Find your diamond
Find your jewelry
shape
carat
color
clarity

Questions on Cushion Cut Diamonds

A

Alias

Shiny_Rock
Joined
Dec 2, 2013
Messages
138
Went to a store today and spoke to the person about what I am looking for. They seemed accommodating which made me happy!

Looking for a double halo cushion cut (similar to the Tiffany Solstice)...the diamond I was shown is GIA #2121339731. Cost is $10K, I can bring my own center and have the store design it for around $3,500K including the small diamonds on the band and the halo's.

Thoughts?

Thanks!
 
Re: Is This a Good Price?

Gypsy|1386207979|3567829 said:
Need a lot more information. What is the method of fabrication? CAD and CAST or handforged? At that price I am assuming cad. What metal is included in that price? Platinum? Or something else?

Start here: [URL='https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/custom-jewelry-work-cad-and-cast-psa.175834/']https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/custom-jewelry-work-cad-and-cast-psa.175834/[/URL]
Click to expand...

Excellent post! thank you very much - gives me a lot to think about. My concern is not the quality of the product from an online vendor, it's what if something goes wrong with the ring 5 years down the road. Will it be a hassle to get it fixed if I need to send the ring across the country etc... Still gives me a lot to think about.

Also, WG 14K, CAD and CAST.
 
Re: Is This a Good Price?

Platinum is the best metal for pave. Period.
For 14kt that price is not great.
If you are worried about the quality of the setting 5 years down the road you should go for handforged. That setting will run you 6k or so in handfroged.
If you cannot afford that then you need to go with a platinum setting from a trusted vendor that does CAD and CAST with a proven track record for pave that lasts.

That's a LOT of pave you are talking about. You want the best quality you can get otherwise you will be losing stones like the ring is a salt celler.
 
Re: Is This a Good Price?

Thank you for the reply! Just when I feel like I did all my research and feel that I know what I am doing, I learn something new - which is a good thing as I obviously want this ring to be the best it can be within my budget..

Handforged is outside of my budget so must stick with CAD and CAST. The issue with current jeweler is that the cost is too high and I can't verify quality. Grated the jeweler is in a very, very trendy mall and has made rings for other people I know - who have been satisfied - but this does not really help me assess the quality of my ring. I was told I can get copies of the CAD and see the mould, however.

For me the issue with an online vendor is that, firstly I am outside the US and exchange and customs add to the cost, granted not too worried about those. It's the constant worry that if something goes wrong I am shipping this item out of the country. Do you know of anyone who has ever actually had an issue with a JA or EGD ring whereby they sent it back for some reason?

Thanks Gypsy, you are very helpful and a wonderful source of information! Thank you for taking the time to help me make the right decisions.
 
Re: Is This a Good Price?

Another question - if GIA doesn't give the pavilion angle or the crown angle and these two are so imporant to the diamond, how do I figure them out? It is a question to ask the vendor? is my placement of importance on it too much?

Thanks!
 
Re: Is This a Good Price?

For fancy shapes, no, you don't need it. BTW it is the Tiffany Soleste. ;))
 
Re: Is This a Good Price?

JulieN|1386276633|3568296 said:
For fancy shapes, no, you don't need it. BTW it is the Tiffany Soleste. ;))
Click to expand...

The following was my reaction to that message:
1. Click Edit quickly like it didnt happen
2. No Edit button anymore...
3. *slightly embarrassed*

Forgive me, but may I ask why we don't need it for fancy shapes such as a cushion cut?
 
Re: Is This a Good Price?

There are too many different ways to cut a cushion. A round's angles are well defined and thus we can have a simple model that predicts performance with reasonable accuracy. This is not so with the cushion.

Engagement Rings Direct is popular for quality cast pave.
 
Re: Is This a Good Price?

ERD will do the soleste setting in PLAT for 3.5k go with them. I'm extremely picky about my pave so they are the best you can get around that price. I have seen their pave and always been very impressed with it. They might be able to source you a diamond as well and get a package deal.

Also though this thread is geared towards a HW inspired halo the Tiffany one really isn't that much different so I think you will find lots of helpful information.

[URL='https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/cushion-101-my-experience-in-making-a-harry-winston-halo.183473/']https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/cushion-101-my-experience-in-making-a-harry-winston-halo.183473/[/URL]
 
Re: Is This a Good Price?

I would really stick with PLAT for pave. My old ering was WG with pave and I constantly lost diamonds. It is expensive to fix everytime ones pops out and such a pain to go without a ring while it is being fixed. Since switching to PLAT I have had no issues!
 
Re: Is This a Good Price?

JulieN|1386277541|3568309 said:
There are too many different ways to cut a cushion. A round's angles are well defined and thus we can have a simple model that predicts performance with reasonable accuracy. This is not so with the cushion.

Engagement Rings Direct is popular for quality cast pave.
Click to expand...

Thanks, JulieN! Makes perfect sense - I guess we rely more on the symmetry and polish for a cushion cut then. I've been looking for Excellent on both.
 
Re: Is This a Good Price?

Alias|1386279387|3568337 said:
JulieN|1386277541|3568309 said:
There are too many different ways to cut a cushion. A round's angles are well defined and thus we can have a simple model that predicts performance with reasonable accuracy. This is not so with the cushion.

Engagement Rings Direct is popular for quality cast pave.
Click to expand...

Thanks, JulieN! Makes perfect sense - I guess we rely more on the symmetry and polish for a cushion cut then. I've been looking for Excellent on both.
Click to expand...

I highly recommend looking at the link I sent you. Cushions are difficult to buy just looking at the numbers. There are too many facet patterns out there to have a standard of what is excellent or not. Plus different "looks" or facet patterns apeal to different ppl. You should buy your diamond based off it's appeal to you. I have seen beautiful cushions on paper but had zero appeal to me in person.
 
Re: Is This a Good Price?

SB621|1386279825|3568341 said:
Alias|1386279387|3568337 said:
JulieN|1386277541|3568309 said:
There are too many different ways to cut a cushion. A round's angles are well defined and thus we can have a simple model that predicts performance with reasonable accuracy. This is not so with the cushion.

Engagement Rings Direct is popular for quality cast pave.
Click to expand...

Thanks, JulieN! Makes perfect sense - I guess we rely more on the symmetry and polish for a cushion cut then. I've been looking for Excellent on both.
Click to expand...

I highly recommend looking at the link I sent you. Cushions are difficult to buy just looking at the numbers. There are too many facet patterns out there to have a standard of what is excellent or not. Plus different "looks" or facet patterns apeal to different ppl. You should buy your diamond based off it's appeal to you. I have seen beautiful cushions on paper but had zero appeal to me in person.
Click to expand...

Interesting - good to know. I just printed it and will read it this evening. Thanks again!
 
Excellent read! I learned a lot from that posting!

I think the modern cushion cut would be really nice and I looked briefly but couldn't find any, within a decent price range. Most of what I saw were modified cushions. What does a modern cushion approximately cost, say 1ct top/near top clarity and color w/ excellent all around? I am thinking outside of my budget...
 
Re: Is This a Good Price?

maybe close to 10K depending on how high your color and clarity is, for an H&A modern cushion.
 
Re: Is This a Good Price?

"Jeweler is in Trendy Mall."

This is not a recommendation. :twirl:

You best bet is ERD.
And do not get anything other than platinum. Please.

You don't need top clarity. It's a waste of money.
And honestly you don't need top color either.

You want to stay within 2 color grades of your melee. Which will likely be F/G so... I'd start looking for a nice H-I colored diamond in the eyeclean SI-Vs2 range.

You don't need more than that. And in a halo minute differences in spread will be minimized. So go for the best performer (that means you need images and an ASET image).
 
Re: Is This a Good Price?

Gypsy|1386310156|3568621 said:
http://www.engagementringsdirect.com/1.04-carat-g-vs2-royal-chandelier-cushion-brilliant-cushion-cut-diamond-gid-151991.html This is gorgeous. Color is higher than you need. But still in the near colorless range so still a great value. The performance is fantastic.

White, bright and will look stunning in a double halo.
Click to expand...

That does looks great, but out of my price range :(

I was leaning towards something like this: http://www.b2cjewels.com/dd-4305880-1.01-carat-Cushion-diamond-F-color-VS1-clarity.aspx thoughts?
 
Re: Is This a Good Price?

This looks pretty good to me, what do you guys think? Thanks!

_12448.jpg
 
Re: Is This a Good Price?

Looks pretty good.
 
Re: Is This a Good Price?

Thanks for the response!

Spoke with ERD and told them what diamond I was looking at for a double halo cushion cut. The following are the specs of the diamond - would love opinions:

CT: 1.01 carat
Cut: Excellent
Color: F
Clarity: VVS1
Polish: Excellent
Symmetry: Excellent
Table: 56%
Depth: 66.3%

All-in with the setting about $8.5K. Opinions would be amazing! Would dropping down the clarity be worth it?

ASAT image is in above post.

Thanks!

_253.png

_12484.jpg

_12485.jpg
 
Re: Is This a Good Price?

Didn't want to start a new thread but have a question on table %.

Went to a store this weekend and tried on a double halo cushion cut with the following center stone specs:

1.04ct, H, VVS2
DEPTH PERCENTAGE 63.6%
TABLE SIZE PERCENTAGE 63%
GIRDLE THICKNESS Slightly Thick

We felt that the diamond looked to large on the 4.5 ring size finger - could this be because of such a large table size? Would a drop to say 56% make it seem a bit smaller or do we need to drop the ct size? Thanks!
 
Re: Is This a Good Price?

The more important dimension would be the length and width not the table size. And i'm thinking you'd have go to go at least 15% less spread than whatever that was in order to make a noticeably smaller difference.

Either go down in carat, which means you avoid the 1 ct price premium. I'm thinking if you go for a longer rectangular stone that would spread the weight out more and look less bulky. Or go with a single halo. Also the size of the melee in the halo makes a difference.
 
Re: Is This a Good Price?

JulieN|1386634313|3570939 said:
The more important dimension would be the length and width not the table size. And i'm thinking you'd have go to go at least 15% less spread than whatever that was in order to make a noticeably smaller difference.

Either go down in carat, which means you avoid the 1 ct price premium. I'm thinking if you go for a longer rectangular stone that would spread the weight out more and look less bulky. Or go with a single halo. Also the size of the melee in the halo makes a difference.
Click to expand...

Thanks Julie for the reply!

The dimensions of the 1.04ct above is 5.78 x 5.74 x 3.65mm. The one I am interested in buying is 6.05 x 5.80 x 3.85 which is a 1.01ct (this is of the pics above).

Based on the above it seems that the 1.01ct will look larger from above then the 1.04ct - would you agree?

Thanks for the help - I am starting to feel lost :|
 
Re: Is This a Good Price?

It depends a little bit on the curvature of shape. But once you put a double halo on, that sort of size difference should be negligible except in the most extreme comparisons.

I would take advantage by getting something in the .9 range, you avoid the 1 ct premium.
 
Re: Is This a Good Price?

no actual pics, so its hard to really say anything, ERD would be able to suggest something. But, a warning: on PS we have observed "DSS" which is Diamond Shrinkage Syndrome. Something that you thought was perfectly sized, or even large, after awhile seems not so large anymore.

Blue Nile has H&A style cushions that have a nice soft outline, something above .80 cts is around 5.5 mm http://www.bluenile.com/diamond-search?filter_id=0&pt=sig&track=NavDiaSigCU

How does she feel about rectangular shapes? http://www.b2cjewels.com/dd-4302529-0.91-carat-Cushion-diamond-D-color-VVS2-Clarity.aspx?sku=4302529&utm_source=pricescope.com&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=pricescope.com
 
Re: Is This a Good Price?

JulieN|1386651213|3571143 said:
no actual pics, so its hard to really say anything, ERD would be able to suggest something. But, a warning: on PS we have observed "DSS" which is Diamond Shrinkage Syndrome. Something that you thought was perfectly sized, or even large, after awhile seems not so large anymore.

Blue Nile has H&A style cushions that have a nice soft outline, something above .80 cts is around 5.5 mm http://www.bluenile.com/diamond-search?filter_id=0&pt=sig&track=NavDiaSigCU

How does she feel about rectangular shapes? http://www.b2cjewels.com/dd-4302529-0.91-carat-Cushion-diamond-D-color-VVS2-Clarity.aspx?sku=4302529&utm_source=pricescope.com&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=pricescope.com
Click to expand...

I can agree with the DSS - I would equate it to buying a TV. Sometimes it seems to large when you first purchase it but after awhile it looks too small.

In terms of the rectangular shapes - I am not really sure, I looked at some pics and I think she would like a more proportionate center similar to the solstice. Look at the 0.9's on Bluenile...can I even get a 0.9ct anywhere with smaller dimensions?
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
GET 3 FREE HCA RESULTS JOIN THE FORUM. ASK FOR HELP
Jewelry Blog
PriceScope-Concierge-Ad
Find prime cuts.
Top