Need help on cushion cut

[portia]

We had been doing so good! We had done lot''s of research, were comparing diamonds from several places; online, b&m, etc. We learned an awful lot, including using tools such as HCA. We thought we at least had a pretty good idea of how to shop in an "educated" fashion. That was all for round stones. Then we saw a cushion cut really popped and that piques our interest. Any ideas on this stone? Here are the specs:


GIA cert
1.92 cushion brilliant cut
VS1
E
depth: 66.7%
table: 56%
culet: med
polish: EX
symmetry: EX
flour: Faint
girdle: med - slightly thick faceted
$21,600 approx.

At a b&m store, we were told that cushion cut really didn''t compare well with round as they really aren''t as brilliant. We were thinking about taking a cushion cut stone and putting it on an eternity type band setting and were told that the side diamonds would probably detract from the center stone as the rounds were more brilliant.

Today we had the opportunity to view the above mentioned stone and wow...it looked pretty darn brilliant to us! As a matter of fact, held right next to a round stone, it almost looked more brilliant if that is possible.

Any suggestions or comments on looking at cushions and this one in particular?

Thanks!!!

 

[oldminer]

At one time I might have been more inclined to say it is a little overly deep, but we now plan to "average" the depth before giving a depth percentage instead of using the GIA traditional depth to width proportion that has been the trade accepted norml. It does make more sense to use the average and not maximum depth percentage. If you took the length, the width and the diagonals, added them up and divided by 4 you''d have the average diameter. If you then used that number and the depth measure to calculate depth percentage, I''d bet you''d be right close to 60% AVERAGE depth.

With that sort of result, it might be sensible to think this cushion is a really nice one.

 

[valeria101]

Date: 9/23/2005 3:04:37 PM
Author:portia

Today we had the opportunity to view the above mentioned stone and wow...it looked pretty darn brilliant to us! As a matter of fact, held right next to a round stone, it almost looked more brilliant if that is possible.

Any suggestions or comments on looking at cushions and this one in particular?

Honestly, your post sounds so enthsiastic, that I am not sure what is left to say !

Without seeing it, there isn''t much I could be talking about anyway.

You could consider the price and the size of the stone ... if there is something else you''d rather have: the high greades surely leave room for choice downwards without compromise, and cushions come in different shapes (long or square-ish) or? whatever you might think of. There are enough diamonds out there to choose from.

These being said, I hope I didn''t mention too often that ''rounds are the most brilliant shape''. I know there is some theoretical truth behind that statement, but there is a limited list of facts that the respective models take into account. In short - I wouldn''t give that statetemtn another thought if you did manage to find some example contradicting it on the ground.

Most importantly, congratulations for the find, btw !

 

[diamondsbylauren]

Hi Portia,
Congratulations!

Having seen the diamond yourself, you can answer the most vital question- and you have- you love the diamond.
As far as the specs- I would not be concerned at all with a 66.7% depth. As a number, that''s absolutely fine for a cushion.

The price: It''s certainly not "cheap"- nor would I expect it to be.
As a rule, stones between 1.85-1.99 are very hard to find- and usually they are cut well.
If the cutter kept a little more girdle or left the stone slightly thicker, they''d have a 2.00+.
So the thinking is- if the cutter was willing to sacrifice the 2.00 size, then the resultant cut should be quite good.
Of course should is a big word- buit since you''ve seen it, and love it- sounds good to me.

 

[Maya Moonstone]

Hi Portia

I recently bought a cushion. Having decided on the color and clarity I would be comfortable with as well as the carat size that would fit into my budget , I concentrated on the spread of the stone. What is the spread of your stone?

In the end I had to decide between two stones with the same color, clarity, size and similiar spread but with different % tables and facet patterns. It was not a hard decision, because I liked the appearance of the one more than the other. Even though the one I did not choose had a better symmetry and polish. (see my recent posts about my cushion quest)

My advise is if you love how the cushion looks, don''t give too much attention to the numbers...personality counts far more.

Maya

 

[moremoremore]

Buy it buy it buy it!!!

Portia- I have a 2.13 E Vs2 Ex/Ex 64.1 depth 56 table cushion and I love it love it love it. I laugh out loud when people say cushions aren't brilliant. What youhave there is what i like to call a "modern cushion"... It's my absolute favorite to die for....

That is going to b e a STUNNER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

You definitely pay more for the excellent cut...but it's MORE than worth it in my opinion!!!


p.s. Love the kitten. We have that in common too

 

[portia]

Thank you all. We are really going back and forth on this stone. I think we might wish that it was a tad bigger, but then it would be over 2 ct. and the price would be probably be dramatically higher .

OldMiner...where would we get the diagonal measurements from? Is that part of the Sarin data? I don''t believe that is on the cert.

We will continue to search and are in no particular hurry, but do want to be able to move on a stone if one comes along that really grabs us. This stone was very stunning and we will continue to review it.

This stone is GIA certified and relatively "new"...August of 2005. What stones have the inscriptions on them? Is that the work of the gem lab, or the cutter? Is the fact that the stone is inscribed on the cert? I do not recall seeing the inscription when reviewing the diamond in person and don''t see it specifically mentioned on the cert.

As for the picture of the cat; that is our angel "Haley". She is a female marbled Bengal and is very lovely and sweet!

Thanks!

 

[moremoremore]

Portia- you might want to look at some other types of cushions too...some well cute, non-antique looking stones...you may still be able to get some of the brilliance you want for the same price...you really pay a premium for the ex/ex ...