Baguette Cut
A bit of history:
The earliest reference to a baguette cut diamond originates from the hogback cut, an “elongated table cut” used as early as the 16th century. This diamond cut has been known as a “baton”, a “diamant baton” and even as a “stick” brilliant. The first proper baguette cut diamond appeared around 1909 and at that time still had rounded corners. The cut quickly evolved around the 1920’s to 1930’s into the geometric shape with 90-degree corners that we know today.
Born because of its functionality as part of the step-cut family of diamonds, the stone emerged onto the jewellery scene during the Art Deco and Art Nuevo period. The art movements that were popular during this time helped the baguette cut become popular. The baguette cut diamond manages to be both vintage and contemporary and the main reason that baguette stones were popular during this time period, when they were first introduced, is because they signalled a departure from traditional round cut stones and heart shaped diamaonds.
The baguette cut diamond has a long, rectangular shape and is cut with 14 facets. Also part of baguette cut diamonds is the tapered baguette diamond that has long sides that angle inward, making it particularly elegant in off-setting the width of your centre diamond and tapering towards the thinner line of your ring’s band. They are most popularly used as accent stones for engagement rings and are also used to create a lovely clean line in a channel set eternity bands, diamond earrings and diamond bracelets.
What to look for when purchasing a baguette cut diamond:
Dimensions are more important than weight when purchasing baguette diamonds, since they are usually sold in parcels. For example, if you were purchasing two of them to sit on either side of a centre stone, you and your consultant would select two stones of equal dimensions, and not necessarily of equal carat weight.
Colour is important though, as the stones are meant to enhance the centre diamond. They are less brilliant than round, princess, marquise, cushion, asscher, pear shape and oval cut diamonds.
This means that colour difference comes out strongly with these diamonds, and it is advisable to go for the colourless or near colourless grade, EF and GH.
Clarity is also very important on the baguette cut diamond. Due to it being step cut, small natural inclusions are more visible with the naked eye. Selecting the VS or better clarity, VVS, is strongly advised.
Is the baguette cut diamond the stone for me?
Having your baguette diamond ring serviced once a year is part and partial of owning this lovely cut stone. It needs a bit more TLC as they are more brittle than any other cut of diamond. The reason being they are thin and narrow and often shallow. A good bump, hit or strike is all it takes to damage this cut of diamond, break it in half or chip a corner or edge.
Baguette cut diamond rings and jewellery is often favoured by women who want to set themselves apart from others and signals individuality. There is something special about a baguette cut diamond that is lovely, crisp and clean.
A baguette cut is simply elegant and they are beautiful in just about any type of jewellery that one can imagine.
