Baguette cut diamonds add dashes of style to engagement rings or any piece of jewelry. This dazzling cut has been popular since the early twentieth century or the Art Deco period.
What is a Baguette Diamond
Baguettes are step cut diamonds having tapered or straight edges. They are usually rectangular in shape, while some of them are almost square. A tapered baguette has long sides angling inwards. They are popular engagement ring side stones.
Emerald shaped diamonds are also square or rectangular step cut ones. They have diagonal corners, but not square cut corners as that seen in baguette diamonds.
In a ballerina setting, baguette diamonds surround the centerpiece stone to form a shape resembling a ballerina’s tutu. While this effect is best shown with baguette diamonds with tapered corners, so that it appears to be flowing out from the center stone’s girdle, other shapes have been used too in the setting. Baguette diamonds are usually channel set for a ballerina setting, although they are occasionally claw set as well to offer a couple of baguette engagement ring setting options in this regard.
The brilliant baguette is an attractive, novelty diamond cut. This is mainly a mixed diamond cut, with brilliant-style diamond facets (kite and triangular shapes) upon its pavilion as well as step cut facets upon its crown. An advantage of this style is it can offer more shine to an engagement ring.
A Brief History of Baguette Diamonds
For a term, the origin of “baguette” is up for debates. The traditional translation of it is “stick” or “rod” but a meaning given in the 1673 French/English Dictionary compiled by Randle Cotgrave is “a little jewel”. It is short of the French word “bague”, which meant “jewel” at the time or, its present meaning, “ring”. Some people even think that the diamond cut was actually named after the French bread loaf, baguette, which it often resembles.
The baguette diamond, as it is known today, is thought to have originated from an elongated table cut, known as hogback, which was often used during the 16th century to create monograms as well as jeweled letters (such as the owner’s initials). The baguette cutting style was introduced in the early 1910’s. In the subsequent decades, the Art Deco jewelry designers favored its geometric shape and clean lines. It was in the twentieth century when the term was first used to refer to this side stone, as it is recognized now.
The diamond is often used in modern engagement rings and other types of jewelry. So if you fancy a modern version of Art Deco engagement rings, then consider one with baguette diamonds.
What to Look for When Buying a Baguette Diamond
Although jewelers may refer to a “baguette cut diamond ring” as it is, it usually features multiple baguettes. If you are planning to purchase one such ring, then look for the following.
- Baguette diamonds that fall toward the D to G color range are often prized.
- All the stones in the ring have to be similar in clarity and color and match center stone. A baguette cut diamond, whose clarity or color is visibly different from another one or the centerpiece stone, is likely to make an inharmonious appearance.
- The step cut means a baguette diamond’s crown facets are arranged in a fashion similar to a terrace that is parallel to its table edges. Even slight variations in the symmetry of the facets are usually visible and detract the value of the diamond.
- Avoid imperfections – they are typically more visible inside a baguette cut diamond than one that is round brilliant cut.
- Baguette diamonds as well as tapered baguettes are usually bought in sets. For relatively simple diamond accents upon the shoulder of an engagement ring, you may need 2 or 3 baguette diamonds or tapered baguettes upon each shoulder. These stones will have to match in both length and width (as well as taper) in order to fit the setting’s channels.
- For straight baguette diamonds, you will have to specify both the length and width precisely to 0.10 millimeter for a good match. On the other hand, for tapered baguettes, you will have to specify both the wide end width and narrow end width to 0.1 millimeter.
- For a long curve, purchase the apt number of tapered baguette diamonds ranging from ‘X’ to ‘Y’ in length, depending upon the kind of width range that you need the curve to be. It is said that the strong its taper is, the sharper its curve will be, so specifically ask for baguettes with a strong or a slight taper.
- Like most other stones, baguette diamonds can also be treated to improve their appearance. There are two types of treatments, used to enhance the color and clarity of a stone. They are HPHT (high pressure, high temperature) and fracture filling respectively. Synthetic diamonds also exist in the market. A retailer has to disclose if the baguettes or any other diamonds that you are buying are natural, synthetic, or treated.
