Newbie: Needing advice on cushion cuts please :)

[daydreamer88]

Hi Everyone,

I am new to this site & in desperate need of advice regarding Cushion Cut Diamonds. My partner and I have been looking at engagement rings for about three months now, mainly online. I was set on a solitaire brilliant cut diamond but they don't suit me- who knew! We live in a small rural town in Australia & the diamond stores nearby do not have any cushion cuts, nor get any in, so it is impossible for me to try one on unless we travel.

I am ABSOLUTELY in love with the Tiffany Novo- although we cannot afford to purchase from T&C so I am looking to have a similar style made. I have wider fingers (not thin) not very girly hands, and I am ring size 7-7.5. I've found many gorgeous pictures of cushion cut rings & Am deciding whether to take a gamble and have one made & hope it suits but it is a bit of a worry. Could you please share your opinions on a few things....

*What is a common carat size that is noticeable without being too small?

*If anyone does have a cushion cut ring, could you please post a photo & state the carat size?

*Square or rectangular cushion shape? If I cant afford a larger stone- does a square stone give the illusion of being larger?

*Ice crushed VS larger facets?

*Which is most popular- traditional cushion or Halo?

*Has anyone purchased through Blue Nile & how would you rate their services, quality & prices?

Thankyou in Advance for your help, We would really like to purchase one & move along lol...

 

[ecf8503]

Sounds like you need to call Good Old Gold or Engagement Rings Direct. They both have very nice cushions and can get or make a very Novo-esque setting for you.

You asked about a halo - are you considering one? That will get you a lot more finger coverage, even with a smaller center stone.

Crushed Ice vs larger facets is a personal thing. I'd look at Good Old Gold's videos on YouTube to get an idea of size, shape, and facet structure.

I would never buy a cushion from BN. You can't buy a cushion by the numbers. You really need someone to be able to do an ASET image on it to assess light performance and look at it in person to give you an opinion on how it looks, take some pictures for you, maybe even make a video.

What is your budget?

You asked for pics - here's my 1.43ct Good Old Gold August Vintage cushion on a size 4.75 finger.

 

[daydreamer88]

Hi Ecf8503,

Thank you for your reply!! Sorry for the late reply I have had a big work week. I did have a look at Good old gold & they look great but are they only in the US? As I am in Australia. I'm about to look at ERD also but am now hesitant about purchasing a diamond without seeing it in person first, I have been reading up on diamonds & cushion cuts in particular- its quite overwhelming lol...

I seem to be choosing the halo design rings when trying them on, rather than solitaires; which I originally had wanted haha! They really look different on...I think more finger coverage would suit better with my wider fingers haha Its just a shame that I can purchase the diamond no problem & have what I would like made, but I cant find any cushion cuts in the jewelry stores to try on for looks... Hard call, I will have to continue researching...

I'm loving the larger facets for sure, but that may mean more of a cost then...

If you don't mind me asking, is there anything wrong with BN diamonds or is it just that you would prefer to view in person & we cant do that with online retailers. I really didn't realize there was so much involved.. My budget is AUD $8000 for the whole ring, which I why I thought a wholesaler would be best value for money, BUT if we can find a good diamond for $8K, We can extend it a tad to have it set...

Thanks so much again for your post & your photo, your ring looks absolutely stunning- I love it!!

Thanks, Beck

 

[therese13]

The tricky thing about cushion cuts is that they vary wildly in appearance. There is really no standard cut, like a round brilliant. There has been so much research with perfecting the round brilliant that it is easier to tell what the diamond will look like just based on a handful of key measurements. This is not the case with cushion cuts. If you are curious, go to http://www.jamesallen.com/ and see the variety of cushions. If you are happy with ALL of the different looks, then you will likely be happy with whatever BN ships you...you just won't know what it looks like until it arrives.

My advise: You need to see a picture of the diamond online or see the actual stone in person if you are the slightest bit picky. The "crushed ice" look is typically not considered as pretty /desirable as other, larger faceted cuts. You can purchase a cushion cut online, but you will want to see an actual photo (magnified) of what it looks like. Brian Gavin Diamonds (out of Houston, TX USA) has a hearts and arrows cushion that looks amazing. Some vendors have pictures on their websites: jamesallen.com, whiteflash.com, brian gavin diamonds, good old gold, and I think Ritani (among others).

As for your question about size, I found this chart helpful:http://www.lumeradiamonds.com/files/size_chart.pdf It compares surface areas of different shaped diamonds. Unfortunately, the cushion cut will appear smaller top-down than other shapes of the same weight. If you wanted to try on diamonds for appearance/finger coverage purposes, you could try on some princess cuts and they will be about the same size as a cushion. If you want to maximize diamond surface area, but still have the cushion look, you could get a squarish setting and put a round brilliant in it: http://www.genesisdiamonds.net/tacori-ht2607rd-engagement-ring.html

 

[MonkeysInk]

My husband initially had the same hesitancy about buying diamonds online. He had a jeweler call in some cushions for us to look at, and they only had four available and could only call in three (? - no idea why, just what they told us). Once we looked at them in person and then compared them to the ones that we saw online, it became clear that we could get a better quality, larger sized diamond for the money if we bought through a PS vendor.

I think cushions are especially hard because there are just so many varieties and they have very different types of appeal, so you need to look at lots of them to find the one that's really the one for you.

Good luck! What a fun search!