Engagement Rings & Weddings / Guides
The Radiant Cut Diamond: A History of Infinite Sparkle
Born in the late 20th century from Henry Grossbard’s vision, the radiant cut merges the emerald’s elegance with brilliant-cut sparkle, offering red carpet glamour for everyday wear.
Published: September 26, 2025
Written by: Grant Mobley
The 20th century brought extraordinary innovation to the World of diamond cutting. When Marcel Tolkowsky perfected the round brilliant cut in 1919, lapidaries began experimenting with new ways to harness light from natural diamonds. From this age of creativity emerged one of the most dynamic and sparkling cuts in modern jewelry: the radiant cut diamond.
Invented in 1977 by master cutter Henry Grossbard, the radiant cut diamond was born out of a particular dream. Grossbard wanted to merge the sleek silhouette of an emerald cut with the unmatched sparkle of a round brilliant. After years of honing his craft, he unveiled the cut that the World would remember him for.
Meet the Expert
- Grant Mobley is the Jewelry & Watch Editor of Only Natural Diamonds.
- He is a GIA Diamonds Graduate.
- He has over 17 years of jewelry industry experience, starting with growing up in his family’s retail jewelry stores.
The Radiant Cut Diamond Lives Up to Its Name
The radiant cut’s genius lies in its structure. With 66 to 70 facets, beveled corners, and a face that explodes with light, it lives up to its name, radiating brilliance from every angle. Grossbard’s idea of superimposing the geometry of a round brilliant onto the outline of an emerald cut gave the stone a depth and fire that felt entirely new.
This innovative faceting also solved a practical problem. Rectangular diamonds, such as emerald cuts and Asschers, have large facets that often reveal inclusions more easily. But the kaleidoscopic sparkle of a radiant cut helps mask internal flaws, allowing buyers to prioritize carat weight or color over higher clarity grades without sacrificing beauty.
Radiant Cut Diamond Shapes: Square, Rectangular, and In Between
Like the cushion cut, the radiant cut comes in a spectrum of shapes. Some are square, others elongated, and every length-to-width ratio creates a slightly different personality. On grading reports from the Gemological Institute of America (GIA), these diamonds fall under two categories: “Cut-Cornered Square Modified Brilliant” or “Rectangular Modified Brilliant.”
This infinite variety is one of the cut’s greatest appeals. No two radiant cuts are ever exactly alike. Some resemble cushions with sharper corners, while others echo the clean lines of an emerald cut but with far more sparkle. For someone searching for a diamond as unique as their story, the radiant cut delivers.
Radiant Cut Diamond vs. Princess Cut Diamond
People sometimes confuse the radiant cut with the princess cut due to their similar shapes. But the two are very different. The princess cut emphasizes straight lines and sharp corners, while the radiant cut favors circular flashes of light. Its brilliance comes from overlapping a round brilliant’s faceting with a rectangular outline, creating a layered effect that feels richer and more dynamic.
Another advantage is that radiant cuts are often cut shallower than princess cuts. That means a radiant diamond of the same carat weight can appear larger, a fact not lost on couples looking for maximum impact.
Radiant Cuts and Fancy Colors
The radiant cut’s faceting pattern also makes it the perfect companion for natural fancy color diamonds. Its intense light reflections amplify color in a way few other cuts can. A yellow diamond cut into an emerald might look pale, but as a radiant, that same rough stone often becomes a vivid, saturated yellow—more desirable and more valuable.
This color-enhancing quality has made the radiant cut a favorite among collectors and designers working with pink, yellow, and other rare fancy diamonds.
Radiant Cut Diamond Engagement Rings: From Hollywood to the NFL
Many celebrities gravitate toward radiant cut engagement rings, drawn to their unmatched sparkle. Jennifer Aniston wore one, Drew Barrymore, and more recently, Brittany Mahomes made headlines with her radiant cut diamond engagement ring.
Also, Jennifer Lopez’s robust engagement ring collection has featured natural diamonds spanning all the colors of the rainbow, but what kicked off her assortment was a Harry Winston 6.1-carat fancy intense radiant-cut pink diamond ring from Ben Affleck in 2002.
Enrique Iglesias gave Anna Kournikova a second engagement ring – a radiant-cut yellow diamond ring, flanked by trillion-cut diamonds. Their choices highlight how people who want to stand out often opt for the radiant cut. It’s the perfect statement-maker, bringing red carpet glamour into everyday life.
Why Radiant Cuts Are a Modern Classic
Although only a few decades old, the radiant cut has firmly established its place in the canon of classic diamond shapes. It offers sparkle, individuality, and a nod to the creativity that defined diamond cutting in the 20th century. Its ability to bridge the old and the new, to look timeless yet contemporary, has made it a favorite for both engagement rings and statement jewelry.
Every radiant cut tells its own story. Some are square, others rectangular. Some enhance color, others maximize size. But all share one essential quality: they shine in a way that feels infinite.
Henry Grossbard’s vision of blending the emerald cut’s elegance with the round brilliant’s sparkle became more than just a new diamond shape; it became a symbol of possibility. His innovation proved that the only real limits in diamond cutting are the imagination and skill of the cutter. This philosophy helped inspire the nearly endless variety of diamond cuts we see today.
