaller, brighter brilliant-style sparkle.
Related cuts
The emerald cut is a rectangular (or square) step cut, with the corners trimmed off and long, parallel facets running in "steps" rather than the triangular/kite facets of a brilliant.
A cushion is a square or rectangular shape with rounded corners and sides, giving it a soft, pillow-like outline; the modern cushion brilliant applies contemporary brilliant faceting to that outline.
A princess is a square, brilliant-faceted shape with sharp, uncropped corners, combining the sparkle of a round brilliant with a geometric square outline.
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