A Cushion By Any Other Name...

[fatafelice]

Cushions are very popular right now and many people have come to PS to get help in finding one. Unfortunately, there are many different cuts that can be called "cushion." It can be confusing to decide what one wants and frustrating to find it, especially when a cert. doesn't give a clear idea of what a stone will look like. So, I tried to compile some of the more common "cushion" plots and pictures that I have come across in my own cushion quest. Yes, I know that the plot on a cert does not neccessarily match the stone, but it does seem that there is usually a correlation (excepting L:W, which is never the same!). I also know there are plenty more kinds of cushions out there, but I thought this was a start.

The plots I'm posting are mostly from GIA certs (except where noted) and most of them actually "belong" to the stone they are pictured with. Some of the pics aren't great, so if you have a better one, please post it with its plot!

I'll try to post a few others that I couldn't find pics for, (or pics with no plots) and if you guys can send me one, I'll edit or repost so they go together. MMM would you please post the plot from your stone(s) with a good pic? Any one else have something different?

ETA: I think this should just be callled a "Cushion Brilliant." opps!

 

[fatafelice]

2

 

[fatafelice]

3

 

[fatafelice]

4

 

[fatafelice]

5

 

[fatafelice]

6

 

[fatafelice]

This one''s at GOG, but no pics up yet...

 

[MissAva]

This is very kool fatafelice! Thanks!

 

[finerthings]

Great idea fatafelice.

I''ve often wondered what the different cushions look like and the Gem Advisor software never worked for me when I went to the Good Old Gold cushion cut reference page. Thanks!

 

[moremoremore]

Hi! "CUSHION BRILLIANT" on the cert...

 

[moremoremore]

I'm Borrowing this from GOG b/c I have crappy pix of my stone. This looks exactly like mine! I guess it's called a "modern cushion" although I don't think many call it that...I guess it's not too much different from others

 

[fatafelice]

MMM - That''s what''s interesting. I thought that is what you had posted as the plot for your stone, but it is the same plot as the H&A stones on the GOG website! Is yours decribed as a "Modern Cushion" on the cert? Maybe that''s the difference?

Keep ''em coming!

 

[fatafelice]

Thanks for the link, Maya!

Here''s another one that doesn''t have cushion in the name, but was listed as one and has a "cushion-y" shape...

 

[fatafelice]

This is interesting. This is Maya''s stone, which has the same plot as my #3, but looks more like MMM''s stone, and it is called a "Cushion Brilliant" rather than a "Cushion Modified Brilliant." I don''t know, maybe all of this is pointless? There definitely doesn''t seem to be as much consistiency on the part of the GIA as I thought...

 

[WinkHPD]

off topic but curious. Does fatafelice have meaning? It is such a pretty name and in Portuguese and Spanish felice means happy.

Thank you for your interesting pictures and faceting diagrams, this is very useful information for both the public and the vendors.

Wink

 

[Mara]

interesting stuff.

i didn''t think that OMC''s were considered cushions?

 

[MissAva]

Fountain Fair Fax''s ring is an OMC Cushion her ring.

 

[Mara]

I didn''t know there were OMC cushions...can an expert chime in on this? I always thought the old cuts like OEC''s and OMC''s etc were their own style of cut. Sure they could be cushiony shaped or roundy shaped but I thought they always had their own designation. In the searches for cut of stone, usually OMC and Cushion stand separately just like OEC and RB etc.

 

[Garry H (Cut Nut)]

Mara "cushion" shape in a colored gem refers simply to the outline that is squareish round or oval.
It is common in corundum (Ruby and Sapp) because of the barrel crystal shape

 

[moremoremore]

Fatafeli- there is no such thing as a "modern cushion" really....And I think that vendors outside of ps would look at you like you had 3 heads if you said "modern cushion"...they'd be like...no, it's not antique... LOL...

It's just "cushion brilliant" on the cert and it looks just like the square H&A on the plot...

 

[fatafelice]

Thanks, everyone, for the input!

Wink: I *think* it means "happy fairy" in Italian, but that''s my two years of college Italian coming into play. I made have just made up a very non-sensical word.

Mara: I definitely agree that OECs and OMCs are their own cut. I''m just using the term "cushion" to refer to anything with a pillowy shape or outline. While looking for cushions, it seems like there aren''t many OMCs listed by vendors (even the antique and estate places), but many stones that look to be OMCs listed as "cushions." Then again, I''m not positive. Maybe Dave Atlas will chime in. If they are techinically different, then I will take them out the thread.

MMM: Interesting. Your stone is looks very different than the H&A (in a good way

), but they have the same plot on the cert? I would like to see the real facet structure of each. They have to be different, whether GIA thinks so or not!

 

[Mara]

Diamonds too Garry?

If it''s just a ''cushion shape'' rather than a ''cushion'' a type of cut for OMC...that makes more sense.

 

[coconut]

Thanx for the compilations fatafelice.
This actually is extremly informative.

I think cushion cuts vary so much that people have different preferences within the cut.
It kinds of gives an approximate look of the stone by looking at the certificate.

So what would diamondgirl777''s ''Cushion be? (one of my favorites)
Diamondgirl''s cushion picture

Hmm....

 

[moremoremore]

Fata...I love the mod cushion b/c it looks like an organized disco ball And they face up so darn well for fancies!

It has been my understanding that the old mine cut is also ref'd to as a cushion...so it would belong here

 

[fatafelice]

MMM: I agree, and your modern cushion is just stunning. I am having a very hard time deciding exactly which kind of cushion I want!

Coconut: Wow! I think I somehow missed that one, but it is the cushion of my dreams!

She decribes it as being a "Cushion Brilliant" on the cert, but it doesn't look like the two (H&A or MMM's "Modern Cushion"

) that we have seen with that designation. It looks like an older cut to me, I *think* maybe an OMC, with a smaller culet, but I'm not sure. Hmmmm, I'll have to do some more research!

 

[valeria101]

Date: 11/12/2005 11:33:55 PM
Author: fatafelice

... a 'Cushion Brilliant' on the cert, but it doesn't look like the two (H&A or MMM's 'Modern Cushion' ) that we have seen with that designation. It looks like an older cut to me...

The spot in the middle should be an open culet, the facetslook like an old-mine's - but the symmetry is almost too good to be true. Could it be a recently cut diamond in the Old Mine pattern? There are some...

One example of such a thing was mentioned HERE.

A modern 'old mine' cut:

2.03 cts.
7.00x7.09 mm.
78% total depht
52% table
Crown height 25%
Pavilion angle 46%
V. Thin Girdle
culet: Large
F- VS1


Btw... that thread does something similar to this - it lines up a dozen or so types of cushion cut too.

 

[fatafelice]

Thanks, Ana. I agree that a newly cut old mine could be an option for that one. And I love that thread! That is the thread that got me started on cuhions and I used it as a jumping off point for this one. I just wanted to try and get all that info, with some extra, into one place and organized so that it would be easier to make comparisons. I hope I accomplished that!

And thank you, Pricescope, for putting this thead in the FAQ! I hope that it can help others in their cushion quest! I''ll add more if I find it.

 

[moremoremore]

Thanks Fata!
And that cushion is also one of my favs here. It''s stunning. Looks like a true find....looks a bit antique ... but looks like a great cut....

Doesn''t hurt that I think it''s about 5 cartats? If I recall correctly! I''ll take it

 

[fatafelice]

I LOOOOOOVE this one that is currently at GOG!!!! If only that culet was more round-y...

ETA: this is not the actual plot for this (much cleaner) stone, but it otherwise looks the same...

 

[valeria101]

Date: 12/14/2005 6:54:08 PM
Author: fatafelice

If only that culet was more round-y...

What a sweetie... Thanks for bringing this up!

Those large facets look vintage and that is very nice, IMO.

I wonder if the ''keel'' was not meant to keep the angles even on both sides - which should be a good thing as much (=little) as I can tell.

Jonathan?