Absolutely! Emerald cut diamonds have been around forever, but became super popular during the early twentieth century, as their geometric lines worked beautifully with the popular Art Deco era. And frankly, darling, they haven't lost their shine since. They are a gorgeous, elongated step cut and popular with many celebrities from Jackie O to Beyonce.

Strictly speaking, emerald cut diamonds are more affordable than other shapes, as they make the most of a rough diamond's natural shape, losing less carat weight to the cutting process. However, due to their step cut nature and wide open facets, you'll usually want to go higher in color, clarity, and cut grade to ensure there are no visible inclusions and lots of sparkle. That means upping your budget in other ways.

Emerald cut diamonds are what's called a step cut diamond, so they have elongated, concentric rectangular facets rather than radiating brilliant facets, so they don't have the same kind of sparkle as a round brilliant cut diamond all. But they are still sparkly! They just have a different look, with big flashes of light and rainbow fire instead of lots of tiny brilliant white flash.

Emerald cut engagement rings come in a wide variety of styles. Popular designs are those that echo an Art Deco feel, often set in three-stone emerald cut ring settings, or with a tiny halo of diamonds. We also love an east-west set emerald cut, which makes the most of the diamond's elongated outline, setting it across the finger instead of up and down.

So many emerald cut diamonds have graced the fingers of celebs from Grace Kelly to Elizabeth Taylor to Jackie O herself. But the list doesn’t end there. Modern stars — from Beyonce to Paris Hilton to Amal Clooney — are also rocking the emerald cut diamond engagement ring for its classic sophistication.

The elongated shape of an emerald cut diamond makes it appear naturally larger than other shapes of comparable carat weight. But because they’re also cut quite deep, which means some of their carat weight is hidden in the pavilion instead of a larger visual spread from the top view, they're giving you an elongated look without much measurable size. For instance, a 1 carat round is about 6.5mm in diameter, and a 1 carat emerald averages about 6.5mm length x 5mm width.

If you're looking for an elongated diamond with a lot of visual spread but also shopping on a budget, oval cuts often win over emeralds and here's why - An oval is elongated (and cut shallower) and can look much larger for less money, while an emerald cut is elongated and deep, so it's more carat weight that you can't necessarily see.