Diamond Jewelry - What is a cushion cut diamond?

Diamond jewelry is very expensive. The hardness and shine of the diamond make it distinguish itself from other gemstones.

Diamonds are such a highly traded product that numerous organizations have been created for grading and certifying them. These organizations' emphasis is on carat, cut, color and clarity.

Diamond jewelry

Diamond jewelry is very expensive. The hardness and shine of the diamond make it distinguish itself from other gemstones.

Diamonds are such a highly traded product that numerous organizations have been created for grading and certifying them.

These organizations' emphasis is on carat, cut, color and clarity. The diamond was discovered in India t the first. Now India cuts and polishes 92% of world diamonds.

The most common usage of diamonds nowadays is as gemstones used for decoration - a usage which passed back into ancient times.

The diffusion of white light into spectral colors is the main geological feature of gem diamonds.

In the twentieth century, gemologists have developed methods of grading diamonds and other gemstones based on the characteristics most important to their value as a gem.

There are four distinctiveness known informally are the four Cs which include carat, cut, color, and clarity. 200 milligrams of a diamond is defined as 1 carat.

There are many colors in the diamond but the finest quality of a diamond is colorless. The colorless diamond is seemed to be very elegant.

If you are going to buy diamond jewelry definitely colorless diamonds will attract you more.

In reality, we don’t know much about diamonds most gem-sized diamonds are imperfect.

Different colors of diamonds are more rare and valuable. Pink and blue diamonds are more expensive.

Diamonds are available in many colors like yellow, pink, blue, brown, green, red.

Diamonds with different and unique colors are labeled as fancy in the diamond industry.

Strong yellow color is popular as one of the fancy colors and is different separate from the color grades of white diamonds.

Gemologists have introduced rating systems for fancy diamonds, but their use is not in common because of the relative rarity of these diamonds.

Diamond cutting is the art and science of creating a good quality diamond out of mine.

The cut of a diamond describes the way in which a diamond has been shaped and polished from its start shape as a rough and uneven stone to its final jewel proportions.

Diamonds can be cut into different shapes. The diamonds which have round shape cutting are known as fancy cuts.

The popular fancy cuts such as princess cut, heart, marquise, baguette, briolette, and pear cuts.

Now the cuts are also introduced in the diamond industry which includes cushion, radiant, and Asscher cuts.

The quality of the diamond cut is most important. The diamond cut is very difficult. The diamond cut is carried out by only very professionals it’s an art. Cleaning has also a big effect on a diamond's beauty.

A clean and clear diamond is a more brilliant, elegant, and fiery effect than a diamond that is dirty.

There are many ways to clean the diamond. Many jewelers clean with ultrasonic cleaners and steam cleaners.

The diamond is widely used in rings. The diamond is more popular in engagement and wedding rings.

What is a cushion-cut diamond?

Cushion cut diamonds are a type of diamond cut that used to be known as “old mine cuts”.

They are a combination of a square cut, with rounded corners just like a pillow, which explains how it got its name.

This classic cut has been in existence for about two hundred years and for the first one hundred years it was the most popular diamond shape.

The popularity of the cushion cut diamond continued until the early 20th century before it was replaced by the round cut as the most popular choice.

Basically, the cushion, pillow, or candlelight cut has gone through several changes and transformations and developments, since its invention in the 19th century.

The cushion cut diamond has benefited immensely from the creation of cleaving as this process has helped the light dispersion from the shape making it more vibrant, dynamic, and fascinating.

Several people believe that the cushion cut diamond is a more recent cut which is not the real situation.

In fact, the cushion cut diamond is an older and classic cut that was widely used in the 19th century making it very popular but over time, and after many years it has gotten stiffer competition from more modern cuts and styles.

These days, cushion cut diamonds consist of a diamond halo which makes the cushion cut look very lovely and beautiful and leaves it well detailed and shining brightly all over.

The cushion cut diamond is widely used in earrings, engagement rings, and other forms of jewelry.

WHAT ARE THE STANDARDS FOR CUSHION CUT DIAMONDS

Based a bit on the research of Marcel Tolkowsky during the 1920’s changes made to custom cut diamonds over the years such as improving the cut angles for more brilliance, making the table larger, and reducing the cutlet has led to a rise and increase in its popularity.

Several buyers are attracted to the diamond because of its classic touch along with its modern style provided by the cushion cut.

The standards for cushion cuts are different from most other shapes. In general, they are less brilliant than round diamonds, but cushion cuts often have a better fire which adds to their appeal.

They are likely to have one of three basic pavilion facet patterns, of which the third pattern has one more row of facets on the pavilion.

This is classified as the “modified” cushion cut by the GIA. These modified cuts often have needle-like or crushed-ice facets, which are more similar to a radiant cut than a traditional cut.

FEATURES OF CUSHION CUT DIAMONDS

As stated earlier, a cushion cut diamond is a square or rectangular shape that has rounded corners resembling a pillow.

The cushion cut diamond consists of 58 facets with a normal ratio of 1.10 or more for rectangular shapes and about 1.00 to 1.05 for square shapes.

Procedures, methods, and cutting styles have changed over the years leading to the development of several variations like the custom modified brilliant which could have one more row of facets on the pavilion which could alter the look of the diamond.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

 

This article by Nancy Suzan is very informative, so special thanks to Nancy. At the same time, I need to thank Brian J White for sharing his knowledge in explaining to us what exactly a cushion diamond is!