Size guides › Emerald vs Radiant
Shape vs shape
Emerald vs Radiant: which looks bigger?
At the same weight an emerald covers about 10% more of the finger. Same carat, broadly the same price bracket, visibly different stone.
Both 1.5 ct, drawn to scale on a millimeter grid.
At every common weight
Sizes in millimeters, long × wide, with the area each covers from above. Tap a size for its own guide.
| Carat | Emerald (mm) | Emerald area | Radiant (mm) | Radiant area |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0.25 ct | 4.55 × 3.25 | 14.3 | 4.03 × 3.36 | 13.0 |
| 0.5 ct | 5.73 × 4.10 | 22.7 | 5.08 × 4.23 | 20.7 |
| 0.75 ct | 6.56 × 4.69 | 29.8 | 5.81 × 4.84 | 27.1 |
| 1 ct | 7.22 × 5.16 | 36.1 | 6.39 × 5.33 | 32.8 |
| 1.25 ct | 7.78 × 5.56 | 41.9 | 6.89 × 5.74 | 38.1 |
| 1.5 ct | 8.27 × 5.91 | 47.3 | 7.32 × 6.10 | 43.0 |
| 2 ct | 9.10 × 6.50 | 57.3 | 8.06 × 6.71 | 52.1 |
| 2.5 ct | 9.80 × 7.00 | 66.4 | 8.68 × 7.23 | 60.4 |
| 3 ct | 10.42 × 7.44 | 75.0 | 9.22 × 7.69 | 68.2 |
Beyond size
Emerald
An emerald cut is a rectangle with trimmed corners and long, parallel step facets. It sparkles less than a brilliant and flashes more, with a calm, elegant look.
Emerald size chart →Radiant
A radiant has the trimmed corners of an emerald cut but is faceted like a brilliant, so it's lively and hides small inclusions well. It comes square or rectangular.
Radiant size chart →Elongated shapes also read longer on the finger, which is a separate question from area. Whether that suits a particular hand is something only a look can settle — which is why it's worth putting both on your own photo, at the same scale.
Emerald or radiant? See both on your hand
Two diamonds, one photo, the same scale — and switch between them with a tap.
Questions
Which looks bigger, an emerald or a radiant?
At the same weight an emerald covers about 10% more area from above. A 1.5 ct radiant looks about as big as a 1.30 ct emerald.
Why do they look different at the same carat weight?
Proportion, not quality. An emerald runs about 1.40 : 1 long to wide and a radiant about 1.20 : 1. Weight spent on spread is weight you can see; weight spent on depth sits below the setting.