Radiant cut
A square or rectangular diamond with cropped corners and brilliant-style facets.
Easily confused with
How to read it
GIA describes the radiant as the cropped-corner outline of an emerald cut with the sparkle of a brilliant cut: about 70 facets, often said to give a “crushed ice” look. JCK reported that most fancy yellow diamonds are cut as radiants, because the cut can emphasize color.
Also searched as: radiant cut diamond, radiant diamond.
Grades describe a stone as a grading laboratory saw it. This page explains the grading scales; it doesn’t grade or value any stone.
Radiant or princess?
Both are brilliant-cut squares or rectangles. The radiant’s corners are cropped; the princess’s come to points.
Read next
- Next in Diamond gradingAsscher cutA square diamond with cropped corners and step-cut facets, nearly octagonal in outline.
- The same shape in Acura dashboard symbolsAcura Road Departure Mitigation (RDM) indicatorAcura’s Road Departure Mitigation (RDM) indicator comes on when there is a problem with RDM or when the system has shut itself off. RDM is the Acura system that warns, steers and sometimes brakes when the car is about to cross detected lane markings or leave the road.
More diamond grading
The same shape elsewhere
Browse symbols drawn with lines or squares and rectangles.
Sources
- Guide to Diamond Engagement Ring Shapes (GIA 4Cs), Gemological Institute of America
- Henry Grossbard, 79, inventor of the radiant cut (JCK), Rob Bates, 28 April 2005, JCK
- Radiant-Cut Diamonds Buying Guide (International Gem Society), International Gem Society
Researched, edited and approved by Rory Hansen before publishing. Last reviewed September 28, 2026. How we research
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