The extraordinary appearance of the emerald cut diamond is due to its large, open table and the step cuts of its pavilion. Rather than the twinkle of a brilliant-cut, emerald cut diamonds create a hall-of-mirrors effect, with the exchange of dark and light planes.
Although less fiery, the dramatic flashes of light and long lines give the emerald cut an elegant appeal. The shape was developed for the cutting of emeralds, thus the name. Emerald cut diamonds range from a narrow rectangle to nearly square. The length to width ratio of a classic emerald cut diamond is around 1.50.