Suzanne Kalan Fireworks: A Guide to Baguette Diamond Jewellery

Baguette diamond jewellery has a quiet reputation, and Suzanne Kalan is the designer who made it loud. Her Fireworks setting is the reason so many of the diamond rings on our shelves look as though they are moving, and the clearest place to see it is the Classic Diamond Stacker Band in 18K Yellow Gold, around $3,630 at Coveti.

What is the Fireworks setting? It is Suzanne Kalan’s signature: baguette-cut stones set at offset, scattered angles instead of a straight row, so each stone catches light independently. The brand credits her with redefining the use of baguette diamonds through this design, and you will find it running through the Classic Diamond, Classic Gold and Shimmer collections.

I want to take this slowly, because the idea is simple and the results are not. Once you know what you are looking at, you will spot a Fireworks piece from across a restaurant.

First, the baguette cut

A baguette is a long rectangular step cut. The shape really is that simple: a slim rectangle with straight sides. A round brilliant, by contrast, has 57 to 58 facets arranged to bounce light back up through the top of the stone in lots of tiny sparks.

Step cuts work differently. Their facets are long, flat planes that run parallel to the edges, stepping down like a staircase. They do not throw the busy, glittery sparkle of a round brilliant. They give you broad flashes, a bit like a mirror catching the sun, plus a clean, glassy look into the stone. That clarity is why baguettes have so often been used as side stones: they are elegant and architectural, and they never compete with the centre.

There is also a princess cut, which is a square brilliant, and it turns up in Suzanne Kalan’s Princess and Golden Age collections. But the baguette is the one she built her house on.

What Fireworks changes

Put a row of baguettes side by side at the same angle and they behave as one surface. Tilt your hand, and they all flash at the same moment, then all go dark at the same moment. It is lovely, and it is very still.

The Fireworks arrangement breaks that up. Each baguette is set at a slightly different angle to its neighbours, so when one is facing the light, the next is just turning towards it and another has just turned away. The result is a ripple of flashes travelling across the piece as you move. On a ring it reads as constant movement. On a bracelet it looks a little like a sparkler, which is exactly what the name suggests.

The other thing I love is how it changes scale. A thin band set this way looks fuller than it is, because the eye reads the scattered stones as more texture and more light. That is why a modest piece like the Classic Diamond Ivy Eternity Band in 18K Yellow Gold, around $4,220 at Coveti, holds its own beside a much heavier ring.

The Fireworks family and its cousins

Not every Suzanne Kalan collection uses Fireworks, and the differences are worth knowing before you shop.

• Classic Diamond and Classic Gold: the original Fireworks setting in white diamond baguettes and 18 carat gold.
• Shimmer: baguettes in the Fireworks arrangement with round diamonds added, so you get the broad flashes and the smaller sparkle together. The Shimmer Studs in 18K Yellow Gold, Light Blue Sapphire are around $3,930 at Coveti.
• Frenzy: baguettes at deliberately uneven angles, the most energetic take on the idea. Try the Frenzy Diamond Half Band in 18K Yellow Gold, around $9,510.
• Linear: the opposite approach, a fluid tennis line of aligned baguettes, for when you want calm.
• Short Stack: vertical baguettes above a row of round diamonds.
• Bold: larger-scale baguettes, made to be flexible.

If you want colour instead of white diamonds, the Amalfi collection lines baguette gemstones edge to edge in 14 carat gold. It is a different mood entirely, and I have covered it properly in our Suzanne Kalan Amalfi guide.

Fireworks by category, with prices

Here is how the setting translates across the jewellery box, using pieces we have in stock now.

Earrings

Studs are the easy entry point. The Classic Diamond Eva Studs in 18K Yellow Gold are around $2,160 at Coveti, small enough for every day and bright enough to notice. Hoops are where the Fireworks setting really earns its keep, because the stones curve with the hoop and catch light from even more directions. The Classic Diamond Mini Sideways Hoops in 18K White Gold are around $8,480. For an evening, the Classic Diamond Sparkler Drop Earrings in 18K Yellow Gold, around $4,960, move as you turn your head. Our hoop earrings guide covers sizes and shapes in more detail.

Rings

Rings are the heart of the house. Classic Diamond half bands start at around $3,630 and full eternity bands at around $4,220 at Coveti, with most ring styles made in US sizes 6 to 7.5 and the full range running from 4 to 11 in quarter sizes. At the top of the ring list sits the Classic Gold Full Baguette Diamond Midi Band in 18K White Gold, around $30,970, which is about as much Fireworks as one finger can hold.

Bracelets

A Fireworks tennis bracelet is the piece people ask about most. The Classic Diamond Mini Tennis Bracelet in 18K Yellow Gold is around $30,970 at Coveti, and Classic tennis bracelets run up to around $64,780. Most are 7 inches long. Tennis bracelets in general got their name, by the most common account, from Chris Evert, who asked for play to stop at the 1987 US Open while she looked for her dropped diamond line bracelet. If you are comparing styles, our tennis bracelets guide walks through length, clasp and stone choice. For a solid shape instead, the Classic Diamond Thin Bangle in 18K Yellow Gold is around $10,690 and comes in Small, Medium and Large.

Necklaces

Pendants keep things simple. The Classic Diamond Bar Pendant in 18K Yellow Gold, around $4,220 at Coveti, is a short line of scattered baguettes that sits neatly at the collarbone. At the far end, the Classic Diamond Mini Tennis Necklace in 18K Yellow Gold is around $53,020. Necklaces generally run 16 to 18 inches, and many of them are adjustable.

Choosing your gold

Classic Diamond pieces are 18 carat gold, which is 75% pure gold, in yellow, rose and white. The metal changes the mood more than you might expect.

Yellow gold warms the diamonds up and gives the most vintage feel. Rose gold softens everything and looks particularly pretty against the scattered pattern. White gold makes the stones look icier and more modern, and it reads as one continuous sheet of light. White gold is usually rhodium plated, and it may need re-plating after some years of wear. There is no wrong choice, but I would match the gold you already wear most, so the new piece joins the rest of your jewellery instead of standing apart from it.

How to wear baguette diamond jewellery

The best thing about Fireworks is that it plays well with almost anything, because the pattern is already doing so much. A few things I have learned from wearing it.

Start with one hero. One Fireworks piece is enough to set the tone. A tennis bracelet on a bare wrist looks more expensive than the same bracelet buried under four others.

Mix cuts on purpose. Baguettes look sharper next to something round. A plain gold band, a single round stud, a smooth bangle: the contrast makes the scattered stones look even more lively.

Stack by texture. On the hand, I like one Fireworks band, one slim plain band and one with colour. If you are building a stack from scratch, half bands are easier to live with than full eternity rings, because the stones sit across the top only, which allows resizing and keeps the underside comfortable against neighbouring rings.

Wear it in daylight. This sounds silly, but the Fireworks effect is at its best in natural light, where every tilt of the hand shows a new flash. These are not just evening pieces. A pair of studs with a white shirt is one of my favourite ways to wear the house.

Caring for it

Diamond is 10 on the Mohs scale, so the stones themselves are tough. The settings are what deserve care, since each baguette is held at its own angle. Take rings off for the gym and for gardening, store pieces separately so they do not rub, and have the settings checked every so often by a jeweller. If your Fireworks piece includes emeralds, remember that emerald sits at 7.5 to 8 and is more brittle, so avoid knocks and keep it away from ultrasonic cleaners.

If you are still getting to know the house, start with our profile who is Suzanne Kalan, then browse the full range on the Suzanne Kalan brand page.

Frequently asked questions

What is a baguette diamond?

A baguette diamond is a long rectangular step cut with straight sides. Its facets are long, flat planes running parallel to the sides, so it gives broad, mirror-like flashes and a clear, glassy look instead of the busy sparkle of a round brilliant, which has 57 to 58 facets. Baguettes are often used as side stones.

What is the Suzanne Kalan Fireworks setting?

The Fireworks setting is Suzanne Kalan’s signature design, with baguette-cut stones set at offset, scattered angles. Because each stone faces a slightly different direction, each one catches light independently and the piece seems to flicker as you move. The brand credits her with redefining baguette diamonds this way, and it appears across Classic Diamond, Classic Gold and Shimmer.

Do baguette diamonds sparkle less than round diamonds?

Baguette diamonds sparkle differently from round diamonds, with fewer, broader flashes instead of lots of small sparks. A single baguette looks calm and clear. Set at scattered angles, as in the Fireworks design, a group of baguettes produces a ripple of flashes, so the overall effect can look livelier than a row of round stones of similar size.

How much is a Suzanne Kalan Fireworks piece?

At Coveti, Fireworks pieces start at around $2,160 for the Classic Diamond Eva Studs in 18K Yellow Gold. Classic Diamond half bands begin at around $3,630, eternity bands at around $4,220, bangles at around $10,690 and tennis bracelets at around $30,970. Tennis necklaces start at around $53,020, and full pave cuffs reach around $130,930.

Can you wear baguette diamond jewellery every day?

Yes, baguette diamond jewellery is suitable for every day, since diamond scores 10 on the Mohs scale. Studs, half bands and slim bangles are the easiest daily pieces. Take rings off for the gym and gardening, store pieces apart so they do not scratch each other, and have the settings checked from time to time.

Which gold colour suits Fireworks diamonds best?

Every gold colour suits Fireworks diamonds; the choice changes the mood. Yellow gold looks warm and slightly vintage, rose gold softer and romantic, and white gold icier and more modern. Classic Diamond pieces are 18 carat, 75% pure gold. The simplest rule is to match the gold you already wear most often.