4C's for Cushion Cuts
Welcome to The Clear Cut Classroom where we take deep dives into all things diamonds (and jewelry)! In this episode, we discuss the ins and outs of getting the perfect Cushion Brilliant for you!
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When it comes to cushions, there are SO many things to consider. To start, there is lots of variety: cushion brilliants, modified, and old miners. Let’s start with the 4 C's!
Carat. The weight does not necessarily determine how big the stone is or how much real estate it takes up on your finger. Instead, dimensions hold the key to understanding how big a cushion cut really is! You can have two cushion cuts with the same exact carat weight, but they could look totally different in size!
Cut. As you know by now, fancy shapes do not have cut grades. But they have polish and symmetry grades. It goes excellent, very good, good, fair and poor. There is a lot of subjectivity into the symmetry and edge cuts, there is usually no right answer. I tend to stay between the excellent to very good range and you should be totally safe. A lot depends on the faceting pattern. Cushion brilliants look like they have larger triangular flashes of lights. Modified brilliants look more like crushed ice. Old mine cut is the OG antique cushion cut.
Color. Cushion cuts tend to show color. Modified brilliant show the most color and anywhere in the D-I range is usually safe. Usually anything below J tends to show color. For the others, below a D tends to start to show color.
Clarity. Cushions are really good at camouflaging inclusions!! VS2 and should be totally safe and eye clear!
All in all, carat weight isn't the end all be all. Figure out what kind of brilliant cut you like most -- is it the brilliant, modified, or old mine?As always, make sure it faces up bright and white. And make sure you work with a trusted professional to make sure your stone is eye clean! Let us know what you want to see next week in the comments below!
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