Diamonds: Cushion Cut Diamonds

The Cushion Cut Diamond was an extremely popular diamond shape a century ago. Cushion cut diamonds have a romantic look about them and have once again become extremely popular as a diamond choice especially with Hollywood movies stars and celebrities.
Cushion cut diamonds have a romantic look about them unlike other fancy shape diamonds. Cushion cut diamonds have lended themselves to the ‘Halo’ and ‘micro pave’ ring designs which are at present hugely popular.
Cushion cut diamonds are also sometimes referred to as “pillow-cut” diamonds. Modern cushion cuts are based on the antique cushion cuts, which are a combination of a round and square outline with a softened square or “pillow” shape.

Some of the most famous diamonds in the world are cushion cut diamonds. These include the Hope Diamond, the Cullinan II and the Tiffany Yellow.

Cushion cut diamonds have rounded corners and larger facets to increase their brilliance. These larger facets highlight the diamond’s clarity, so if you choose a Cushion cut diamond with a SI clarity grade, be sure to review the clarity plot on the diamond certificate.
Cushion cut diamonds can vary in the degree of rectangular shape that they have. For cushion cut diamonds that have an almost square look but elegant and classical charm a length to width ratio of 1.1 - 1.2 is best.

Cushion cut diamonds are an interesting alternative to oval shape diamonds or a modern princess cut diamond. The cushion cut diamond has the ability to display a high degree of returning light and brilliance and a sparkle which is dazzling. Cushion cut diamonds come to life, yet they still possess a dreamy quality.
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What is a Good Diamond Cut?

Rough diamonds can be cut by experts to virtually any shape and size

Some of the most popular shapes are round, oval, princess, emerald, marquise, pear, heart, triangle and radiant. The cut of a polished diamond is the only human contribution to its beauty, fire and brilliance.

Because of its extraordinary ability to reflect light, the round brilliant diamond is the most popular shape today.

Cut determines amount of reflected light that exits through the top of a diamond. The better the cut, the more light exits through the top, the more brilliant and beautiful the diamond.

Is cut important? Many gemologists consider cut to be the most important diamond characteristic:

• A poorly cut diamond will appear relatively dull, even if clarity and color are perfect. When light is reflected through the sides and bottom of the diamond, not the top, brilliance and fire are dramatically reduced.
• The 'well-cut' diamond reflects almost all the light through the top; it will be the most beautiful, and the most valuable.

So, why don't we hear more about cut? Diamond sellers prefer to talk about carat weight, color and clarity. That's because those measures are relatively simple to explain:

• Carat weight is an exact measure
• Color is easy to determine by comparing the diamond to 'master stones'
• Clarity is a bit more difficult to judge, but there are well-established rules and standards that are accepted by all reputable diamond grading laboratories On the other hand, grading the cut of a diamond is complex. It is the analysis of all the diamond's proportions taken together that determines the cut grade.

Even the most reputable gemological laboratories try to avoid grading cut. In fact, only the AGS (American Gemological Society) has an established system for grading cut. Hopefully, the GIA, EGL, UGL will follow their lead.

How is cut graded? First, let's look at the parts of a diamond that are considered when evaluating cut:

Diameter
the width of the diamond as measured through the girdle
Table
the largest facet of a diamond
Crown
the top portion of the diamond; the crown extends from the girdle to the table
Girdle
the narrow band around the widest part of the diamond; the girdle separates the crown from the pavilion
Pavilion
the bottom portion of the diamond; the pavilion extends from the girdle to the culet
Culet
the facet at the tip of the diamond; diamonds of excellent cut have culets that are invisible to the naked eye
Depth
the height of the diamond; depth is measured from the table to the culet
To determine the diamond's cut grade:

• All the proportions of the diamond are considered
• All the angles between faces and facets are measured

The symmetry of the diamond is evaluated The final cut grade of the diamond is determined by its weakest component. For example, an 'extremely thin' girdle will result in a poor cut grade, even if every other measurement is ideal.

Remember: Only about 3% of polished diamonds are ideal cuts. They are exquisite and rare gems that reflect back 96% or more of the light that enters through the table.

No other diamond characteristic has so much impact on price!

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