2 Carat Emerald Cut Diamonds

Two carats is the size at which the emerald cut becomes an heirloom rather than a solitaire. Around 9 by 7 mm, with a table wide enough to look into rather than at, it is the most deliberate choice on this site — nobody arrives at a two carat emerald cut by accident.

Everything the shape asks for is amplified. Clarity: VS1 is a sensible floor, and every stone should be checked in the 360° view before deciding, because at this scale even a well placed VS2 can be visible. Colour: F or better keeps the stone reading cleanly white through that open table.

Cut is the part no grade will tell you. Emerald cuts receive no overall cut grade from GIA or IGI — only polish and symmetry — so the proportions are yours to judge. Look for even step facets of consistent width and a table that stays crisp rather than milky as the stone turns.