A baguette diamond is a slim, rectangular-shaped diamond with an elongated profile and right-angled corners. Baguette cuts make great choices for side stones but can also be used in many different ring styles and designs.
What is a Baguette Cut?
Baguette diamonds belong to the step-cut family which also includes emerald and asscher cut stones. The key differences between baguette and other cuts are the straight, clearly defined and perfectly square edges the stone will have with either straight or tapered edges that angle inwards. They are generally long and thin, with a common ratio of 5:1.
The name translates to rod or stick, and also ‘bague,’ an old phrase that translates to ‘small jewel’ or ‘small ring.’ The baguette is a predecessor of the hogback cut diamond, which was prominent in the mid-16th century. Cartier and Harry Winston re-popularized the baguette in 1912 and it became the leading style in the Art Deco era when geometrical shapes and clean lines were highly sought after.
Although emerald and baguettes are similar rectangular, long step-cuts, emerald cuts have 50-58 facets with polished corners while baguettes have 14 (and no more than 24) facets and tend to be longer and skinnier than emeralds. With fewer facets, baguettes have less of a sparkling appearance than other cuts of diamonds which is why they are more commonly used for accent stones.
Baguette Ring Settings
Baguette diamonds make great choices for side stones especially in a three-stone setting. Most rings that feature baguettes have them set horizontally, one on each side drawing attention to a center stone; it’s also common for tapered baguettes to be used with the narrow end pointing away from the center stone. One of the most popular styles is tapered baguettes next to an emerald cut.
Baguettes also make perfect accents for channel set rings. This setting has small diamonds set into the metal leading up to the center stone, creating a clean and sophisticated look. Baguettes make great choices for eternity rings, including wedding bands, too.
You will usually find baguettes flanking a larger center diamond, but that doesn’t mean that they can’t be the center stone. To really show off the shape and look of the stone, the best setting would be a solitaire or solitaire pavé, where the baguette stone could be oriented north/south for a classic look or east/west for a more modern approach.
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