Convince me: Cushion vs. Round

[AtlanticAve]

This afternoon I saw several gorgeous stones, but cannot decide between a 1.02 E SI1 Cushion Brilliant, and a 1.05 H SI1 Round Brilliant.

Can I get your opinions (not necessarily on these actual stones, but more on the shapes in general). Why do you prefer cushions/rounds?

thx in advance for answering my stupid question.

 

[oldminer]

A lot of the decision belongs to your unique personality and not really with what others think, BUT cushions are nearly all quite individual stones, while the round diamond business is more and more about creating very similar looking, high performance stones. There are a very small number of super cushion cuts and a very diverse group of cushions which are cut to no special parameters. Some of these look nice, some look very nice and some just don''t make the cut when it comes to looks.l A lot of cushions are deeply cut and don''t look their weight. Some are shallow cut and become watery instead. There is a limited number of finely fashioned ones and I think they are hard to find. No doubt, a few dealers have the nicest ones and the rest of the players can''t find a good one except by accident.

The person receiving the diamond may prefer one shape over the other. Both are very flexible for mounting styles and most settings for rounds will accept a cushion or a round. Sometimes a cushion needs split prongs, 8 tips, to stay tight, while you can get away with four prongs in a round shape. Bezels for round diamond generall won''t fit cushion shapes without quite a lot of modification. Custom making a setting generally costs more than using a stock model. Most designers have styles for rounds, many of which will adapt readily to cushion, but stay flexible because not every round setting will take a cushion properly.

I hope you find a diamond you and your intended love and appreciate.

 

[diamondseeker2006]

I love cushions, but if I had to choose between a 1 carat cushion and a 1 ct. ideal round, I''d choose the round. A cushion usually will be deeper and face up smaller than the same weight round.

 

[mrssalvo]

Date: 9/27/2007 5:22:38 PM
Author: diamondseeker2006
I love cushions, but if I had to choose between a 1 carat cushion and a 1 ct. ideal round, I''d choose the round. A cushion usually will be deeper and face up smaller than the same weight round.

ditto, I adore cushions, but they do face up smaller so a 1 carat cushion will in all likelyhood look smaller than a 1 carat round and i''m all about the size

 

[sera]

I would definitely go with the cushion because they are beautiful, an interesting shape and facet pattern, and less common than a round... I really don''t like to have something special that everyone else has. Now I know a round with Pricescope paramaters is not your everyday diamond, but the round shape does feel same ol'' same ol'' to me. To avoid having something that everyone else has, I am willing to accept that a cushion will face up smaller, and it''s not like it would be tiny compared to the same ct round, just noticeable.

 

[FireGoddess]

I adore cushions, both modern and antique cut alike. Moreso than rounds even. But....they face up smaller on average than rounds...and that is a significant strike against them to me, because I can''t afford an enormous cushion!!

 

[yamsicle]

I second what Sera says! A cushion is more unique I think. For myself, I am willing to sacrifice size to get something that not everyone has. The one carat stone I am considering is 5.9mm x 5.99mm and I think I read somewhere on here that a one carat round will face up approximately 6.5mm? The only disadvantage is it''s not as easy to find a good cushion. Again, it''s what you prefer.

Please let us know what you decide! It''s hard when you are choosing between pretty and pretty!

 

[iheartscience]

Date: 9/27/2007 7:36:22 PM
Author: yamsicle

It''s hard when you are choosing between pretty and pretty!

So true! I love this line! That sums up many of the diamond decisions around here, I think!

If it was me, I''d go for the cushion, provided it was well cut and good looking-I like more unique shapes and am willing to sacrifice a bit of spread (and did in my e-ring!) for a fancy cut.

 

[Gypsy]

It would depend on how I wanted to set it for me. I love cushions,I especially love them as the center of a three stone-- I don''t generally love three stones with rounds at 1 carats, but would love a 1 carat cushion set with half moon or trap sides by Leon Mage. And I love them set in pave settings ala Tiffany Novo (Lynn''s Harmony setting, or Neatfreak''s Ritani) and I love them with dainty halos ala Harry Winston.

I also love rounds in NON ROUND halos and in unique solitares like MWM''s solitares matched with shared prong bands (most traditional look I like).

So for me it would mean envisioning the entire RING, and working backward from there.

 

[indypitty]

As a cushion lover and owner, I would say go for the cushion! To me it is such an elegant shape, and I love the fact that it is not as common. People always comment on the shape and to most it is unique. As mentioned above, no two cushions are the same, and personally, I love that. Also, I ended up with a 1.710 carat cushion that faces up bigger than most 2 carat cushions! So just be sure to do your homework and shop around!

 

[DMBsGirl]

Welll, I LOOOOVE cushions. so that would be my choice! Reasons for loving them??? They are unique (I have yet to meet one person IRL that has a cushion. They have that antique old world feel that is soo cool. They are the best of both worlds, not quite round, yet not quite square. Just lovely little pillows!

 

[Haven]

Cushion, hands down. I own a cushion, I love my cushion, and I chose it knowing I could have gone with a round that faced up much larger.

However, this is COMPLETELY a matter of personal taste, even though you ARE choosing between pretty and pretty--for me, there is almost always a "pretty" and a "prettier" when I''m looking at two diamonds. Figure out which one gets the superlative, and go with that one.

It also definitely depends on the setting style--what type of setting do you want?

But since you''re asking, I say choose the cushion!

 

[AtlanticAve]

thank you all for the replies....

the stones were in Mr. Turnowski''s office, so I think it''s safe to say that all diamonds were high-quality. I now might have changed my mind to a 1.12 H VS1 cushion that I also saw.
It will initially be set in a "disposable" WG setting, so the GF can choose her own setting. I''ll be sure to keep you updated!

 

[Cehrabehra]

Date: 9/27/2007 5:22:38 PM
Author: diamondseeker2006
I love cushions, but if I had to choose between a 1 carat cushion and a 1 ct. ideal round, I''d choose the round. A cushion usually will be deeper and face up smaller than the same weight round.

This is my experience as well, but really only if you are going for a square cushion. The more elongated you go, the more you go into the same effect that ovals and pears have where you get more bang for your carat buck.

 

[AtlanticAve]

I went back today to look at the stones and decided on the 1.12 H VS1 cushion from Mark T.

 

[TravelingGal]

Good choice!

Folks can correct me if I am wrong, but when I did my search, a one carat ex/ex cushion (which was what I wanted) was cheaper per carat than an "ideal" round (AGS000 or whatever). I was looking at F/SI1. So while it faces up a bit smaller, it was also a bit cheaper. But I guess that''s relative because you can find a great performing round that might be a WF ES selection for cheaper.

I love my cushion...never tire of it!