Baguette Cut Diamond Engagement Rings 

When you get to that special time in your life, your engagement, you just have to get a ring. What if you have already gotten a classic solitaire with, perhaps, a round or princess-cut diamond but you’re looking for something more? 

Put an end to that search because baguette-cut diamonds are just what you need. How though? Well, let’s find out. 

What Are Baguette Cut Diamonds? 

A baguette-cut diamond is characterized by a thin, rectangular shape. It is a member of the step-cut family alongside Emerald and Asscher cuts.  It is typically used as an accent stone. It is the perfect addition to your ring as it subtly draws attention to the center stone. 

The name originates from the French word “bague” which meant  “jewel” in the early 20th century and is now used to refer to rings. The name can also be associated with a French pastry, the baguette. The baguette is a long thin bread just like a baguette-cut diamond is long and thin. 

Baguette-cut diamonds are the perfect addition to your engagement ring,  regardless of whether the center stone is a diamond or colored gemstone.  How did baguette cut diamond engagement rings come to be though?  

Origin Of Baguette-Cut Diamonds 

It is believed that the baguette-cut descended from an ancient diamond cut called “hogback” that was present in the 16th century. However, the 

Cartier company aided the climb in popularity of the baguette-cut diamonds as they re-introduced it in the 1920s. This was during the art deco era. The art deco era saw a shift from the traditional round cut diamonds and was characterized by more distinct and geometric shapes.  It’s no wonder that the baguette cut fit perfectly into the picture at the time. 

The fame of the cut style has remained in the jewelry industry till today.  The baguette-cut diamond typically serves as a shouldered stone but can,  although quite rare, be used as a center stone in a baguette cut diamond engagement ring. 

Characteristics Of A Baguette-Cut Diamond  

• A baguette-cut diamond has a rectangular and sometimes square shape. It has a common length to width ratio of 5:1. 
• Its corners are perfectly square, that is, they are at a right angle. • A baguette-cut diamond comprises 14 facets. 
• It exhibits much less brilliance and fire than the modern brilliant cuts. 
• It is typically used as a side stone or accent stone. The simplicity of the cut style is usually just what is needed to complement the center stone. It spices up a ring while still directing attention to the more sparkly center stone. 
• They are commonly found in small carat weights. This is because a  baguette cut diamond ideally serves as a side stone.
• It can be cut straight or angled inwards, that is, tapered. 

Types Of Baguette Cut Diamonds 

These cut styles are known to exist in two forms: straight and tapered;  however, in recent times, more brilliant cuts are being made. 

• Straight Baguette: A straight baguette cut diamond is just that,  straight. It has one length and one width. 
• Tapered Baguette: The width of this baguette cut is tapered, that is, from one edge to another the diamond angles inward. So, a  tapered baguette has a length and two widths. This is the common choice for three-stone baguette cut diamond engagement rings.  
• Brilliant Baguette: This features more facets, thereby increasing the overall brilliance of the gemstone. It retains its shape and proportion. It is typically harder to find and costlier to acquire. 

Selecting Baguette Cut Diamond Engagement  Rings 

A lot goes into choosing the right baguette-cut diamond and setting for your engagement rings. However, it is not overly sophisticated that you can not understand it.  

A baguette-cut diamond follows the 4 C’s grading scale. This is also a  major determinant of its value.

• Cut: The cut is particularly important in a baguette-cut diamond.  As a result of its small amount of facets, intense precision is required because any poorly shaped facet will be easily seen by the naked eye.  

In brilliant cuts, the multiple facets will make it hard to notice one that is poorly cut. Because the baguette-cut diamonds have only a  few facets, the slightest poor cut will be noticed. 

If you want high-quality cuts, make sure to inspect your diamond properly. So, you don’t take home a poorly cut diamond for the price of an ideal diamond. You deserve the best possible for your baguette cut diamond engagement ring. 

• Clarity: We consider this the next most important factor after the cut. In the same manner, as with cut, any inclusion in a baguette cut diamond is easily seen because of its cut style, the step cut.  Step cuts are not cut to maximize brilliance but to emphasize the gem’s clarity. Step cuts exhibit a hall of mirrors effect. 

The lack of brilliance means that any blemish, feather, etc will be easily spotted, that is, a baguette cut may not appear eye clean. A  brilliant cut diamond will typically mask most inclusions with its sparkle and this sparkle is just what is missing in a baguette-cut diamond. 

This doesn’t rule out your baguette cut diamond engagement rings though. The small carat of most baguette-cut diamonds will hide its flaws to an extent.  

However, to be extra safe you will have to purchase a diamond with a fairly high clarity grade. We advise you to start from the  VS1 clarity grade and move upwards. Any grade less than that will show inclusions even to the naked eye.

• Color: The limited faceting of the baguette diamond contributes in so many ways to the overall grading of these diamonds.  

A baguette-cut diamond will not mask the yellow tinges that may appear because, yet again, its cut style makes any small hue noticeable. 

The inability to hide color is only good when you desire a fancy diamond. The baguette cut will accentuate the diamond’s color here. The fancy diamond typically costs more because of its rarity.  

• Carat Weight: Carats are the units used to indicate the weight of a  diamond. One carat is equal to 0.2 grams. 

Baguette-cut diamonds are usually found in small carats. This is because they are mostly used as accent stones. The fact that the small carat weights are high in demand allows diamond cutters to work their way around inclusions. 

A larger carat baguette-cut diamond will be more expensive to acquire because of two things. The first one is that it is heavier and the second is that large carat baguette-cut diamonds are hard to find because of low demand. 

Settings For Baguette Cut Diamond Engagement Rings 

There are lots of possibilities when it comes to picking a setting for baguette-cut diamonds. We’ll be listing the common choices for this cut style. Note that you should get a ring setting that protects the baguette cut diamonds as the square edges make them susceptible to chipping.

• Three-Stone Ring Setting: This is the most common setting that involves baguette-cut diamonds. Here, the baguette cut diamonds serve as perfect side stones. 

The three-stone ring setting comprises three gemstones set side by side. The three stones could be the same size, or, as is more common, have a larger center stone and two smaller equal size side stones. 

The center stone may be a colored gemstone or a diamond. For instance, an aquamarine center stone will work elegantly with tapered baguette-cut diamond side stones.  

A diamond center stone will require similar color and clarity grades to baguette cuts so that the attention remains on the more brilliant center stone. 

• Channel Ring Setting: This ring setting has channels in the band of the ring, that is, gemstones are arranged side by side along the shank. This is a ring setting that is perfect for a baguette-cut diamond as it offers maximum protection to the gemstone. 

The baguette-cut diamonds in the channel could be set in a north-south position(vertical) or an east-west position(horizontal). A  horizontal set baguette cut diamond will look stunning in the channel setting. 

The band could be paved all around with the diamonds or paved halfway. Any way you choose to style your baguette-cut diamonds in this setting is sure to be elegant. 

• Halo Ring Setting: This is an all-time favorite ring setting.  Baguette cut diamond engagement rings in this setting are simply gorgeous.

A halo ring setting has a center stone surrounded by pavé or micropavé diamonds in a halo. The halo makes the center stone appear up to half a carat larger. This setting is perfect if you’re on a budget but would like a large diamond. 

One special aspect of this setting is that the baguette-cut diamond can serve as a center stone. Brilliant stones can be set in the halo and they will intensify the size and brilliance of the baguette cut diamond center stone. 

As the halo, baguette cut diamonds are the perfect accent stone yet again. They add that extra elegance that you may be looking for in an engagement ring, a baguette cut diamond engagement ring. 

• Ballerina Ring Setting: This is a common setting for baguette cut diamonds. The diamonds are mostly used in the halo. 

This setting has the baguette-cut diamonds facing outwards to create a striking skirt pattern. This is where the setting gets its name from, the pattern resembles a ballerina's tutu. 

• Solitaire Ring Setting: This is by far the most common setting for engagement rings. It is indeed classic and timeless. It features a  single gemstone held in place by prongs. 

Though uncommon, baguette-cut diamonds can be used in a  solitaire setting. A better option would be to get a brilliant baguette-cut diamond but it is a more expensive variant. 

Using a classic baguette-cut diamond in the solitaire setting will give much less brilliance and fire than a modern brilliant cut. 

• Eternity Band: The eternity band has its name because gemstones are paved all around the band, thus, they go on for eternity. It is a  perfect setting for baguette-cut diamonds.

In an engagement ring, the band can be paved in an eternity setting. The baguette cut diamonds can be set vertically and horizontally in the ring. 

It is an elegant choice for baguette cut diamond engagement rings. 

• Vintage Ring Settings: The baguette cut diamonds can be arranged in a vintage, fancy and intricate setting. A vintage setting is all shades of elegant. 

Pairing A Baguette-Cut Diamond With Brilliant  Diamonds 

You don’t just take any baguette-cut diamond you find in the market and pair it with your center diamond. There are some important factors to consider. Let us take an in-depth look at these factors. 

• Clarity: The clarity of the baguette cut and center diamonds have to match. It is easy to spot inclusions in a baguette-cut diamond while a brilliant diamond may hide inclusions with their brilliance and fire. 

Getting an equal clarity grade baguette-cut diamond with a brilliant diamond will not always work. Sometimes, you have to go a grade higher for the accent stone. 

• Color: A brilliant diamond will again hide any small hints of yellow. This is due to its many facets that emit maximum brilliance. A baguette-cut diamond will almost always show yellow tinges. 

If you get a center diamond with a grade “H” being slightly colored, you should get a grade “G” baguette-cut diamond. Don’t 

go too high on the color grade scale for these accent stones though.  If you do, it may overshadow the center diamond. 

• Equal Side Stones: Baguette-cut diamonds are usually sold in pairs or groups. This allows you to get two stones that are very close in symmetry and proportions. 

Baguette cut diamond engagement rings will most likely feature two or more of these diamonds. You wouldn’t want to get two diamonds that look different, you need diamonds that look as similar as possible. 

You may not be able to consider these factors’ effects on your own. It is advised that you consult a jewelry expert that will guide you through your purchase. 

Baguette Cut Diamonds Vs Other Cut Styles 

Baguette-cut diamonds are nowhere near as popular as brilliant cuts like round cut, princess cut, and the likes. They are not even as popular as their fellow step-cut diamonds. Regardless, they are a widely used cut style.  

We’ll be comparing the features of the baguette-cut diamond with the round, and emerald cut. 

Baguette Cut Diamonds Vs. Round-Cut Diamonds

• Cut: This is an obvious difference between the two cut styles. A  baguette cut diamond is rectangular or square-shaped while a  round cut diamond is, well, round. 

A round-cut diamond has 58 facets which result in remarkable brilliance while a baguette-cut diamond has 14 facets and little brilliance. 

• Clarity: A round cut will mask inclusions much better than a  baguette-cut diamond. This is a result of the flashes of white and colored lights that enter the human eye when viewing the diamonds. 

This means that you can go for a lesser grade diamond with the round cut style and it will still appear eye clean. However, for a  baguette-cut diamond, you should start from a VS1 grade and move higher up the scale. 

• Value: A round cut will cost much more than a baguette-cut  diamond for two main reasons: 

1. There is a higher demand for round-cut diamonds in the jewelry industry. 
2. A round cut has more facets and so requires more work to be produced. 

So, baguette cut diamond engagement rings are the cheaper option. 

Baguette Cut Vs. Emerald Cut  

A baguette cut diamond is similar to an emerald cut as they both feature step cuts and are rectangular. Even so, there are some key differences between both cut styles. 

• Cut: The distinguishing factor between these cut styles here is the number of facets. A baguette cut typically has 14 facets while an emerald cut has facets within the range of 50-58.
• Brilliance: Because of the higher number of facets an emerald-cut diamond will emit more brilliance than a baguette cut. 
• Corners: As stated earlier, a baguette-cut diamond has perfectly square edges while an emerald cut had beveled and diagonal edges. 
• Clarity: An emerald-cut diamond will mask inclusions far better than a baguette-cut diamond.  

Though there are distinct differences between these cut styles, an emerald-cut diamond is a perfect addition to baguette cut diamond engagement rings. The emerald-cut diamond serves as the perfect center stone and the baguette-cut diamonds will do what they do best side stones. 

Maintenance Of Baguette Cut Diamond Engagement Rings 

Clean the ring with a soft brush, mild dish soap, and warm water. Rinse under running water and pat dry. Do this regularly, at least after every other wear. 

Once a year, take your ring for proper inspection at the jewelry store.  The jewelry expert will check for any loose gemstones, need for polishing, and the like. 

Store your ring wrapped in a soft cloth separately from other pieces of jewelry. This will prevent scratching of the ring by other jewelry and vice versa.

You will agree with us now that baguette cut diamond engagement rings are worthwhile; a unique and elegant choice indeed.