Would love some input on these three cushions...

[amazondyve]

Hi all,

My fiancé and I are working with BE/Mark T to create our engagement ring and have picked a few stones that we like. Two are antique cushions and one is a modern. I know that part of the choice will come down to personal preference for the cushion type (I'm really having trouble deciding which I prefer!), but I'm interested in your input regarding whether there are any big flaws in the stones we're considering. The setting will be done by BE, and will be similar to a Harry Winston micro pave Halo.

First stone: 1.10 carat F VSI X-Factor Cushion

Link: http://www.brilliantlyengaged.com/1.10-carat-f-vs1-x-factor-cushion-cut-diamond-gid-514355.html
The ASET/Idealscope images can be better viewed on the site.






Short video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nhH4zJ7GVi0


Second stone: 1.13 carat G VVS2 Old Mine Brilliant









Short video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d7EJE2vC4Yw

Side by side of the first two stones:


Third stone: 1.22ct E VS2 Royal Chandelier Cushion. I am still waiting on ASET/Idealscope and video of this one.




We appreciate any and all input!

 

[amazondyve]

Link to the third stone:

http://www.brilliantlyengaged.com/1...-brilliant-cushion-cut-diamond-gid-59510.html

 

[marymm]

Out of those three, I think the first stone, the modern cushion, likely has the best performance. It looks to be quite a pretty modern cushion though personally I prefer a square as opposed to a near-square shape.

The Asets of the two antique-style cushions have mush (gray areas) and too much blue in the center for my liking - but maybe Chris or Mark told you that either/both of those cushions have a better performance IRL, with a sharp on-off pattern for the center facets when the diamond is moving?

 

[amazondyve]

Hi Mary-

Thanks for your input; you hit on the two issues I was concerned about!

I thought that the ASETs for the antique cushions were showing mush in the center, but wasn't sure. The video of the first cushion (linked in my original post) looked fairly sharp to me, but I'll ask Chris directly how that stone performs in real life. He is sending a video of the second antique cushion today.

With the modern cushion, I also agree that I prefer square to slightly off-square, but I wasn't sure how noticeable it would be with a L/W ratio right at 1.05....

 

[solgen]

Do you want the Halo to integrate with the center stone making it look larger? The X-Factor would be better in that regard.

If you want more emphasis on the center and like the broader color flashes then antique is obviously the way to go.

I've seen both antique and modern in the same setting and they appear quite a bit different. At this size I might favor the X-Factor cut bu tit really depends on the size of the melees as well.

 

[amazondyve]

I think that with either stone we will come up with a ring design that I love! That's definitely helpful advice regarding melee size and how the stones will integrate or stand out from a halo.

I'm also really looking for evaluations of the ASET/pics/videos from people with more experience judging diamond quality, since I'm a newbie when it comes to diamonds!

 

[Medical]

Out of those 3, I only like the first stone's ASET. The other two have too much mush or too much contrast for my liking- unless the 3rd one has a brilliant on/off pattern with the contrast, I would go for the first.

 

[FVierra27]

XFactor aset and pictures look like its going to be the brightest.

 

[telephone89]

I usually prefer the older cuts, but out of these I like the first.

 

[tyty333]

I usually prefer the older cuts, but out of these I like the first.

Me too, unfortunately not impressed with these 2 due to the asets.

I'm not even a big fan of the first stone (personal preference) all though it does appear to be the brightest of the 3.

Are there any AVCs that will work for you in your budget? They should have excellent light return.

 

[amazondyve]

I'm looking at AVCs, hoping to find something within my budget that will still leave enough money for a platinum halo setting as well. Thank you for the input! I think I've decided that none of these stones is quite right. Back to the drawing board!

 

[chrono]

1st (modern) cushion is the brightest and flashiest (although smaller sparkle and faster scintillation speed). If I wanted an old cut style, the 3rd cushion is my pick. I prefer large chunky facets so I am biased towards the last diamond.