Clueless about Cushions

[AFGreen]

Hi all,

I've been looking for a cushion cut loose stone for an engagement ring on James Allen for a while now. I'm getting more and more educated about the process, but I'm still pretty confused about what a good stone is, particularly in the areas of depth, table and symmetry. I feel like I've picked out a few good options, but could anyone tell me if there are any glaring weaknesses in my choices below that I might be able to improve upon in the same general price range?

http://www.jamesallen.com/diamonds/E-SI2-Ideal-Cut-Cushion-Diamond-1212694.asp

http://www.jamesallen.com/diamonds/H-VS2-Ideal-Cut-Cushion-Diamond-1435746.asp

http://www.jamesallen.com/diamonds/H-VS1-Ideal-Cut-Cushion-Diamond-1480068.asp

http://www.jamesallen.com/diamonds/H-VS1-Ideal-Cut-Cushion-Diamond-1458154.asp

Thanks for the help

 

[Gypsy]

Numbers 1 and 4 have bowties.
Number 2 has some odd dark facets.
Number 3 is your best bet.

You don't buy cushions from the numbers. When I am picking cushions for people I don't look at the numbers. I put in carat weight and budget only then look at the picture previews. Sometimes I'll put in color and clarity. I make sure the stones look like they are probably eyeclean as I look at them. Then once I have a good looking stone in front of me I check it's depth to make sure it's not over deep (over 70) and then check it's table to make sure the stone won't be glassy. I make sure the girdle isn't very thin. And I look at the measurements to make sure the stone is facing up where it should be.

What all of that means is... what the stone looks like is MUCH more important than what it's stats are.

I will look for a few more contenders for you.

 

[Gypsy]

Here are a few:

http://www.jamesallen.com/diamonds/F-SI1-Ideal-Cut-Cushion-Diamond-1465389.asp Ask gemologist why the symmetry is only "good"

http://www.jamesallen.com/diamonds/G-VS2-Ideal-Cut-Cushion-Diamond-1393000.asp

http://www.jamesallen.com/diamonds/G-VS2-Ideal-Cut-Cushion-Diamond-1480137.asp

http://www.jamesallen.com/diamonds/F-SI1-Ideal-Cut-Cushion-Diamond-1465389.asp Probably my first choice.

http://www.jamesallen.com/diamonds/G-VS1-Ideal-Cut-Cushion-Diamond-1427973.asp Probably my second choice. But I don't know what you budget is.



This is a cushion with old cut faceting. It's a good price. And it's an 8 main cushion. So... if it interests you I'd say get an ASET of it: http://www.jamesallen.com/diamonds/E-SI1-Ideal-Cut-Cushion-Diamond-1262073.asp

 

[Gypsy]

How to proceed:

Narrow it down to 4-5 cushions. Ask the gemologist to pull them and and compare them side by side. Tell them to pick you the three "brightest and best performers" that are eyeclean. Get ASETs of those three. Post them here and we will help you.

 

[ariel144]

You can find everything you ever would want to know about cushion cut diamonds at www.goodoldgold.com
Watch the videos there and then you will know the facet pattern that you prefer and then start your search.....what a pandora's box of facet patterns...those sneaky cushion cut diamonds....don't you love them?

You can also go to www.jewelsbyericagrace.com and get a look at some cool videos of the old mine cut (cushion) diamonds. She also has some 1 carat stones and if you really like that old chunky facet pattern, another good site is www.oldworlddiamonds.com but there are others vendors out there too. James Allen is a great place to see all the differing facet patterns. They even have some that are faceted like a princess cut diamond...nice. If you stick to the 60-65% depth your stone will face up larger for your $$ and will not be too shallow. Sometimes you can go as shallow as 58-59 and still be ok, and not too much leakage of light.

Found this one on JA last night, it is over your budget but a really nice cushion. A 1.66c that faces up like a 2 carat. Not another like it at any price on their site though that I could find.

http://www.jamesallen.com/diamonds/K-IF-Ideal-Cut-Cushion-Diamond-1471593.asp

Have fun and good luck!

 

[ariel144]

Here is another interesting site for seeing the differing facets of a cushion in a video:


These are already set in rings...take a look at what they have...their videos are nice of these rings showing them on the hand.
2 GIA antique cut cushions
http://www.markbroumand.com/175ct-antique-cushion-brilliant-diamond-engagement-anniversary-ring__2632-1d5816863/

http://www.markbroumand.com/181ct-antique-cushion-brilliant-diamond-engagement-anniversary-ring__2462-1d5985710/

EGL cushion cut
http://www.markbroumand.com/163ct-cushion-cut-diamond-engagement-anniversary-ring__2493-1d3107310/

At least you can see the differing facet structures ...some cushions listed in "Antique Cuts" and some under "Cushion"

Here is an F SI2 on GOG
http://www.goodoldgold.com/diamond/8725/

Another site that specializes in cushion cut diamonds is www.engagementringsdirect.com
None in your price range listed in "a cut beyond" but they can find some for you.
http://www.engagementringsdirect.com/0.93-carat-g-vvs2-a-cut-beyond-cushion-cut-diamond-gid-15231.html

 

[ariel144]

Here's another one you might want to consider:

Cushion Brilliant on ERD search; (this facet pattern is very desirable and hard to find in a cushion cut diamond)
Here is a 1.12c that faces up nice and large 6.82x6.15 mm with a great facet pattern (see the GIA report)
ERD will call in the stone and do an ASET and video of any diamond you like, or he is very good at finding
the best cut cushions out there. This one just looked really nice for $4,000:

http://www.engagementringsdirect.com/index.php?file=diamond_details&gems_item_id=39936&first_step=diamond

Item Number : K141

Shape:
Cushion

Carat Weight:
1.12

Color:
J

Clarity: VS1

Graded By GIA

Cut Grade: Excellent
Depth: 61.20%

Table: 57.00%

Girdle:
Medium to Thick

Culet: Slightly Large

Polish: Excellent

Symmetry: Good

Fluorescence:
None

Measurements: 6.82x6.15x3.76 mm


J colored diamonds look white ...here is a 5 carat antique cushion J color set in platinum halo:
[URL='https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/leon-mege-antique-cushion.140739/']https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/leon-mege-antique-cushion.140739/[/URL]

[URL='https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/j-color-stones-in-platinum.24731/']https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/j-color-stones-in-platinum.24731/[/URL]

 

[ariel144]

Here is a great story of finding the "perfect" 5 carat cushion....:


[URL='https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/leon-mege-antique-cushion.140739/']https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/leon-mege-antique-cushion.140739/[/URL]

by Thouarella » 14 Apr 2010 12:54
I received a gorgeous ring from my DH for our anniversary. It''s my dream ring - a Leon Mege halo-ed antique-style cushion. Leon found the stone for us and I just love the facet structure and the high crown.

Specs:
5.01 J VS2
Depth 69.8%
Table 57%
Culet Large
Polish Very Good
Symmetry Good
Fluorescence None



Thanks for all the lovely comments everyone!

It''s our 5th wedding anniversary, hence the 5 carat stone

Laila - thanks for adding it to the cushion thread.

jgny:
The dimensions are 9.95 x 9.61 x 6.71mm And I believe the OMC style stones face up smaller as well given their high crowns (someone correct me if I''m wrong on this). But I looked at a bunch and I vastly preferred the OMCs to the modern brilliants, plus I think this way the 5 carat isn''t too enormous (vs say a 5 carat RB).

We bought this stone from Leon just before he launched his diamond concierge service, so I don''t know if they will provide additional details now, but basically he sent me photos of the stone from all angles, set and unset and on a black and white background. No ASETs. It was rather a leap of faith to buy it without looking at it in person and without ASETs etc but at the end of the day we decided to trust his eye and we had just fallen in love with the faceting of the stone.

Before we decided on this one, we''d taken a look at stones at our local B&Ms, one who specialises in OMCs and another who flew in 5 stones from their sightholders in Israel. I''d also contacted all of the cushion specialists mentioned on this forum and gotten a stone flown out to me, though ultimately we decided not to go with that one. It is REALLY difficult to find a stone with the requirements we had (>5 carats, OMC or 8 pavillion mains, large culet, near 1:1 aspect ratio, eyeclean) and there were very few responses to our request both online and at the B&Ms. It was basically between this stone and the one that was flown out to us. Jon at GoodOldGood had offered to get an AVC cut but the prices of rough had gone up so much at the end of last year/beginning of this one, plus we didn''t want to have to wait!

So at the end of the day and after months of searching we decided to go ahead with Leon''s stone and I just love it. The J doesn''t bother me at all and mostly it looks icy white and I only notice a tiny bit of warmth very occasionally from certain angles (my e-ring is an E and there is a very slight difference but really not very much).

Leon did mention that now he''s set up this diamond concierge service that he''d rather find a good stone for his clients. He''ll still set stones from other dealers but I get the feeling that he preferred for us to buy a stone from him. Good thing we liked his stone best anyway.

 

[AFGreen]

Thanks everyone for all of the advice. It's a lot to take in. I just recieved ASET images back from JA for 3 diamonds along with the following message:

Thank you for your patience while waiting for the ASET images of diamonds 1360388, 1480068, and 1465389. I've attached an interpretation guide for ASET images to the bottom of this email, so please read that over. Other customers have found it very helpful and I hope you agree!

You'll be happy to hear that our gemologist determined that diamond 1360388 (1.02crt E SI1) has nice light performance and is icy white in color. It has the most traditional cushion appearance of your selections and looks very beautiful in person. This diamond is our gemologist's favorite and I recommend for your purchase since it's the whitest and brightest of your selections.

In short, diamonds 1480068 (1.00crt H VS1) and 1465389 (1.01crt F SI1) both face eye clean but they lack the kind of fire and brilliance the gemologist would like to see in a well-cut cushion diamond.

Diamond 1360388 (1.02crt E SI1) is your best option and will look stunning in any setting! Please take a moment to review this information and let me know if you have any additional questions. I have extended your hold on these diamonds for an additional 24 hours while you consider your options. After that time we will release them back to our inventory.

To finalize a purchase, simply call our Customer Service department at 877-826-9866. We are staffed to assist you 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Please don't hesitate to contact us with any additional questions. I hope to hear from you soon.

Below are the links and ASET images of the 3 diamonds:

http://www.jamesallen.com/diamonds/E-SI1-Ideal-Cut-Cushion-Diamond-1360388.asp

Shape: Cushion
Carat weight: 1.02
Cut: Excellent
Color: E
Clarity: SI1
Certificate: GIA

Depth: 64.6%
Table: 60.0%
Polish: Excellent
Symmetry: Very Good
Girdle: Medium to extremely thick
Culet: None
Fluorescence: None
Measurements: 6.28*5.73*3.70
Ratio: 1.10
Price: $4,470





http://www.jamesallen.com/diamonds/H-VS1-Ideal-Cut-Cushion-Diamond-1480068.asp

Shape: Cushion
Carat weight: 1.00
Cut: Excellent
Color: H
Clarity: VS1
Certificate: GIA

Depth: 66.1%
Table: 62.0%
Polish: Very Good
Symmetry: Good
Girdle: Medium to very thick
Culet:
Fluorescence: None
Measurements: 6.22*5.63*3.72
Ratio: 1.10
Price: $3,560





http://www.jamesallen.com/diamonds/F-SI1-Ideal-Cut-Cushion-Diamond-1465389.asp

Shape: Cushion
Carat weight: 1.01
Cut: Excellent
Color: F
Clarity: SI1
Certificate: GIA

Depth: 68.4%
Table: 59.0%
Polish: Very Good
Symmetry: Good
Girdle: Thin to very thick
Culet: None
Fluorescence:
Measurements: 6.25*5.55*3.80
Ratio: 1.13
Price: $3,890






The one they recommend is really at the high end of my price range. I was really hoping to max out at something more like $4,000 since I would like to do a custom setting. Just looking for some opinions on where I stand with these 3 and if i were to not go with 1360388 because of price, would either of the other 2 be good options? Or should I continue my search for a ~$4,000 cushion.

 

[mandasand]

I like the look of #2...I especially like the faceting structure. But, that's just my opinion...I am NOT a diamond expert.

 

[webdiva]

What setting do you have in mind? Perhaps we can find a stock setting that's cheaper. Personally, I'd rather spend $400 more on a better diamond and save on the setting.

 

[webdiva]

Ariel found some great deals for those that aren't color sensitive. The ERD stone is a great size! Looking at the Leon Mege ring thread is really good because it lets you know if the warmer color would bother you. Personally, I can't go down that far in color. It's a gorgeous ring and stone, but I just see color and not the icy whiteness I associate with a diamond. That's a personal choice, though. Many on Pricescope love the warmer, antique-style colors. It's up to you. Make sure you see the colors in person before you make a choice - you can have JA and ERD send the stones to an appraiser near you, and you can see them in person.

EDIT: keep in mind that cushions retain color differently than rounds. A Round J is going to look MUCH whiter than a Cushion J.

 

[AFGreen]

I like #2 also, but it bothers me to see that big white spot in the center of the ASET image (keep in mind, I'm not very experienced in looking at ASET images).

I'm not really positive exactly what kind of setting I want. These 2 have stood out to me though:





For now, I'm really just trying to find the diamond that I want.

If people really think that the diamond JA is recommending is no contest the best of the 3 I sumbitted for ASETS, then I'll have to go with that one. But if the other 2 are good also, I'd be happy to go with either of those. I just don't really know how to read the ASET images very well, so I don't know what I should stay away from.

 

[webdiva]

Trust the gemologist at JA when he said "but they lack the kind of fire and brilliance the gemologist would like to see in a well-cut cushion diamond. " That means, it won't be as sparkly or shoot out as many rainbows. Which is the kinda the point with a diamond, right?

If you're on a budget and need assistance, either buy his choice or try another vendor that may be able to balance budget with the best diamond. I highly recommend GOG, plus their settings are well priced.

The settings you chose are highly subjective to taste, has your fiance seen them and tried them on?

 

[chel180]

Trust the gemologist at JA when he said "but they lack the kind of fire and brilliance the gemologist would like to see in a well-cut cushion diamond. " That means, it won't be as sparkly or shoot out as many rainbows. Which is the kinda the point with a diamond, right?

If you're on a budget and need assistance, either buy his choice or try another vendor that may be able to balance budget with the best diamond. I highly recommend GOG, plus their settings are well priced.

The settings you chose are highly subjective to taste, has your fiance seen them and tried them on?

I agree. Don't buy a diamond when the vendor himself says they aren't what you'd hope for!

 

[AFGreen]

Okay, that makes sense. So those 2 will be out.

But do you think the one JA picked of the 3 is the one to buy? It might not be saying much that JA says it's the best of the 3 when the other 2 are duds. I just don't know if it's a great diamond or if it's just the best of the 3...

No, she hasn't seen or tried on the settings. I know she would like something with side diamonds, but that's all i really know and I'm going by what I think would look nice on her. I'm planning on it being a surprise, so she's not really in on the whole ring buying process.

 

[webdiva]

Okay, that makes sense. So those 2 will be out.

But do you think the one JA picked of the 3 is the one to buy? It might not be saying much that JA says it's the best of the 3 when the other 2 are duds. I just don't know if it's a great diamond or if it's just the best of the 3...

No, she hasn't seen or tried on the settings. I know she would like something with side diamonds, but that's all i really know and I'm going by what I think would look nice on her. I'm planning on it being a surprise, so she's not really in on the whole ring buying process.

For $4800-ish, I would maybe buy that one with the intention of returning it in case you find something different. Then engage ERD or GOG for help.

BTW, the one setting with the tension setting (the diamond sandwiched and floating between the two parts of the ring) will be very impractical and dangerous to the diamond). By side diamonds, did she mean diamonds on the band of the ring? Or one or two diamonds to the either side of the diamond? I know some women aren't into the ring shopping but perhaps a friend or relative can help you out? Also try cutting out tiny pieces of paper that are 6.5 x 6.2 mm to get an idea. I was shocked at how tiny my diamond would be, and added a halo. The ones in the settings you show look to be 1.5 ct or up. Cushions face up small in comparison to rounds...