Cushion Cut Diamonds

Nearly all diamonds start out as octagons; once they are in the hands of skilled diamond cutters however, they can take an amazingly wide variety of shapes that range from simple and traditional round cuts to fancy cuts in the shape of stars and even butterflies.

Cushion diamonds, also known as “pillow diamonds,” are among those diamond shapes that are simple, elegant and traditional.

About Diamond Shapes

Different diamond shapes, or “cuts” as they are more properly known, accentuate different aspects of the gem. Traditional “brilliant round cuts” have many facets; these facets reflect and refract the light, giving such diamonds their “sparkle” (or as professional jewelers say, their “fire” and “brilliance” – hence the term “brilliant cut.”)

“Step cuts” are used for diamonds that are exceptionally flawless internally. These have “steps,” or ridges wound the girdle of the stone and a wide, open face – called a “table” – on top. Diamond shapes such as this are not cut for sparkle, but do exude a quiet and sophisticated kind of radiance; gazing into these is like gazing into a piece of clear crystal.

If a raw diamond is malformed or has internal flaws, it may be a candidate for a “fancy cut.” Such cuts are attempts to made the best of a less-than-ideal piece of material; it gives the cutter an opportunity to create asymmetrical, unusual, and even exotic shapes.

Then there are “mixed cuts.” These are diamond shapes that combine the sparkle of a brilliant cut with the luminescence of a step cut; they are also more economical, as they retain more of the diamond’s carat weight.

Cushion diamonds are an example of a mixed cut. Cushion cut diamonds have been around for about a two centuries, and were one of the earliest of the “brilliant” cuts. They feature larger facets that not only make for greater brilliance, but also display the diamond’s clarity to good advantage as well due to an open “cutlet,” or flat surface on the bottom of the gem.

Cushion diamonds are not quite as brilliant as “brilliant round” and princess cuts, but are more refractive of light; that is to say, cushion cut diamonds act more like a prism, separating the light into its colored components.

Because of this, you’ll want to examine cushion diamonds carefully for clarity and color, noting any “cottony” flaws within.