1.5 Carat Emerald Cut Diamonds

At 1.50 ct an emerald cut is roughly 8 by 6 mm and finally has the length the shape was designed for. This is where the hall of mirrors effect becomes obvious: broad flashes travelling down the stone as it moves, quite unlike the scatter of a brilliant.

It is also where clarity stops being negotiable. The table is now large enough that a VS2 inclusion may be findable by eye if it sits centrally, and an SI1 usually is. If you want to go below VS2 at this size, judge the actual stone and the position of the inclusion rather than the grade on the certificate.

One practical note on setting: a longer emerald cut sits high on the finger and the corners are the exposed points. Four prongs placed on the corners, rather than on the long sides, protect the stone and disappear visually better than most people expect.