Cushion Cut Diamond Shape
Until recently, it was difficult to find
Cushion Cut Diamonds for sale outside of estate sales and auctions. However, cushion cuts are enjoying a
small surge in popularity and are again being offered by select diamond sellers, such as
Blue Nile and
Mondera.
The cushion cut is an antique cut that most often resembles a cross between
the Old Mine Cut (a deep cut with large facets that was common in the late 19th and the early 20th centuries)
and a modern oval cut. This shape is also sometimes referred to as the pillow-cut or the
candlelight diamond (a reference to cuts designed prior to electric lights, when diamonds sparkled
in the light provided by candles).
This cut is not as fiery or brilliant as many of the newer cuts, but it has a marvelously romantic and classic look
and definitely stands out from the crowd of round brilliants.
Choosing a Cushion Cut Diamond
Standards for cushion cut diamonds vary widely and more than with most contemporary cuts, much is left to personal taste.
So you will easily find cushion cuts that are nearly square, long rectangles,
and with varying size tables and depth percentages.
Mondera does categorize their cushion cuts as falling into three cut "grades" -- Good,
Very Good, and Ideal. For those who are not on a tight budget, we recommend staying in the
Very Good and Ideal ranges.
Because of the large open facets of the cushion cut, opt for the highest clarity and color your budget affords.
If you're looking for a stone that most closely matches the original cushion cut, opt for a length/width ratio
of 1.25 - 1.30.
Our minimum recommendations for buying cushion cut diamonds are as follows (please remember these
recommendations are opinion only, and your tastes may vary):
- Cut: Good
- Color: G
- Clarity: VS2
Now if you're on a tight budget, you can still find a nice stone going with these minimums:
- Cut: Good
- Color: I
- Clarity: SI2
Could you purchase cheaper cushion cut diamonds by going below these minimums? Absolutely. But we don't recommend it -- at some
point, one must consider the beauty of the stone, not simply the cost.
Cushion Cut Diamond Ring
While not the traditional selection, cushion cut diamonds are a romantic stand out from the common round brilliant generally
selected for engagement rings (either as a solitaire or with accent stones).
Cushion cut diamonds do require a minimum four-pronged settings (as pictured) and larger stones will require additional prongs to keep
the stone secure in its setting.
To give you some ideas of what's available for a cushion cut diamond ring, we've preselected a range of certified cushion cut diamonds for you to
examine (all from Mondera or Blue Nile, two of the premiere online diamond stores). These diamonds are within
our minimum requirements as listed above and are suitable for solitaire settings or settings with accent stones.
PLEASE NOTE: It is often difficult to find cushion cut diamonds in the smaller sizes. If you're looking for
a diamond under one carat, you'll have a much greater range of choices if you select an
Asscher Cut Diamond.
*PLEASE NOTE: All "Bargain Basement" diamonds fall below our minimum specification standards in one or more categories.
Where to buy Cushion Cut Diamonds
Cushion cut diamonds are not readily available from many jewelers -- don't be surprised if you can't find them
in local jewelry stores. For online purchase, we recommend:
