Emerald Cut Engagement Rings
Emerald cuts cost less per carat than round and look clean and architectural rather than sparkly.
Read guide
Engagement rings / Radiant Cut
Is a radiant cut engagement ring right for you?
A radiant cut has the outline of an emerald cut and the sparkle of a round. Cut corners make it tough, and its busy sparkle hides small marks well. It’s still under the radar, which is part of its appeal.
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Parth KananiOctober 2026 · 6 min read
In short: A radiant gives you a rectangular or square shape with lots of sparkle, and it costs less per carat than round. It hides inclusions better than an emerald cut, so you can stay at VS2 clarity. A 1ct radiant cut solitaire in 18ct white gold costs about £3,500–£5,000 natural, or £1,500–£2,600 lab-grown.
Size
How big does a radiant cut diamond look?
Carat is weight, not size. Here's a 1ct radiant cut drawn to scale against a 1ct round, and what each weight measures from above.
| Carat | Typical size |
|---|---|
| 0.5ct | 5.2 × 4.1mm |
| 0.7ct | 5.8 × 4.6mm |
| 1.0ct | 6.5 × 5.2mm |
| 1.5ct | 7.4 × 6.0mm |
| 2.0ct | 8.2 × 6.6mm |
Length-to-width ratio: 1.00–1.05 square, 1.20–1.35 rectangular. Rectangular radiants are the more popular. Square radiants look like a softer princess cut.
Prices
What a radiant cut engagement ring costs in Hatton Garden
A solitaire in 18ct white gold with a certified G colour, VS2 clarity, well-cut radiant cut diamond. Prices include the setting.
| Carat | Natural diamond | Lab-grown diamond |
|---|---|---|
| 0.5ct | £1,450–£2,200 | £750–£1,300 |
| 0.7ct | £2,150–£3,250 | £1,000–£1,800 |
| 1.0ct | £3,500–£5,000 | £1,500–£2,600 |
| 1.5ct | £6,550–£9,400 | £2,550–£4,550 |
| 2.0ct | £10,950–£16,450 | £4,100–£7,750 |
Why G and VS2? Radiants hide inclusions well thanks to their sparkle, so VS2 is plenty. They can hold a little colour, so G is a sensible minimum in white metal.
Platinum adds roughly £200–£300 to the setting. Lab-grown diamonds look identical but resell for much less. Our lab-grown vs natural guide covers the trade-off.
On the hand
What you'll actually see
A 1ct rectangular radiant is about 6.5 × 5.2mm. Its depth means it can look a little smaller from above than an oval of the same weight.
It sparkles like a round, often with a “crushed ice” look, inside a crisp, geometric outline.
The cut corners protect the stone, so it’s easy to wear every day.
A radiant cut suits you if…
- You like the shape of an emerald cut but want more sparkle
- You want a geometric shape without sharp corners
- You want something less common than round or oval
Think twice if…
- You want the calm, hall-of-mirrors look. That’s an emerald cut
- You want maximum size for the weight. Oval, pear and marquise look bigger
Before you buy
What to check on a radiant cut diamond
- 1Decide between square and rectangular, and check the length-to-width ratio on the certificate.
- 2Look for even sparkle. Dark patches in the middle can mean the stone was cut too deep or too shallow.
- 3Ask for polish and symmetry of Very Good or Excellent. There is no official cut grade for radiants.
Every diamond should come with a GIA or IGI report. Here's how to read one in 30 seconds.
Settings
The settings that suit a radiant cut best
Solitaire
Four claws on the cut corners. Clean and modern.
Hidden halo
Adds sparkle from the side without changing the outline.
Three-stone
A radiant with two smaller stones, often trapezoids. A strong, geometric look.
Where to look
Seeing radiant cut diamonds in Hatton Garden
Shape is the one thing you can't judge from a certificate, so you need to see real stones. A traditional shop window might hold a handful of radiant cuts. Online-first jewellers give you thousands of certified radiant cut diamonds to filter by size, ratio and price before you book a viewing, so your visit is for choosing, not searching.
MOH London's certified diamond search is a good place to start: filter for radiant cut, compare certified stones side by side, then see your shortlist at their Hatton Garden consultation suite. Or compare every option in our independent jeweller reviews.
Not sure yet? Compare other shapes
Or see every shape side by side in our diamond shapes guide.
Common Questions
How much does a 1 carat radiant cut engagement ring cost?+
In Hatton Garden, a 1ct radiant cut solitaire in 18ct white gold typically costs £3,500–£5,000 with a natural diamond, or £1,500–£2,600 with a lab-grown diamond. That’s for G colour, VS2 clarity and a well-cut, certified stone.
How big is a 1 carat radiant cut diamond?+
About 6.5 × 5.2mm from above, for a stone of typical proportions. A 1 carat round is about 6.4mm across.
What is the difference between a radiant and an emerald cut?+
They share a similar outline with cut corners. An emerald cut has long, flat, step-like facets that flash calmly. A radiant has many smaller facets that sparkle like a round.
Is a radiant cut durable?+
Yes. The cut corners remove the sharp points that can chip on a princess cut, which makes it one of the more practical shapes to wear every day.