What to Look for When Picking Cushion Cut Style Diamonds

Cushion cut diamonds are perhaps the most intricate of all diamond shapes. There are so many variations of cutting style and finding the right cut is crucial when it comes to picking the perfect diamond for your ring! Like all fancy shapes (non-round cut diamonds), the GIA grading report will not specify the actual cut grade of the diamond, so this makes choosing the right one for your engagement ring that much harder. The cut will make all the difference in the appearance of your diamond.

Here at Lauren B, we offer a variety of cushion cut diamonds with the cushion brilliant style being our specialty. In the video below, you can see the brilliant cushion, the crushed ice cushion, the antique cushion cut and a comparison between elongated and square cushions. 

4 Ct Brilliant Cushion - I Color VS2

The brilliant style cushion in the video is a 4 carat I color/VS2 clarity diamond. The facets in this stone are very distinctive, making the flashes of sparkle both larger and crisper. This type of cushion is specifically cut with facets that extend from the bottom tip of the stone (the culet) to the outermost edge (the girdle) which hides less weight underneath and makes the stone appear larger face-up. This elongated diamond measures 10.1 x 8.8 millimeters, making the stone look more like a 5-carat diamond than a 4. While the diamond is graded “I” - which is in the near-colorless range - the cut holds less depth giving it a very “white” appearance face-up due to its sharper facets. It easily looks like a “G” or “H” color face-up!

4 Ct Crushed Ice Cushion - H Color VS2

If you are looking for a “crushed ice” cushion cut diamond, the one shown in this video is a 4 ct H-VS2. Crushed ice stones aren’t nearly as crisp as the brilliant style. Their facets are blended, giving them a watery-like appearance. They also are cut deeper than a brilliant cushion which preserves the carat weight and makes the diamond look smaller face-up. While a 4-carat cushion should appear much larger, this 4-carat “crushed ice” stone measures at only 9.5x8.4 millimeters. This stone, shown in a higher color grade than the brilliant-cut is, actually shows more color. Because of the way these two stones are cut and the way their cuts affect the appearance, the brilliant cushion is more expensive than the crushed ice. They are considered superior cuts and the differences can be easily seen by the naked eye -  which makes it worth the incremental investment!

(That's a lot of information to digest, but keep in mind we exclusively carry the superior types of cushions in our select inventory, so when shopping with us you can guarantee your cushion will be the "brilliant” type.)

Antique Cushion Cut Diamonds

Antique cushion cut diamonds, are very rare and also command a higher price than either of the other cushion cut diamonds mentioned. These antique cushions, also known as "old mine brilliants," are characterized by chunky facets and an open culet at the bottom of the stone which gives it its distinctive appearance.  Similar to the cushion brilliant style diamonds, they will also have a crisper brilliance and larger than average face up measurements which make it all the more desirable.

As with most fancy shape (non-round cut) diamonds, cushion cut diamonds can be fashioned in a variety of length to width ratios. In the video, you can see a great comparison of how a square cushion VS elongated cushion cut of the same size would look.  As a general rule, any cushion with a ratio of 1:1 to 1.05:1 would be considered square, while anything from 1.1:1 and above would be elongated. With elongated cushion diamonds, you do not want to go too far above a 1.15:1 ratio as it will start to distort the shape of the stone and cause it to display a bow-tie.  There is no right or wrong when it comes to the quality of cut for these two shapes; it simply boils down to a matter of preference!

The square cushion will have a fuller appearance and cover more space from left to right on the hand while an elongated cushion gives the illusion of a larger center stone because it covers more real estate on the finger from top to bottom.  

To read more about cushion cuts check out these other blog posts:

• The Perfect Cushion Cut Diamond
• Which Cushion Cut Engagement Ring is Right For You
• Diamond Face-Off Oval vs. Cushion

For more Lauren B diamond buying tips and information, follow us on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/laurenbjewelry/  and visit our website at laurenbjewelry.com. And for any questions, email us at [email protected].