Choosing a cushion cut

[flip]

Hi, I am looking into buying a cushion cut diamond and wondering how to narrow my search further. I'm interested in a halo setting by Victor Canera, so I thought I would start my search there because he appears to have a very good selection and offers a discount on the setting if I purchase them together.

I'm trying to find a cushion cut diamond that's about 1ct, with color between D-I and clarity between VS2-SI1 - which I think is pretty broad and perhaps I need to narrow the search more.

Victor Canera offers either Canera Antique Cushion (CAC) or Modern Cushion, with the latter appearing to be much less expensive, so I had a few questions. Is the price increase worth it for the improved appearance and performance of the CAC? Of the diamonds located at the link below, which one should I prefer? And how do these prices compare to other vendors?

https://www.victorcanera.com/diamon...on,modern-cushion&minCarat=0.90&maxCarat=1.10

I'm still very new to this, but as far as I can tell, the ASETs seem relatively good on each of the CACs, and I don't notice many inclusions.

 

[tyty333]

Its really a "looks" preference. The CACs have bigger facets and will produce bigger flashes but less while the modern has smaller facets which will
produce smaller but more flashes.
Here is a video that shows the faceting pattern differences between an August Vintage Cushion (similar to CAC) and a modern cushion. Watch it several
times and try to figure out what you/your GF would like to see in a stone.

If your budget can handle it I probably would stick with G/H or higher. Maybe "I" in the CAC.

You can look at AVCs to see how the prices compare to a CAC. However, VC will not set an AVC since he has a similar stone.
https://www.augustvintageinc.net/collections/august-vintage-cushion

For well cut modern you can look at James Allen but you'll have to work at comparing apples to apples and find a really well cut one to compare
a VC modern with.
https://www.jamesallen.com/loose-di...00&PriceTo=&ViewsOptions=Images&Shape=cushion

I prefer the older looking cushions like the CAC and AVC but...you need to figure out what you like. We can help you narrow it down after you decide
which type of stone you prefer.

Let us know if you have any more questions!

 

[ac117]

Agree with tyty - while I love the chunkiness of the CACs, their look is really personal preference and not everyone's cup of tea. You typically see more modern cushions out there as not everyone knows about the antique style cushions.

When looking at cushions and other fancy cuts, it's important to look at measurements and not just carat weight - a .9ct may face up larger than a 1ct so be sure to compare in order to maximize spread.

Color is a personal choice but if this is going into a halo than the tint that is normally viewed from the side will be hidden and you could go down to an H or I color. I wouldn't go lower than that in a modern cushion plus you might see a bit of contrast with the diamond halo melee that may or may not bother you.

Another personal preference is ratio - do you prefer a cushion that is more square (would have a 1-1.05 ratio) or more elongated cushion (>1.05 ratio)? Facet pattern also varies in the CACs so that might be something else you want to consider. I very much like the facet pattern of the 1.058 G VS2 because it has more of a petal effect (similar to his CERs) but it's more square so not sure what you're going for.

 

[flip]

Thank you for the great feedback!

I've found out that the modern cushion look is preferred – smaller with more flashes. Unfortunately there are only a few modern cushions listed on Victor Canera's website currently, but I'm hoping it would be straightforward to source these as well.

I've started browsing through James Allen, Whiteflash and some other websites, but it seems difficult to find comparable cuts for modern cushion.

For ratio, I would prefer it to be more square instead of elongated.

 

[ac117]

I would personally aim to hit the 6mm mark, which is definitely doable. Here are a few suggestions (remember to looks at the dimensions and not just carat weight):
https://enchanteddiamonds.com/diamonds/view/C120-382Z2Z563?
This should be eye clean at this size...zoom out and the crystal disappears: https://www.jamesallen.com/loose-diamonds/cushion-cut/1.20-carat-d-color-vs2-clarity-sku-4746912
https://www.jamesallen.com/loose-diamonds/cushion-cut/1.20-carat-h-color-vs2-clarity-sku-4379303
https://www.jamesallen.com/loose-diamonds/cushion-cut/1.10-carat-f-color-vvs2-clarity-sku-5443718
https://www.jamesallen.com/loose-diamonds/cushion-cut/1.20-carat-i-color-si1-clarity-sku-5443018
https://www.jamesallen.com/loose-diamonds/cushion-cut/1.15-carat-h-color-vs2-clarity-sku-3208227

Just over the ratio but man that puffy crown and small table is so pretty! https://www.jamesallen.com/loose-diamonds/cushion-cut/1.20-carat-g-color-vvs1-clarity-sku-5467423
Just over the ratio but another nice stone: https://www.jamesallen.com/loose-diamonds/cushion-cut/1.30-carat-i-color-vs2-clarity-sku-3878164

There are also H&A cushions, which give you the light performance of a round and better spread but in a cushion shape. Not sure if that's an option since they're not for everyone, but JA actually has a few:
https://www.jamesallen.com/loose-diamonds/cushion-cut/1.00-carat-i-color-vs1-clarity-sku-5328128
https://www.jamesallen.com/loose-diamonds/cushion-cut/1.00-carat-i-color-vs2-clarity-sku-5372855

 

[cokitty]

What is your budget, is 1ct your max size or are you open?

Blue Nile
1.80 I/VS2 7.09 x 6.58 x 4.50 mm $8455
https://www.bluenile.com/diamond-de...DiamondDetails&action=newTab&catalogView=true

1.71 H/SI1 6.68 x 6.57 x 4.50 mm $8479
https://www.bluenile.com/diamond-de...DiamondDetails&action=newTab&catalogView=true

1.52 G/VS1 6.76 x 6.27 x 4.18 mm $8210
https://www.bluenile.com/diamond-de...DiamondDetails&action=newTab&catalogView=true

1.30 I/VVS2 6.28 x 5.80 x 3.93 mm $5307
https://www.bluenile.com/diamond-de...DiamondDetails&action=newTab&catalogView=true

 

[flip]

Thanks, these are great recommendations. I'll need to do some thinking about these.

The faceting on the H&A cushions seems very interesting. They seem like a good balance of facet size, somewhere between crushed ice and antique.

 

[Athena10X]

Personally, I’m not a fan of crushed ice as it represents potential light leakage. There are quite a few educational YouTube videos that compare cushions and I’d recommend viewing a few. Also want to throw BGD Signature H&A cushions into the mix since these tend to be more precisely cut for light performance. However, there ratios may be more rectangular and you did express a preference for squarish proportions, but I think still worth a look.

https://www.briangavindiamonds.com/.../1.003-h-vs2-cushion-diamond-ags-104100834001

https://www.briangavindiamonds.com/....035-g-vs1-cushion-diamond-bkags-104094952011

A few from Good Old Gold. The second one is their Brellia square H&A cushion.
https://www.goodoldgold.com/diamond...modern-EX-GIA-I-SI1-diamond-stock-16299-cert-

https://www.goodoldgold.com/diamond...GIA-H-VS1-diamond-stock-16713-cert-1238133317

 

[The Stig]

Personally, I’m not a fan of crushed ice as it represents potential light leakage. There are quite a few educational YouTube videos that compare cushions and I’d recommend viewing a few. Also want to throw BGD Signature H&A cushions into the mix since these tend to be more precisely cut for light performance. However, there ratios may be more rectangular and you did express a preference for squarish proportions, but I think still worth a look.

https://www.briangavindiamonds.com/.../1.003-h-vs2-cushion-diamond-ags-104100834001

https://www.briangavindiamonds.com/....035-g-vs1-cushion-diamond-bkags-104094952011

A few from Good Old Gold. The second one is their Brellia square H&A cushion.
https://www.goodoldgold.com/diamond...modern-EX-GIA-I-SI1-diamond-stock-16299-cert-

https://www.goodoldgold.com/diamond...GIA-H-VS1-diamond-stock-16713-cert-1238133317

The BGD cushions are actually all square. The measurements listed are not what you think. The first is actually the length of both sides, whilst the 2nd is actually the measurement of the corner to corner through the middle. Make sense? The ratio is pretty muck 1.00. Lesley explained it to me

 

[Octo2005]

@flip- Have you spoke to Victor about sourcing a stone for you or if he will work with an outside stone? I seem to recall a recent thread that mentioned he had some new specifications as to which stones he will set.

 

[flip]

I really like the BGD and the Brellia. Victor has sent me some options for sourcing a stone already, but I've just asked whether he would be able to source something closer to the BGD or Brellia.

I'd prefer to avoid buying a stone from another vendor and then having to ship it to VC for the setting, so I'm hoping he will be able to source something comparable. I live outside the US, so I'm slightly concerned that it would complicate things a lot more too.

 

[flip]

Has anyone outside the US bought a stone separately and directly shipped it to be set? How does insurance work in that case? I've been thinking about it a few days and would really like a cushion similar to the BGD with strong faceting (like H&A or similar), contrast and symmetry. Just wondering about backup plans in case I can't get one sourced.