Looking for a Cushion Cut - Are these Modern or Antique?

[cushionlover0509]

Hellloo everyone!

So my boyfriend of 7 years and I have decided that we are going to start looking at rings!!

I know that I want a cushion cut for sure and have been saving pictures from all over the web and different forums whenever a ring that I liked popped up.

Well, after watching Good Old Gold's video on cushions, I found out there are modern and there are vintage. SO, I went through my ring folder on my computer, picked out some of my favorites, and was wondering if you could help me distinguish if the following rings are modern or vintage so I can figure out what I actually want.

Thanks in advance for your help!

1.
2.
3.
4.

 

[tyty333]

Re: Looking for a Cushion Cut - Are these Modern or Vintage?

Here is my take...

Antique
Modern
round
Can't tell because of the angle

 

[cushionlover0509]

Re: Looking for a Cushion Cut - Are these Modern or Vintage?

Here is my take...

Antique
Modern
round
Can't tell because of the angle

Oh my gosh, you're right - the third was round. Got rid of that one! lol Thanks for your help!

 

[justginger]

1. Definitely antique, and gorgeous!
2. Modern
3. I don't think this is a round, looks elongated like a cushion to me. Can't tell, but think it's modern.
4. Looks antique. Most of Leon's cushions are, and that's a pretty high crown/small table.

 

[ericad]

These all look like newly cut antique style cushions to me. Not actual old antique stones, but newly cut in the old style. Of course it's hard to tell from a single image. I just think its important to differentiate between antique (cut 100+ years ago) and antique style (newly cut in the style of an antique stone).

 

[DiamondBrokersofFlorida]

First one looks like an old mine round. Other 3 look like a modern cushions to me.

 

[Mikla]

I love the first one and the last one. They appear to have antique characteristics to me, and that's what I like in a cushion.

 

[justginger]

Of course, Erica - I should have been more thoughtful in my post. I agree that 1 and 4 look like antique-STYLE stones, but not actual antiques. The faceting appears to be cut recently, but in an antique pattern. I don't see how anyone thinks any of them are round - they are all clearly elongated and have straight-ish sides.

 

[Rhino]

These all look like newly cut antique style cushions to me. Not actual old antique stones, but newly cut in the old style. Of course it's hard to tell from a single image. I just think its important to differentiate between antique (cut 100+ years ago) and antique style (newly cut in the style of an antique stone).

Exactly my thoughts but in fairness to ginger the OP asked for only one of two options ... antique or modern.

The actual answer is they look like they're all modern.

The first is definitely a vintage styled cut (possibly AVC).
The second is definitley modern.
The third is tough to judge by the photo as it appears to embrace characteristics of both vintage and modern. Ie. Some wider reflections and some splintery.
The fourth appears "vintagy" from the tall crown and small table and most likely is but the angle the picture was taken at isn't very revealing.

 

[justginger]

I thought the same thing, Jon - number 1 might be one of your babies. It looks lovely in that photo.

 

[ericad]

These all look like newly cut antique style cushions to me. Not actual old antique stones, but newly cut in the old style. Of course it's hard to tell from a single image. I just think its important to differentiate between antique (cut 100+ years ago) and antique style (newly cut in the style of an antique stone).

Exactly my thoughts but in fairness to ginger the OP asked for only one of two options ... antique or modern.

My reply was not directed to ginger, so this confuses me?

 

[ericad]

Of course, Erica - I should have been more thoughtful in my post. I agree that 1 and 4 look like antique-STYLE stones, but not actual antiques. The faceting appears to be cut recently, but in an antique pattern. I don't see how anyone thinks any of them are round - they are all clearly elongated and have straight-ish sides.

My reply was to the OP, not directed at you. Most consumers refer to old style stones as "antique" or "vintage" whether they're new or old, but since the OP didn't say whether or not she's looking for a true antique or not, I just wanted to differentiate.

 

[diamondseeker2006]

I also agree that the second one looks modern style cut, and the others probably are antique style cut. I was also thinking that #1 looks like August Vintage cushions from Good Old Gold. I like the antique style cushions sooo much better in these settings than the modern!

 

[cushionlover0509]

Of course, Erica - I should have been more thoughtful in my post. I agree that 1 and 4 look like antique-STYLE stones, but not actual antiques. The faceting appears to be cut recently, but in an antique pattern. I don't see how anyone thinks any of them are round - they are all clearly elongated and have straight-ish sides.

My reply was to the OP, not directed at you. Most consumers refer to old style stones as "antique" or "vintage" whether they're new or old, but since the OP didn't say whether or not she's looking for a true antique or not, I just wanted to differentiate.

I was just referring to the actual style; I don't think I would be able to find an actual antique cushion cut within our budget that is a good diamond. Thanks again for your help!

 

[cushionlover0509]

These all look like newly cut antique style cushions to me. Not actual old antique stones, but newly cut in the old style. Of course it's hard to tell from a single image. I just think its important to differentiate between antique (cut 100+ years ago) and antique style (newly cut in the style of an antique stone).

Exactly my thoughts but in fairness to ginger the OP asked for only one of two options ... antique or modern.

The actual answer is they look like they're all modern.

The first is definitely a vintage styled cut (possibly AVC).
The second is definitley modern.
The third is tough to judge by the photo as it appears to embrace characteristics of both vintage and modern. Ie. Some wider reflections and some splintery.
The fourth appears "vintagy" from the tall crown and small table and most likely is but the angle the picture was taken at isn't very revealing.

Alright, so going with what you're saying, I think what I am looking for is a more vintage-y looking stone. What does AVC mean when you were referring to the first stone?

I'm not sure if I really know which one I like better! I guess it just depends on each individual stone. Do you have any idea if these are hard to find in brick and mortar stores? I wonder if I will be able to differentiate the styles in real life.

 

[CharmyPoo]

I love the third setting. Beautiful.

 

[justginger]

You will certainly be able to afford an actual antique cushion, as for the most part the newly cut, but antique-style stones are actually more expensive. There is a lot of rough stone lost in the process of cutting a modern but antique-style cushion, so that contributes to higher prices. There are other aspects of the pricing that I either a) don't completely understand or b) don't have the expertise to fully explain -- so my brief summary is that NEW antique-styles are generally more expensive than actual antiques, with all other characteristics being equal.

Finding a bricks and mortar store that carries real antique stones of any real quality will be difficult. Where are you located? If you're on the west coast, perhaps you can meet with either Erica or Grace from Jewels by Erica Grace. If you are on the east coast you have Good Old Gold, Engagement Rings Direct, Old World Diamonds, and Perry Chen at Leon Mege to choose from, all in NYC. GOG carries all three kinds (true antiques, antique-styled, and modern), ERD carries modern cushions and modern antique-styled cushions, Old World Diamonds carries true antique stones, and Perry can get you any of the three as well.

AVC stands for August Vintage Cushion, a branded cut of stone (antique-styled cushion) that is sold exclusively by Good Old Gold. Check out their website to see some photos and videos of them - they are cut for ideal light return, unlike most old stones. Generally people either love the precision and light performance of them, or they love the imperfections and romance of a truly antique stone. Every once in a while you find someone who loves and owns both -- but for the most part, people seem to OWN one but still ADMIRE the other. Only you can decide if you want perfection or character. I personally own two true antiques - one I bought from Erica at JbEG and the other was from Adam at Old World Diamonds. You will find many others on this board who own multiple AVCs or AVRs (the round version of the antique-style stones) and love them just as much. People vary.

You will very easily be able to tell the difference of a modern and antique-style stone. The modern stone will have lots and lots of facets, to me they look like crushed ice, a dizzying array of splintery light. The antique stones have much broader facets so the light return is in bigger chunks. I find it much more pleasing, but if you light the ultra sparkle factor then modern is probably better for you. I like being able to see individual facets, the pattern of cutting, and that is impossible for me to see in a modern stone.

Try looking at the cushion thread on here - there are LOTS of examples for you to peruse and get a feel for which style you prefer.

 

[InnaR]

#1 is Leon's antique style cushion. The ring belongs to user Thouarella. In the original post its refered to as OMC cushion sourced by Leon. To me it also feels like a replica, but even if that is the case - that would be to kind of replica I could live with.

https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/leon-mege-antique-cushion.140739/

 

[cushionlover0509]

#1 is Leon's antique style cushion. The ring belongs to user Thouarella. In the original post its refered to as OMC cushion sourced by Leon. To me it also feels like a replica, but even if that is the case - that would be to kind of replica I could live with.

https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/leon-mege-antique-cushion.140739/

Omgosh yes, I am in LOVE with that ring. Pretty much exactly what I am looking for. Love the halo