Find your diamond
Find your jewelry
shape
carat
color
clarity

How To Find "Chunky Cushions"

Status
Not open for further replies. Please create a new topic or request for this thread to be opened.
B

bobdole

Rough_Rock
Joined
Nov 22, 2011
Messages
13
I'm in the market for a "chunky cushion", but I have a hard time telling them apart online. What is the best way to differentiate them from the diamonds with a crushed ice look?

I've seen the August Vintage stones from GOG. I'd like to look around though. How would I locate a suitable stone from some of the other pricescope vendors like Whiteflash or JamesAllen. I would need to call to request ASET images and such, and at least want to make sure it's "chunky" first.
 
You could ask for GIA reports with the cut style "Old Mine Brilliant." Not all chunky cushions are classified this way, but it's a start. I think if you asked them for chunky cushions, they should know what you're talking about.
 
 
You could also go to a vendor who is known for dealing in antique cuts, such as:

Old World Diamonds, Engagement Rings Direct and Leon Mege....I'm sure there are others, but this is off of the top of my head. Happy hunting!
 
Look for plots like this on GIA reports (minus the inclusions).

ChunkyGIAPlot.jpg
 
Aside from Good Old Gold, I would concentrate on Engagement Rings Direct. Leon Mege will source you one if you want him to make the setting. But his and ERD's look very much alike so I am thinking they may use the same source. Trying to find a good one on your own will be like trying to find a needle in a haystack. Use the people who specialize in them and know where to source them. Not every vendor carries them.
 
Great suggestions!

My ideal diamond is a "chunky, 1-1.3 carat, G-H, VS2". I'm not having a lot of luck finding one, or one close but I will keep looking. I'll try to call around after thanksgiving. Any other suggestions for finding one would be greatly appreciated.
 
Hi Bob,

Determining from a GIA or AGS Report is impossible. They are listed as "cushion brilliant" but that tells you nothing about lower halves, stars, uppers halves, etc. which make up the personality of the vintage cuts. Once you get into the realm of vintage cuts even their optics can vary from crushed ice appearance, strong bow ties, to small/medium flashes to bold broad chunky flashes. To ultimately determine light performance within a given facet structure the ASET will play a great part and video in even lighting environments in the face up view for confirmation, even better. Fancy shapes such as cushions are a tricky beast and as an investor/trader would never make a concrete decision with my capital without the appropriate data personally. I can also say this ... if there are 100 facilities cutting cushions less than a handful are even cutting the vintage facet style, much less separating for optics so even the facet style is not the easiest to come by. I have a video that specifically addresses this subject in detail which you may have seen linked via the forum in various places discussing this subject. I'll subscribe to this thread if you have any questions I can help with too.

Kind regards,
Jonathan
 
In the absence of actual photos (JA seemed to have a few 'chunkys'), look for a medium to large culet on the cert. If it was cut with a culet, it has a good chance of being a vintage style cut.
 
What's your budget?

Older cushions in that color are rare-you'll be better off going though GOG or ERD to find one that fits your specs unless you are willing to change them a bit and get an actual vintage stone (which would save a bit of $ as well).

Here is one from jewelsbyericagrace (great rep on here) here is there site

http://www.jewelsbyericagrace.com/loose_antique_and_estate_diamonds

here is one that is 1.55 J SI and is ~6400.00 (see video to check out performance)
http://jewelsbyericagrace.smugmug.com/Jewelry/Loose-Diamonds/155ct-Loose-Antique-Cut/19181072_nGc6pZ#1495069680_tRgTwjs


Also I would check out www.antiqueengagementrings.com (you may find an entire ring already put together in your budget that is prefect)

I'll check back for a budget/style options and see what I can find.

If you do decide to go with GOG you can't go wrong there. I've owned an AVC (1.31 J SI1) and it was BEAUTIFUL. I never saw another stone like it at any store (and I used to go to local ones just for fun ::) )

Good luck with whatever you decide!
 
can anyone comment if polish/symmetry is important in these "chunky" cuts?

i remember when i looked at GOG's AVC a couple of years ago, I could hardly find a EX/EX(GIA) or Ideal/Ideal (AGS). Actually, it was rare for a stone to even have 1 of P/S to be EX or Ideal. But now there are lot more ideal P and/or S than before, but of course, the price is a lot more.

When I look at EGD's ACB cushions, I am seeing the same thing as I did before.

Is this just from a cutter's experience as GOG's supplier(s) is more used to doing this same cut?
 
diamondseeker2006|1322096709|3068002 said:
Aside from Good Old Gold, I would concentrate on Engagement Rings Direct. Leon Mege will source you one if you want him to make the setting. But his and ERD's look very much alike so I am thinking they may use the same source. Trying to find a good one on your own will be like trying to find a needle in a haystack. Use the people who specialize in them and know where to source them. Not every vendor carries them.
Click to expand...
I politely disagree with this :) Perry at Leon Mege will source it for you even if you don't go with them for setting :) And the prices are very reasonable. ^_^
 
Hakka|1322696839|3071878 said:
can anyone comment if polish/symmetry is important in these "chunky" cuts?

i remember when i looked at GOG's AVC a couple of years ago, I could hardly find a EX/EX(GIA) or Ideal/Ideal (GIA). Actually, it was rare for a stone to even have 1 of P/S to be EX or Ideal. But now there are lot more ideal P and/or S than before, but of course, the price is a lot more.

When I look at EGD's ACB cushions, I am seeing the same thing as I did before.

Is this just from a cutter's experience as GOG's supplier(s) is more used to doing this same cut?
Click to expand...
Hi :) Do you want a recycled antique stone, or a newly cut stone in the chunky cushion style? If it's a newly cut stone, you can get much better color and polish and symmetry (from what I've seen out there), but with true antique stones, they are not always perfect, but they all have their own personality. I think it adds to the charm, personally. It's all up to your taste :)
 
Hakka|1322696839|3071878 said:
can anyone comment if polish/symmetry is important in these "chunky" cuts?

i remember when i looked at GOG's AVC a couple of years ago, I could hardly find a EX/EX(GIA) or Ideal/Ideal (AGS). Actually, it was rare for a stone to even have 1 of P/S to be EX or Ideal. But now there are lot more ideal P and/or S than before, but of course, the price is a lot more.

When I look at EGD's ACB cushions, I am seeing the same thing as I did before.

Is this just from a cutter's experience as GOG's supplier(s) is more used to doing this same cut?
Click to expand...

With regards to polish & symmetry on the vintage faceted diamonds, they do play a role but not nearly as important as the optical symmetry (an aspect not yet graded by GIA or AGS) or the light performance (only graded by AGS). If you were to see how a generic or even genuine antique OMB's graded in relation to the scale AGS has adopted for light performance within these cuts you'd be amused.

When it comes to these cuts AGS breaks down the nomenclature of grading into 4 general aspects.

1. Polish
2. Symmetry
3. Proportion Factors
4. Light Performance

Proportion factors is something both GIA and AGS incorporate into their grading systems but AGS will actually list each element on the report.
 
Status
Not open for further replies. Please create a new topic or request for this thread to be opened.
GET 3 FREE HCA RESULTS JOIN THE FORUM. ASK FOR HELP
Jewelry Blog
PriceScope-Concierge-Ad
Find prime cuts.
Top