History

Cushion cut diamonds became extremely popular in the 18th & 19th centuries.  At this time, cushion cuts were often referred to as “candlelight diamonds” because of their ability to shine from the low light of a candle and were thus preferred by many diamond cutters.  However, once electricity was invented, the round brilliant cut took its place as the most popular diamond cut.  Today, cushion cuts are making a big comeback with the renewed appreciation for vintage jewelry.

Shape

A cushion cut diamond is commonly referred to as a pillow cut due to its resemblance to an overstuffed pillow.  Its shape is somewhere between a rectangle and an oval, with rounded corners.  The cut of a diamond is perhaps the most important of the 4c’s because it ultimately determines the diamond’s light performance (or “sparkle”).  For instance, when a diamond is cut right, the light is returned to the top of the diamond resulting in a lot of sparkle.  When the diamond is cut too shallow, the light escapes through the bottom.  When a diamond is cut too deep, the light will leak out the sides.

Cushion cut diamonds are also known for having large facets, which bring out more sparkle and brilliance when light is exposed to them.  A facet is generally any flat part of the diamond.

Famous Cushion Cuts

This entry was posted on Monday, February 28th, 2011 at 2:37 pm and is filed under Uncategorized.