Evaluting A Square Cushion Cut Diamond Online

Q:

Hi Liz,

I’m in the market for a cushion cut diamond. I found one that I like on paper but I’m just not sure. Please see attached pictures of two cushion cut diamonds from Brilliance.com. I’m looking for a square cushion cut diamond.

1.43.ct G VS2 cushion cut diamond from Brilliance.com. Diamond measures 6.50×6.50mm with 65% table and 68.3% depth.

1.51ct H VS2 cushion cut from Brilliance.com. Diamond measures 6.48×6.47mm with 62% table and 67.8% depth.

Thanks,

Brent

A:

Hi Brent,

Thanks for sending your pictures. I’m a little perplexed by your first diamond because the GIA report says 6.50×6.50×4.44mm yet the magnified picture clearly shows an elongated cushion shape. Perhaps Brilliance.com provided the wrong image for this diamond? Anyway, if we were to evaluate the image by itself, we can clearly see that this diamond has more of a ‘pillow’ shape – not square. Looking at the magnified picture we can see some darkness under the main table facet. This is indicative of light leakage, something that you don’t want in a diamond. I can see some inclusions in the image so, I cannot say for sure if this cushion is eye-clean or not.

The other cushion cut diamond has a better shape (more square, like what you are looking for), but the faceting structure is a bit haphazard. It can be described as a sort of ‘crushed ice’ look. If you look at the image, you’ll see a weird circle under the main table facet. This wouldn’t be a diamond that I would recommend.

Please keep in mind that there are many different ‘looks’ a cushion cut diamond can have. There is no standard for cut or facet patterns so unfortunately, cushion cut diamonds tend to take a bit longer when trying to find the perfect one. With that in mind, as a start I like to point readers towards Brian Gavin’s Signature Hearts and Arrows Cushion Cut Diamonds. What I love about this style of cushion cut is that it takes the ‘old-world’ appeal and modernizes it by giving the diamond an antique look with top of the line light performance.

Light performance in a diamond refers to the way a diamond reflects light. A well cut diamond optimizes the amount of white light while also offering beautiful contrast. Brian Gavin’s cushions offer all of this.

So, with that being said, if your budget is around $10k for the diamond then I would recommend this 1.392ct H VS2 for $10,648.00: http://www.briangavindiamonds.com/diamonds/diamond-details/1.392-h-vs2-cushion-diamond-ags-104066027009

I love this diamond, it has a gorgeous ‘H’ color and is a perfectly eye-clean VS2. It measures a nice 7.47 x 6.27mm which gives it a nice larger face-up appearance when compared to a round brilliant of similar carat weight. The hearts and arrows optical symmetry in this diamond is very good as well, so overall a very nice diamond for the price.

So, to recap, I think there is a discrepancy between the GIA report of your first diamond and the image. Something isn’t right there. The second diamond has a poor cut. Therefore, I wouldn’t recommend either one.

The 1.392ct hearts and arrows cushion from BGD has the best cut hands down. It’s an AGS triple 0 (ideal light performance, polish and symmetry) and is a clean VS2 with no visible inclusions even in the HD magnified image and video. It also has hearts and arrows optical symmetry. The 1.392ct will also ‘face-up’ larger, due to it’s cut, despite the fact that we are comparing a 1.43ct vs. a 1.51ct and Brian Gavin’s 1.392ct.

For what it’s worth, I have purchased one of BGD’s hearts and arrow cushion cut diamonds and you can read my review here: https://www.onlinediamondbuyingadvice.com/cushion-cut-diamond/

I hope this helps!

Liz

Q:

Hi Liz,

I actually went ahead and took your advice on that Brian Gavin square cushion cut diamond and bought it. The dimensions that they used kind of confused me a little but found out that they measure their cushion cuts a little differently. But anyways I just wanted to thank you for your recommendation! Please see attached pic of the 1.392ct against a hand…

Brent’s gorgeous 1.392ct H VS2 hearts and arrows square cushion cut diamond only from Brian Gavin Diamonds.

Thanks,

Brent

A:

Hi Brent,

Yes, they measure the dimensions slightly different, but it still makes sense. You can read more about it here: http://www.briangavindiamonds.com/cushion-the-science-behind-the-sparkle

I’m glad I was able to help you! Please stay in touch and let me know what you think of your new cushion cut diamond ring! I always love to see pictures. 🙂

All the best,

Liz