Cushion Diamonds

We have the Scoop on Cushion Diamonds

You may be surprised to learn that this unique diamond shape gets it's name from a very common household item. When looking at the diamond you will notice that it has slightly rounded edges and no corners, giving it's shape the appearance of a household pillow, or cushion. And just like the cushions/pillows in your house, the Cushion Diamond is available in various dimensions. These dimensions are referred to as "The Length To Width Ratio" of a cushion diamond.

What is the Cushion Diamond?

The cushion diamond has been available for over a century, which would qualify it as an "Antique Style" cut diamond shape. This unique shape of diamond has been compared to other diamond shapes including the oval diamond and the Old Mine Cut diamonds from long ago. However we feel that this beautiful shape is in a category all it's own. Known for having 58, larger than average facets, you should consider paying extra attention to the clarity grade of this diamond shape. With it's extra large facets, spotting inclusions in the diamond may be somewhat easier than many other shapes. Although the large facets demand extra attention in regards to the clarity grade, these large surfaces will also give "Cushion Diamonds" a very unique and bright sparkle.

Length to Width Ratio of Cushion Diamonds

The "Length To Width Ratio" refers to the overall dimensions, or appearance of the diamond. This ratio will tell you whether the diamond is a "Square Cushion", or if the dimensions are more of a "Rectangular Cushion".

For Example:

A "Square Shaped Cushion Diamond" would have a length to width ratio of (at / or near) 1-to-1, or square in shape. Some common 1-to-1 length to width ratios are; 7mm x 7mm, or 8mm x 8mm.

What is the perfect size Cushion Diamond for me?

We get asked this quite often. Picture a round diamond, well, it's round. You know it's going to be round, you can imagine what it would look like on your finger with fair accuracy. But a cushion cut diamond, although has rounded corners, you'll need to do some thinking. Length to width won't really make a huge difference on any finger. Just be sure to consider if you want a more square or rectangular shape. Think of it as feung shui for your hand. You want to accentuate your fingers with the diamond, however you don't want your finger overtaking the look of your diamond. Size makes a difference. If you have slender tiny hands, then putting something of 1.25 ct of more on your finger could possibly just look awkward when a nice .50 ct or .80 ct. diamond would do. If you have thicker fingers, then try to stay at 1ct or above. Just because the diamond is bigger and costs more doesn't necessary mean it will look great on your finger.

Is there anything else I should consider when buying a Cushion Diamond?

Yes. Cut Grade and Clarity. With Clarity, the face (the top portion that everyone sees) in cushion diamonds can be more wide than your other fancy shape diamonds, such as the oval, or marquise diamonds. So inclusions (black carbon spots, feathers, etc.) will be more easily seen. A nice clarity such as SI1 and above will virtually eliminate this problem. Cut Grade - Same with the clarity, since the face of your typical cushion diamond is more wide it will give more chance to light leakage, and this has to do with cut of the facets. Facets are the mirror like angled cuts/sides of any diamond you see. They take the light from the sides, top and bottom and reflect them. All light should be reflected back up through the top. This is what gives you the brilliance and sparkle of your diamond. This is what cut grade means. So you should try and stay within the excellent to very good cut grade. Now some sites don't always show the cut grade of a diamond, but they always give the table and width percentages, as well as the depth of the diamond. With this information you can use the chart below to determine if your cushion diamond is an excellent to very good cut grade.

Cushion Summed Up

When searching for your perfect cushion cut diamond, remember the items below

• Cushion diamonds look best in perspective. Go bigger in carat weight to the thickness of your finger.
• Keep the depth and table percentage between 61 - 67% for the most brilliance and sparkle
• The closer the two number %'s (depth and table) are together the more breathtaking it will be.
• Keep the clarity in 1 carat or higher cushion diamonds to SI1 and Higher
• Keep the clarity in .50 carat or lower cushion diamonds to SI2 and Higher
• Unless you're looking for yellow tint, keep the diamond color to H or Higher