Radiant: Brilliant Sparkle, Emerald-Cut Outline

A hybrid cut: an emerald cut’s rectangular outline with a brilliant cut’s scattered sparkle. Designed deliberately to combine the durability of cropped corners with genuine brilliant-cut fire.

• Invented in 1977 by Henry Grossbard, specifically to merge two previously separate cutting traditions.
• Cropped corners, like an emerald or asscher, naturally more chip-resistant than a pointed shape.
• Full brilliant faceting, unlike the step-cut mirror flashes of an emerald.
• Square or rectangular proportions both exist within the shape, a real choice worth trying both ways.

A deliberate hybrid, not an accident

Before 1977, choosing a rectangular diamond meant choosing between an emerald cut’s clean step-cut mirrors or a round’s brilliant sparkle in a different silhouette entirely. Henry Grossbard’s radiant cut was designed specifically to remove that trade-off, applying full brilliant faceting within an emerald-style outline, corners cropped for durability included.

Why the cropped corners matter

Like a princess cut’s pointed corners, a perfectly square edge is a vulnerability. The radiant cut’s corners are cropped at an angle from the start, the same durability principle as a princess cut’s protective prongs, but built into the stone’s own geometry rather than relying entirely on the setting.

Two cutting traditions, merged on purpose.

Who chooses radiant, and when

Radiant is a strong choice for clients who like an emerald cut’s clean rectangular silhouette but want more scattered fire than a step cut provides, without taking on a princess cut’s sharper, more vulnerable corners.

Styling it well

A radiant’s rectangular proportions pair well with a straight band or a subtle pavé line that echoes its own clean edges without competing with its brilliance.

Radiant or emerald

Choose radiant for brilliant-cut sparkle in a rectangular silhouette. Choose emerald if you prefer the quieter, more architectural step-cut flash instead.