Cushion Cut Diamonds

Cushions are all unique! For that reason, specifications vary greatly. Some are square, some are rectangular. Some have antique “big flash” sparkle, others have more modern crushed-ice “scintillation.” Like all fancy diamonds, GIA does not give cut grades for cushions. So, when a jeweler states a cushion cut is “ideal” or “excellent,” that is the jeweler’s opinion. Also, there is no industry standard for what makes a great Cushion diamond. As a result, picking a Cushion can be a little tricky. To help our couples, we have included our suggestions for choosing a beautiful, well-proportioned stone below.

TRADITIONAL “CHUNKY” CUSHION TIPS

• For couples who want a vintage, big flash sparkle (like big chunky ice cube sparkle).
• Look for a small table (the large facet on the top of your stone) and big facets on the bottom of your stone (the “pavilion”).
• You will also often see four large facets on the pavilion that make a noticeable star shape.

Here is an example of an ideal cut traditional “chunky” cushion with even contrast/brilliance and a washed out cushion without much sparkle:

CRUSHED ICE CUSHION TIPS

• For couples who want modern scintillation (like fine glitter or crushed ice).
• Look for a large amount of small facets all over your stone, which create a large amount of smaller-sized sparkle.

Here is an example of a crushed ice cushion with decent contrast (crushed ice will overall have less contrast than chunky stones) as compared with a crushed ice without contrast:

Here are our table and depth recommendations:

The “color” of a Cushion is its whiteness or its yellow hint. Diamonds are graded on a scale beginning with “D” color and ending with “Z” color. So, D, E, and F color diamonds are colorless, like water. G through Z color diamonds have increasing tints of yellow.

Did you know the cushion cut diamond was designed before electricity? And, because warm colored candlelight masks color better than today’s bright white LEDs, many Victorian Cushion cuts were warm-toned colors. This is why cushions are also referred to as “candlelight” diamonds today! Some couples prefer warmer colored Cushion cut engagement rings for this reason. Others prefer a more colorless look.

Here is an example of an F colored cushion cut, next to an I colored cushion!

Here is an example of a traditional G colored cushion next to a K colored old mine cushion!

The clarity of your Cushion is how “crystal clear” the gem is, that is to say, how many internal marks (“inclusions”) it has. Almost all diamonds have some inclusions, and they are all unique. It is like your diamond’s fingerprint! Because Cushions are “brilliant” stones, they give off a lot of sparkle. This is important in terms of clarity because sparkle can mask inclusions.

As a result, couples choosing Cushion diamonds can often select VS2 and they will appear flawless to the naked eye. This is a great value! Visually inspecting the gem is important, however, as some larger stones may show small inclusions that are not obvious, but still eye visible. Every engagement ring purchased from Do Amore is confirmed “eye-clean.” We inform the customer if it isn’t.

Here is an example of an SI1 clarity cushion diamond next to a VS1 clarity cushion cut!

Here is what we recommend: