Cushion

The cushion cut is a square or slightly rectangular stone with rounded corners, a shape that has been in continuous use for close to two centuries. It began as the old mine cut and evolved into the modern version, which keeps the soft outline but adds facets for more brilliance.This collection includes Bella, the Brigid 8.42ct cushion cut diamond ring, Havana and Jackson.Cushions divide into two families that look quite different. The standard cushion behaves much like a round brilliant, returning bright white flashes. The crushed ice cushion has a more broken, glittery appearance, sometimes described as looking like shattered glass. Neither is better, but they are not interchangeable, and photographs rarely make clear which one you are looking at.The rounded corners are a practical advantage. Corners are the most vulnerable part of any square cut stone, and a cushion has none of the sharp points that make a princess cut prone to chipping. That makes it a sensible choice for an engagement ring that will be worn constantly.Cushions also tend to hold colour more visibly than rounds, which means a lower colour grade shows more, but it also makes them an excellent choice for fancy coloured diamonds where you want the colour to read strongly.Our diamond shapes guide compares the cuts, and fancy colour diamonds explains why cushion is the shape most often used for them.