Cushion cut diamond engagement rings first started out as old miner cuts dating from the 1700s. This was the start of brilliant cutting as far as diamonds were concerned because most diamond cutting before this was predominantly the step cutting technique that you see today in emerald and asscher cuts.
What happened was that diamond cutters would keep the basic form of the rough octahedron and flatten the top of one pyramid and round out the edges giving rise to the cushion shape or old miners cut. Antique cushion cut engagement rings arise from this vintage diamond cut which is characterized by a thick and high crown and a deep pavilion giving it a very blocky look. Many of these vintage cushion cut engagement rings were recut into modern round brilliants as they would surface and so many lost their antique value which is now even more prized today. The old miners cut eventually morphed into the old European cut as cutters took off more of the squareness to form the precursor to the modern round brilliant shape.
Cushion cut engagement rings have become quite popular recently as women now are looking for something different from the traditional round diamond and something away from the older
traditional fancy cuts like emerald, pear and oval. The shape and faceting is shown to the right
Diamonds with a squarish shape appeal like the princess cut, radiant, asscher and emerald cut have experienced more demand over the years as women who received a diamond engagement ring in the past have looked to these cuts for some of their avnniversary rings and other diamond jewelry.
As a center diamond in a ring, the princess cut diamond is overall the second most popular diamond cut after the round and is the most popular square cut for square diamond engagement rings. For 2009 the cushion cut engagement ring has bested the radiant cut in terms of popularity as square shaped center stone engagement rings go according to JCK magazine’s survey of American jewelry retailers.
Cushion cut diamonds have a softer look compared to princesses and radiants because of their rounded corners and shallower cut. Although the cushion cut diamond engagement ring will not scintillate as much as the other squares mentioned because of fewer facets, nevertheless its old world shape appeal coupled with the fact that its corners will not chip as easily as the princess and is not as bottom heavy as the princess or radiant means that it has a larger face up than the others for a given carat weight. To some degree it makes up for the lack of scintillation with the broader flashes that originate from its larger pavilion facets.
Despite their recent popularity the cushion cut engagement ring can be hard to find at your local jewelers unless it is a jeweler that specializes in square diamonds. You are far more likely to see the asscher cut than the cushion cut. At first, the asscher cut seems to be the prettier diamond. The asscher is the more well endowed cousin of the emerald cut sporting a deeper step cut pavilion that has more scintillation. However in the end it is still a step cut. A finely cut cushion, especially some of the branded cushion cuts like the Cushette by Vision Cut of New York who are the patent holders for this cushion cut have a brillaince and scintillation that many women find more appealing than the square step cuts.
Instaed of the normal 60 or so facets of a normal cushion, the cushette has a total of 77 facets and each one that comes from Vision Cut is branded and numbered. Another company with their own proprietory cushion cut diamond is harry Kotlar and Company. Gabrielle Tolkowski also has a proprietory square cut of his own called the Carre which is produced by Suberi Brothers of New York although it does not have the shape appeal of a cushion but rather a princess cut.
Cushion cut solitaire engagement rings come in many types of settings. Antique looking hand engraved mountings are popular with the cushion, rekindling its old miners cut heritage.
Cushion
cut micro pave engagement rings on the other hand are more popular than most others as micro pave continues to dominate engagement ring design in white gold and platinum.
Check out this classic pave cushion engagement ring style to the right. It’s a simple?classic?of an engagement ring that has a wide appeal
Various side stones can be used with a cushion shaped diamond however straight edges side diamonds like trilliants and princesses tend not to be used because they can distract from the?softness of the cushion shape. Instead, curvaceous half moons ?are more commonly used like this ring to the left.
Instead of side stones, the cushion shape can also be emphasized by ?setting it in a bezel surrounded by channel set diamonds or even pave set diamonds surrounding a prong set cushion diamond.
Care must be taken that the prongs are not so thick that distract from the diamond. With cushions especially it is far better to use the double claw prongs at the corners than thick beaded prongs like this ring down below.
Prices on cushion cut diamonds run the gamut. They are generally less expensive than a comparable round brilliant although given their hard to find nature and fewer specimens
exhibiting really nice optics it can pretty much be dependent on supply and demand.
Sometimes it can be so difficult to find premium cut cushion diamonds in the sizes and quality required that many purchasers end up getting the branded cushions talked about earlier.
