written by Mo

Cushion Cut Diamond : Buyer’s Guide — Everything You Need To Know

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Hello again, diamond enthusiast!

Today we are going to talk about cushion cut diamonds.

Out of all the fancy shapes out there, the cushion diamond probably varies the most. They vary in sparkle; they vary in shape and they vary in cut.

We’re going to talk about the three most popular ones and let you know the pros and cons of each and what to look out for in order to choose the absolute perfect one for you.

Let dig in, shall we?

Basically, if a round diamond and a princess diamond had a baby, they would have a cushion love child.

And one of the things a lot of people are not aware of (but we’re going to let you in on) is that cushion diamonds are more like a family of stones than a specific shape and cut.

We’re going to show you some of the three main ones that we come across.

Take a look at these stones. They look and shine a little bit differently. But would you believe it? They’re all cushions.

Allow us to introduce you to the 3 cushion cut diamond types: the glitter cushion, the brilliant cushion and the glam cushion.

The Glitter Cushion

The first one that we’re going to talk about is what we call the glitter cushion. The reason that we’re highlighting it first is because this is probably the most popular one that you’re going to find out there.

What you’ll find with these types of cushions is that the sparkle has the appearance of fine glitter, hence the name. Picture a mirror that’s been shattered giving you the illusion of a kaleidoscope when light shines through it.

Pros

One pro of the glitter cushion is that because of its popularity, it has the most abundant supply. What that basically means is you’ve got a lot more options within this type to choose from. You’ll have variations in dimensions/shape- some of them will be rectangular, some of them will be square.
The other pro is that because it is the most abundant in supply, it is cheaper price wise in comparison to the other two types of cushion that we’re going to go into.

Cons

On the other hand, one of the cons of this stone is the fact that it reads smaller than the other types of cushions. This means that if you compare a one carat glitter cushion square stone to the equivalent in any of the other cushion styles we’re going to talk about, the measurements will usually be a little smaller.
Another potential con is that glitter cushions tend to show the color of the stone a lot more. So, let’s say you had one that’s been graded as an I color. There are a lot of people that may start to feel like it looks a little bit yellow, whereas if you see the I color in the other ones, you may not notice as much.

Things to Consider

They are readily available in mined and labgrown varieties.
For a stone like this, we recommend a grade H or higher for most people. Again, that color is always a tricky one. Like we always say, just take a look at them side by side to see at what point you stop noticing a difference.

The Brilliant Cushion

The next type of cushion that we’ll go over is what we call the brilliant cushion.

The brilliant cushion sparkles very much like a round, but just in a cushion shape. Another thing to note about them is that they have a tendency to be found mostly in a square kind of lengt to width ratio. They’re rarely rectangular.

Pros

The people that like them like the fact that they sparkle like a round diamond.
Another pro is that it’s a lot more forgiving when it comes to the color which means that rounds—if you have a diamond that’s I color, because of the way that it sparkles and shines, most people won’t notice any difference going up in color from there.
The brilliant cushion is also great because of the spread for its weight which tends to be greater than it is for the glitter cushion. This means that it’s going to look bigger in size.

Cons

Probably the biggest con for brilliant cushions is that they can vary so much. So, when you’re trying to compare them, it can be very difficult to assess which one is the right one because they can range so much. The best thing to do there as well is look at them side by side to figure out which one you like the most.
Another con is the fact that they’re only readily available in the square proportion. So if you like a more elongated, rectangular cushion, this type of cushion might not be the one for you. And as far as price goes, if we’re going to compare it to the glitter cushion, you are going to pay more for a brilliant cushion than you are for a glitter cushion.

Things to Consider

They are readily available in both the lab-grown and mined variety like the glitter cushion.
It’s also important to look at the edges – some of them come straight while some of them have a more bowed look, which gives it little bit more of a cushion shape, but that comes down to your preference.

The Glam Cushion

The third one that we’re going to discuss is what we call the glam cushion. Out of all the cushions, this one is probably the one that comes across the most voluptuous. This is due to the fact that it has a higher crown. When you think about this cushion just think Hollywood glamor.

Probably the most distinguishing feature of this type of cushion is that that the light that’s reflected out of it looks more like a spotlight, like she’s on display. Whereas the other ones can take on a more brilliant sparkle or a kaleidoscope dazzle effect.

Pros

One pro about this type of cushion is that they are available in both a square ratio and a rectangular one.

It has a very unique sparkle that gives it that spotlight effect instead of a more glittering effect. What’s more, this type of cut is the most forgiving on color and it actually reads very big for its size, meaning it reads bigger than its carat weight as compared to the glitter cushion or the brilliant cushion giving it a larger appearance.

Cons

This more of a feature than a con but one thing that’s pretty common with these types of cushions is that they will have a culet, which just means it’s flat at the bottom rather than pointy like most diamonds. Culets are often frowned upon in other shapes like rounds, but it’s more of a feature with this stone. So, we wouldn’t necessarily call it a con just a feature to be aware of. From the top view it’ll look like a flat panel in the middle of the stone.

One con is that this type of cushion is probably the least available which means a couple of things- the price is probably going to be the highest of all three and right know they’re only available in the mined variety.

The takeaway we want to leave you with is:

The best way to figure out which type of sparkle is right for you or which type of cut of cushion is right for you is consider them all. Don’t get too attached to any one type, see them side by side and lean towards the sparkle that lights a fire in you 😉