Radiant Cut Diamonds
Radiant cut diamonds are a cross between the emerald cut and the brilliant cutting style. The overall effect is to make the diamond sparkle hence the name. It was patented in 1977 after being developed by Henry Grossbard.
By combining the two cutting styles he was able to make a square/rectangular cut diamond sparkle like nobody else had before him. It has 70 facets and comes in two shapes, the square and the rectangular the definition for which the GIA use “cut cornered square modified brilliant” and “cut cornered rectangular modified brilliant” respectively. One of the ways in which he increased the shine factor was to cut off the corners thereby removing places for light to hide in. The light bounces off the facets increasing the brilliance of the diamond.
Radiant cut diamonds suit those stones whose slight imperfections make them unsuitable for the less forgiving Emerald and Asscher cuts. If you like a three stone diamond ring, you can combine two princess cut or baguette cut diamonds either side of the center radiant cut stones.
The most famous radiant cut diamond is the Peacock. The Peacock is a yellow diamond, almost 21 carats in size and has been given the FL rating by the GIA. This means that they consider it to be flawless. It is set in a three diamond setting with two colorless 4 carat diamonds on each side. It is worth just under $900,000 but the Chicago jewelry store of the same name is unlikely to sell it anytime soon.
The cut is not as common as some of the other well known engagement ring shapes but when shopping for your special ring you are not looking to be the same as everyone else. You want something unique.
Jennifer Lopez chose radiant cut diamonds when she was with Ben Affleck but that encounter as we all know wasn’t to be. Somehow I don’t think the beautiful ring was to blame!
Once you have your engagement ring you need to take good care of it. Most women remove their rings when doing their makeup as otherwise the diamonds can become soiled and lose their sparkle. You can clean them but you don’t want to be doing this every day.
Don’t wear it when doing your housework as you could lose it or if using harsh chemicals. If you are very active you might want to consider either taking the ring off before playing sports. Or you could place a band of protective material around it to prevent any damage. Radiant cut diamonds can chip and get scratched so need to be protected.
You should have a jeweler check your ring as least annually particularly if you have used a prong setting to make sure the stone is secure. Obviously you need to insure your latest asset against loss, theft or accidental damage. Your insurance company will need a copy of the appraisal and if possible the receipt so that they insure it for the correct value.