Lab Grown Diamonds
Clarity in an Emerald Cut
The one shape where the clarity grade genuinely earns its price โ and where position matters more than anywhere else.
Written by the Mapple Gems workshop, Surat ยท Updated 2 October 2026
Short answer
Go one grade higher than you would on a brilliant โ VS2 as a floor, VS1 above two carats โ because an emerald cut is a window rather than a mirror and has no scintillation to break up the view. Then open the plot diagram, which matters more here than on any other shape: an inclusion under the table is visible, one near a corner is covered by a prong. And no laboratory grades cut on an emerald, so rotating video is not optional.
Emerald cuts are chosen for the calm, architectural look, and that same quality is what makes their clarity behave differently from every brilliant cut. It is worth understanding before choosing a grade.
A brilliant cut hides its inclusions by accident; an emerald cut has no mechanism for hiding anything, and that is the whole story. A round brilliant has fifty-seven facets arranged to bounce light in every direction, producing constant flashing that breaks up the eyeโs view of the interior โ a small inclusion sits behind a moving screen of light. An emerald cut has a large open table and long parallel step facets, so light enters, travels and returns in broad slow planes. You are effectively looking straight into the stone, which is exactly why the shape reads as clear and glassy and why people love it. The cost of that clarity of view is that anything inside is also on display. The same SI1 that is entirely invisible in a round can be plainly visible in an emerald cut at the same carat weight. This is not a defect in the shape and it is not a reason to avoid it โ it is simply the price of the look, and it means the clarity grade is doing real work here rather than being a number you can economise on.
What to buy, by size
| Size | Emerald cut | A round, for comparison |
|---|---|---|
| Under 1 ct | VS2 | SI1 |
| 1 โ 2 ct | VS2, plot checked | SI1 |
| 2 โ 3 ct | VS1 | VS2 |
| 3 ct+ | VS1 minimum | VS2 |
Colour follows the same rule โ one grade higher than you would otherwise buy, in any metal, because there is no visual noise to disguise a warm tint either. The two adjustments travel together on step cuts.
Where the inclusion sits
On an emerald cut the plot diagram is worth more than the grade above it, because the shape has such clearly different zones.
- Under the table โ the worst position on any shape, and worse here than anywhere. That large open window is precisely where you look.
- At a cropped corner โ the best. Every corner needs its own prong anyway, so metal covers it permanently.
- Along the girdle edge โ usually fine, and a prong can be oriented over it on request.
- In the pavilion, reflecting โ watch for this one. Step facets act like mirrors angled at each other, so a single inclusion can repeat as several images down the length of the stone. Only video shows it.
That last point is specific to step cuts and it surprises people: one inclusion, several apparent inclusions. It is the reason to insist on video rather than deciding from the plot alone.
Which inclusion types matter here
Names on a report sound alarming and mostly are not, but the ranking shifts on a step cut.
Clouds and twinning wisps matter more than usual โ a hazy area is far more noticeable through a clear window than behind a flashing brilliant, and it can flatten the transparency the shape is bought for. Read the comments line: โclouds are not shownโ is common and worth a direct question on any SI stone.
Crystals and pinpoints are position questions, as everywhere. Feathers are usually cosmetic, with the same single exception that applies to every shape: a large one reaching the surface near a corner is worth asking about, since corners are where impact stress concentrates.
The thing no report grades at all
Worth stating plainly: no laboratory grades cut on an emerald, or on any fancy shape. Proportions are printed, but no judgement is made about them.
On a step cut that omission is significant, because two failures are common and neither appears anywhere on the paperwork. A stone cut too shallow shows a flat, glassy, lifeless centre โ all window and no return. And uneven step facets break the parallel lines that are the entire appeal of the shape; the test is simply whether the steps run straight and evenly spaced when you look down at it.
Check the length-to-width ratio too, since it is derived rather than printed: divide length by width on the measurements line. Around 1.30โ1.40 is the classic emerald; 1.50 and above reads distinctly elongated; below 1.25 starts to look square.
How to look, in order
- Open the plot and look at the table zone first.
- Read the comments line for unmapped clouds.
- Watch rotating video in ordinary indoor light, not a lightbox โ and watch for repeated reflections of one inclusion.
- Check the steps run parallel and even, and that the centre is not dead.
- Compare the measurements against standard for the weight โ larger than standard means shallow.
Keep reading
Frequently asked questions
What clarity do I need for an emerald cut?
One grade higher than on a brilliant โ VS2 as a floor, VS1 above two carats. An emerald cut has a large open table and step facets rather than scintillation, so there is no flashing light to break up the view of the interior. Colour follows the same one-grade rule.
Why do I see the same inclusion several times?
Step facets act like mirrors angled at each other, so one inclusion in the pavilion can repeat as several images down the length of the stone. It is specific to step cuts and it appears only in video โ the plot diagram shows one mark, not its reflections.
Where is the best place for an inclusion to sit?
At a cropped corner. Every corner on an emerald cut needs its own prong, so metal covers it permanently. Under the table is the worst position on any shape and worse here, because that open window is exactly where you look.
Does an emerald cut get a cut grade?
No โ no laboratory grades cut on any fancy shape. Two failures are common and appear nowhere on paperwork: a shallow stone with a flat, lifeless centre, and uneven step facets that break the parallel lines the shape is bought for. Both are visible in rotating video.
Send us the report and we will read the plot.
On an emerald cut, where the inclusion sits tells you more than the grade printed above it.
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