Even since their prime in the Art Deco era, baguette diamonds continue to give off a sense of sleek sophistication with a classic appeal when used in engagement rings and wedding bands. However, you might be asking yourself:
What is a baguette diamond?
Most commonly used as side stones, baguette diamonds will emphasize the looks of the ring’s centerpiece. Their versatility is unmatched, and in this article, we’ll discuss everything there is to know about baguette diamonds.
So, read on!
What Is A Baguette-Cut Diamond?
The term “baguette diamond” describes both the shape and cut of a diamond. For a diamond to be considered a “baguette,” it needs to be elongated and thin, with a rectangular shape.
A baguette diamond will rarely be seen in a square shape and most commonly reaches a 3:1 length-to-width ratio.
Baguette diamond is a member of the step-cut diamond family, along with Asscher and emerald cuts. The most significant difference between the baguette cut and the rest of its step-cut family members is that the corners are perfectly square.
Baguettes feature 14 facets which create exceptional clarity with subtle sparkle and brilliance – a perfect choice for side stones.
Instead of brilliance, the long and narrow facets produce a clear reflection hence why step-cuts are usually referred to as the stones that embody the appearance of a hall of mirrors.
Due to their minimal number of facets and clean lines, baguettes exude a prismatic reflection full of light and clarity, enhancing any cut of the centerpiece in a ring.
You will most likely only see baguettes as straight or tapered in shape.
Straight baguettes feature straight edges, creating a perfect rectangular shape. On the other hand, tapered baguettes have edges that lean in on the length sides, resulting in one shorter width edge in the form of a narrowed trapezoid.
Baguette diamonds are commonly used in smaller carat weight; they’re rarely used as a center stone in a ring. That also ensures their higher quality since the lower number of facets provides less sparkle – and allows for imperfections to be detected much easier.
However, due to the fact that imperfections can be much more apparent, it’s essential to select a higher quality gemstone and match it with the color of the center gemstone.
Here’s something to keep in mind:
Even though baguettes are typically seen as smaller side stones, they’re much more vulnerable to damage due to their square corners and larger surface area. Going for a more secure setting – such as channel or bezel settings – can aid in protecting these gems against damage.
History Of Baguette-Cut Diamonds
The style of the modern baguette diamonds originates from a cut established back in the 16th century named “hogback.” This cut featured an elongated table and was often used to make jeweled letters and diamond monograms.
Famed jewelry designer Cartier reestablished the baguette cutting method in 1912, and it has reached its peak of popularity in the period of Art Deco.
Revered for its elevation of minimalist, geometric shapes, and clean lines in jewelry, the Art Deco period inspired the massive appeal of the baguette diamond.
Its streamlined form and fewer facets make for a lightweight stone with unique individuality.
During the 1920s, the baguette diamond was usually the main feature of a ring or other type of jewelry, with many gemstones coming together in precisely patterned designs.
Today, baguettes have gained prominence for their vintage yet modern look and feel and their versatility.
4C’s Of Baguette-Cut Diamonds
Cut
Baguette-cut diamonds are long and slender in a rectangular shape – commonly reaching a length-to-width ratio of 5:1. Baguette is a member of the step-cut family, featuring 14 facets made as straight lines and perfectly square corners.
These narrow and long facet lines focus on clarity and depth of light reflection much more than on the brilliance and fire.
Baguettes come in two shapes – straight and tapered edges.
Straight baguette diamonds have edges parallel to each other, whereas, in tapered baguettes, the long sides lean inward on the short edges, making a narrower appearance.
The cut is the most important feature of baguette diamonds. That’s because step-cuts are much more likely to exhibit inclusions than a round brilliant cut – which is excellent in hiding them.
That, combined with a low number of facets, means that excellent cut is standard when it comes to jewelry use.
Additionally, symmetry becomes crucial since there are so few facets; any deviation from perfect balance will be more than noticeable.
Carat
Baguette diamonds are rarely used as center stones in rings and are mostly produced in smaller carat weights to play the role of side and accent stones.
The smaller carat weight ensures their quality since it’s easier to cut around imperfections.
Interestingly enough, baguettes are purchased in sets because they’re used in multiples of even numbers on ring settings to create the same appearance on either side of the centerpiece.
So, if you’re looking to buy baguette diamonds in bulk, you’ll often see an indication of “TCW,” signifying total carat weight right next to the numerical amount.
Related Read: What Is A TW Diamond Compared To CW?
Color
Baguette diamonds lack the depth needed to hide more body color in the stone. Therefore, they usually reveal color more compared to round brilliant cut diamonds.
The shallow cut combined with the minimal number of facets and style means that color will most likely be noticeable.
To get a colorless look of a baguette as they appear face up, a G or H color grade is probably going to be the lowest you’d want to go.
However, since baguette diamonds are predominantly used as side stones, it’s crucial that they match the color to the ring’s center stone, too.
You wouldn’t want diamonds that exhibit noticeably more or less color than the centerpiece, as that will diminish the overall look of your ring.
Clarity
Next to the cut, clarity is one of the most important aspects to consider when buying a baguette diamond.
The discussion about clarity follows the same reasoning as color and cut – because there’s a low amount of facets and the fact that these facets are made to produce a clear light reflection, even the most minor flaws will be far more noticeable.
Since even the smallest inclusions, like feathers, will show up relatively easily, a higher clarity grade will be critical to the baguette-cut diamond’s eye-clean appearance.
One would think that because these are smaller side stones, their size would make these flaws less apparent. That’s simply not the case, though.
So, go for VS2 clarity grade – at least – if you want a clear and beautiful diamond.
Baguette-Cut Diamond Prices
Baguette diamonds are less expensive than other diamond shapes due to their carat weight.
There’s likely to be variation to some extent based on the quality. However, there shouldn’t be big jumps in price as they’re made within a specific quality and size to fulfill their main purpose.
Of course, you can expect to pay more money for the larger size and best quality of baguette diamonds, but there’s no exponential price increase as you can see with larger cut round and other fancy-shaped diamonds.
Choosing An Ideal Baguette-Cut Diamond
The ideal cut, clarity, and color for baguette diamonds are relatively straightforward. Aim for the higher grades of these aspects to achieve a gorgeous and appealing eye-clean look.
However, since baguettes are used as side stones, there must be a more extensive discussion when it comes to how baguette-cut diamonds need to match in order to achieve an ideal look.
Because baguettes are sold in multiples, it’s crucial that they closely resemble one another in all qualities. This stone-to-stone matching is how a beautiful and symmetrical appearance is created for your ring.
So, aside from matching cut, color, and clarity between baguettes, their dimensions should also be very similar. For the appearance of baguette diamonds, the surface area dimensions need to match more than they need to fit in carat weight.
The other important thing is to ensure you match baguette diamonds to the center stone.
A professional jeweler can help you pick the most complimentary grades to look for in baguette diamonds, depending on the cut, color, and clarity of your center stone.
The general rule of thumb is: Ensure the baguette diamonds match in color and preferably be close in clarity grades to the center gemstone. We recommend seeing them in person – next to each other – before you make a purchase.
Baguette-Cut Diamond Engagement Ring Settings
Baguettes are a great option for side stones in a three-stone ring setting. The perfect gemstone and setting will focus on the centerpiece and make a beautiful engagement ring.
Most rings that showcase baguette-cut diamonds have them set horizontally, one on each side, drawing attention to the centerpiece. It’s also common to see tapered baguette diamonds used in a ring setting where the narrow end usually points away from the center gemstone.
Three-Stone Baguette Diamond Rings
A tapered baguette-cut diamond is a perfect way to add extra shine to your ring without taking away from the centerpiece.
One of the most popular styles is a three-stone ring featuring tapered baguette diamonds next to an emerald cut diamond. This ring features perfectly matched step-cut diamonds in baguette and emerald cut that complement each other.
Channel Set Baguette Diamond Rings
Baguette diamonds are also perfect accent stones for channel settings. The channel setting with tiny diamonds set into the metal that leads up to the center stone has a sophisticated and clean look.
Vintage Baguette-Cut Diamond Rings
Baguette diamonds are great additions to vintage ring settings.
For rings with plenty of round diamonds, baguette diamonds add variety and can take your ring to a whole new level.
Baguette-Cut Diamond Eternity Bands
Baguette diamonds make great choices for eternity bands, too. A row of straight baguette-cut diamonds that are channel-set provides a clean and elegant look.
Ballerina Diamond Rings
If you want a diamond ring that stands out, the ballerina halo setting does that – and much more. Unlike the hexagon-styled halo, this setting features a string of baguette gems aligned, pointing outwards in a magnificent, radiant shape.
Other Step-Cut Diamonds
A step-cut diamond is usually rectangular or square with facets arranged as parallel lines on all four sides. The facets tend to be more prominent than in round brilliant cut diamonds, and due to their arrangement, their appearance resembles steps, hence the name.
When talking about step-cuts, a reference that’s often used is “hall of mirrors.” That describes the repetitive look the cut attains when viewed from the large surface area on the top of the stone.
Apart from baguette diamonds, there are two more members of the step-cut family – emerald-cut and Asscher-cut diamonds.
Emerald-Cut Diamonds
The most commonly known member of the step-cut family is the emerald cut. Named after the gem it was created for, the emerald-cut diamond is long and rectangular in shape and features truncated corners that form an octagonal look.
An emerald-cut diamond is usually considered to have a rather sophisticated appearance due to its clean lines.
Read Also: Radiant Cut Vs. Emerald Cut
Asscher-Cut Diamonds
Asscher cut is a diamond that looks exactly like the emerald cut diamond in structure but has a square shape. The Asscher cut showcases significant facets and a high crown with a unique windmill appearance.
With deeper trimmed corners, these diamonds also make an octagonal appearance but usually have more brilliance than emerald-cut diamonds since the gemstone has much more depth.
Conclusion
So, what is a baguette diamond?
Baguette-cut diamonds belong to the step-cut diamond family. However, they feature fewer facets to achieve a cleaner appearance and are commonly used as side stones in rings that enhance the look of the center stone.
Baguette-cut diamonds bring a touch of classic elegance to any piece of jewelry. Their versatility as side stones is unmatched – and will bring extraordinary beauty to your engagement ring.
Related Read: Can Baguette Diamonds Crack?