The baguette cut is a cut used on diamonds and gemstones whose rough form is long and flat. The baguette cut is a rectangle with stepped sites that allow for maximum use of the rough stone.
With diamonds, unlike most gemstones, light return is very important, since it determines the brilliance and sparkle coming off the diamond’s upper facets. The baguette cut’s lack of numerous facets causes baguette-shaped diamonds to be “pale” and less sparkly than round-cut, marquise-cut, or princess-cut diamonds, which have many facets at different angles.
The advantage of the baguette cut is its standard, symmetric shape, which allows the stone to be polished to exact measurements and to order. Its precise nature makes it appropriate for setting in watches and a wide, creative range of jewelry designs.
Courtesy of Talking Diamonds: A Lexicon of Diamond World Technology by Shalom Lissitzky
