The baguette cut is named due to its long, rectangular shape after the French word baguette, for “long rod”, coming down from the Latin baculum, meaning “a stick”. This cut came out of the 1920s and 1930s, as a fashion reaction to the functionality and geometric form preferred in design and architecture of the time, such as the Bauhaus movement. Used primarily as a side stone, the baguette cut shape is a step cut diamond that is similar to other square to rectangular shaped step cuts, such as the emerald cut.

The baguette cut shape came to the fore during the early 20th century Art Deco and Art Nouveau movements. Originally used primarily in costume jewelry, the simple rectangular to square shape worked well with the art movements that came to dominate the culture of western society at the time. The straight, clean lines, and simple geometric form of the baguette cut, along with its ideal use as an accent stone, inspired jewelers at the time to create jewelry pieces that would utilize numerous baguette cut stones.

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The Baguette Shape is different to the other shapes in that it is not a stand alone diamond, and would never take center stage in a solitaire ring or pendant. It is a like a loyal servant, standing to the side and quietly providing support, accent and grandeur to the central stone, filling in with its understated sparkle to maintain a diamond look throughout.

The use of baguette cut diamonds is less when compared to that of round diamonds. However, these diamonds have found a place in the jewelry market as they are a lot cheaper than the round and emerald cut diamonds. The baguette cut diamonds are rectangular and have step cuts similar to that of the emerald cut. This cut generally will have 24 facets and the parallel facets are arranged to look like a terrace. It is possible to find smaller carat weights of baguette cut diamonds when compared to the other cuts and therefore the cost factor is generally low.

The brilliance of baguette cut diamonds is less when compared to the round diamond and therefore any difference in color will be more prominent when compared to other cuts. Lower color grade stones will have a yellow tint and therefore it is a good option to pick stones that have a near colorless grade.
The lack of brilliance will have a prominent effect on the clarity of the stone. Inclusions and flaws in the diamond will be visible more in these diamonds when compared to diamonds of other cuts. It is therefore better to buy baguette cut diamonds that have a high clarity grade.

Baguette cut diamonds are usually bought for their luster and not for their brilliance or sparkle. These stones are commonly used as diamond accents or side stones. If you are using these stones as side stones, ensure that you match the color of the center diamond with these stones, to not compromise on the look for the jewelry.