Shape No. 04 · Cushion Brilliant Cut
Cushion Cut Diamond
The Royal Cut, Reimagined
The cushion cut diamond is, in many ways, the oldest continuously evolving diamond shape in history. Its rounded square outline — soft corners, generous proportions, a warm and romantic personality — descends directly from the old mine cut that dominated fine jewelry for over two centuries. Today's cushion combines that storied heritage with modern cutting precision, producing a diamond of great character, genuine brilliance, and extraordinary visual warmth that no other shape can replicate.
"The cushion cut is the old mine cut's direct descendant — it carries two centuries of jewelry history in its rounded corners and generous proportions, updated for the precision standards of the modern era."
History
Origin & History of the Cushion Cut
To understand the cushion cut, you must first understand its ancestor: the old mine cut. The old mine cut was the dominant diamond shape from the early eighteenth century through the late nineteenth, and it looked nothing like the precise, symmetrical diamonds we associate with fine jewelry today. Produced entirely by hand under candlelight, old mine cuts were roughly square with highly rounded corners, a very high crown, a small table, a large open culet (which could appear as a dark circle when looking through the table), and 58 facets arranged in a pattern optimized for candlelight rather than daylight. Their sparkle was warmer, softer, and more romantic than the sharp, binary flash of a modern brilliant — and that quality is very much a part of what the modern cushion cut preserves.
As mechanical cutting technology evolved in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, the old mine cut began to give way to more precise shapes — ultimately the round brilliant. For much of the twentieth century, the cushion shape fell from mainstream favor, surviving primarily in antique and estate jewelry. Its revival came gradually through the 1980s and 1990s as the vintage jewelry movement gained momentum, and accelerated dramatically in the 2000s and 2010s as buyers sought engagement rings that combined individual personality with genuine brilliance.
The modern cushion cut is produced in two distinct variants that carry importantly different visual characteristics: the cushion brilliant and the cushion modified brilliant. Understanding the difference between them is one of the most critical pieces of knowledge any cushion buyer should have before evaluating stones.
Critical Distinction
Cushion Brilliant vs. Cushion Modified Brilliant
The GIA grades cushion cuts as either "cushion brilliant" or "cushion modified brilliant" — a distinction that reflects a fundamental difference in facet arrangement. A cushion brilliant uses a facet pattern very similar to the round brilliant, producing a large, chunky sparkle pattern with clearly defined light and dark contrast areas. A cushion modified brilliant has an additional row of facets in the pavilion, producing a finer, more scintillating "crushed ice" appearance — more uniform glitter rather than bold flashes. Neither variant is superior; they are genuinely different aesthetic experiences. Always confirm which variant you are looking at before purchasing, as the visual difference can be striking.
1700s
The old mine cut emerges as the dominant diamond shape — a hand-cut, rounded-square stone optimized for the warm glow of candlelight. Worn by royalty and aristocracy across Europe.
1800s
The old mine cut reaches the height of its popularity. Many of history's most famous diamonds — including the Hope Diamond in its early cut form — were fashioned as old mine cuts.
1900s
The round brilliant surpasses the old mine cut in popularity as mechanical precision becomes achievable. The cushion shape retreats to antique and estate contexts.
1980s - 90s
Vintage and antique jewelry revival brings the cushion shape back into conversation. Early modern cushion cuts appear as updated interpretations of old mine cut diamonds.
2010s
The cushion cut surges to become one of the top three most popular engagement ring shapes globally, driven by celebrity rings and a widespread cultural appetite for vintage-inspired jewelry.
Anatomy
The Anatomy of the Cushion Cut
The cushion's defining structural characteristic is its softly curved sides and rounded corners — a shape that falls somewhere between a square and a circle. Understanding its key proportions is essential, as the cushion category encompasses a wider range of cutting styles than almost any other shape.
The cushion's most characteristic feature — gently curved corners that distinguish it from both the hard geometry of the princess and the sharp points of other fancy shapes. The degree of corner rounding varies significantly between stones; some cushions are nearly square, others approach circular.
Unlike the princess cut's perfectly straight sides, cushion cuts have sides that bow slightly outward. The degree of this curve — from barely perceptible to noticeably rounded — affects the overall fullness of the stone and is a matter of personal aesthetic preference.
The central flat facet, square in outline. Cushion tables typically run 58–68% of width. A larger table produces more visible interior, which can be beautiful in cushion brilliants where the bold facet pattern is part of the appeal.
The upper section above the girdle. Cushion crowns tend to be moderately high — a heritage from the old mine cut's tall crown. Higher crowns generally produce more fire; lower crowns produce more brilliance. The ideal balance depends on the specific pavilion configuration.
This is where cushion brilliant and cushion modified brilliant diverge. The cushion brilliant has a standard pavilion facet arrangement producing bold, chunky sparkle; the modified brilliant adds an extra row of pavilion facets producing finer, more uniform scintillation. Both are cut to the same outline.
Cushion cuts tend to run deeper than many other shapes, with total depth percentages often in the 60–68% range. Higher depth concentrates more mass below the girdle and can make the stone appear smaller face-up relative to its carat weight than a shallower shape would.
Buying Guide
Expert Advice for Buying a Cushion Diamond
Know Which Cushion Variant You Want Before You Shop
The cushion brilliant and cushion modified brilliant produce meaningfully different visual experiences. A cushion brilliant creates bold, chunky flashes of light with high contrast — it has a character reminiscent of the old mine cut, warm and generous. A cushion modified brilliant creates a finer, more uniform "crushed ice" sparkle pattern — more similar to an oval or radiant in its glittering quality. You cannot determine which variant a stone is from a GIA report alone without checking the specific grading notation; you must ask. At Michael Gabriels, we clearly identify and describe the cushion variant of every stone in our inventory.
Watch Depth Percentage Closely
Cushion cuts are notorious for running deep — that is, for carrying a disproportionate amount of their carat weight in depth below the girdle rather than in face-up surface area. A cushion with a depth percentage over 68% will look noticeably smaller face-up than its weight suggests. When comparing cushions of similar carat weights, always request the millimeter dimensions and calculate the face-up area yourself. A 1.50ct cushion at 63% depth will appear significantly larger than a 1.50ct cushion at 70% depth — even though they weigh exactly the same.
Color Can Show More in Cushion Cuts
The cushion cut's larger facets — particularly in cushion brilliant variants — can show color more readily than the finer facet patterns of a round or oval. This is partly a function of the old mine cut heritage, where stones were cut for candlelight warmth rather than daylight color masking. For white metal settings, we recommend G or above. If you are drawn to the warmth of an H or I color cushion — which can be beautiful, particularly in yellow gold settings — view it in multiple lighting environments to ensure you are comfortable with the color character before purchasing.
Halo Settings Are a Natural Pairing
The cushion cut has a natural affinity with halo settings — the rounded outline of the center stone flows beautifully with a surrounding ring of smaller diamonds, producing a result that is visually cohesive and very much in keeping with the shape's vintage sensibility. A halo also adds effective face-up size, compensating for the cushion's tendency to carry depth. If a solitaire is your preference, consider a thin pave band rather than a plain shank, which allows the cushion's character to be the focal point without visual competition from a thick band.
Continue Exploring
Shapes Related to the Cushion Cut
The cushion's modern evolution — where the old mine cut was refined over centuries into the mathematically optimized round brilliant. If you love the cushion's sparkle but want the most optically precise version possible, the round is its contemporary counterpart.
Shares the cushion's brilliant-cut faceting and non-circular outline, but replaces soft curves with clean geometric lines and trimmed corners. For buyers who love the cushion's sparkle but prefer a crisper, more architectural silhouette.
The Asscher shares the cushion's vintage pedigree and octagonal proportions but applies step-cut rather than brilliant faceting — producing a dramatically different "hall of mirrors" light effect within a similarly storied, antique-influenced silhouette.
Ready to Begin?
Find Your Perfect Cushion Diamond
Browse Michael Gabriels' curated cushion cut collection — including both cushion brilliant and cushion modified brilliant variants, each certified by the GIA and selected for ideal depth proportions and visual character.
Common Questions
Diamond Shape FAQ
Shape refers to the outline of the diamond as viewed from above — round, oval, pear, and so on. Cut refers to the quality of the craftsmanship: how well the diamond's facets are angled, polished, and proportioned. A round diamond with an Excellent cut grade has been faceted to precise ideal proportions. A round diamond with a Poor cut grade has the same shape but far inferior light performance. Both shape and cut matter; shape determines the diamond's silhouette, cut determines how beautifully it performs within that silhouette.
Elongated shapes — particularly the marquise, oval, and pear — tend to have the largest face-up appearance relative to their carat weight, because their mass is spread across a longer surface area. The emerald cut also reads as large due to its open table. The round brilliant, by contrast, concentrates mass into a compact depth, so a 1.00ct round will measure approximately 6.5mm across, while a 1.00ct oval may measure 8.0 x 5.5mm — appearing visibly larger in many settings.
The round brilliant is the most scientifically optimised shape for light return — its 58 facets are positioned according to precise mathematical principles that maximise brilliance, fire, and scintillation simultaneously. However, "best" is subjective. A well-cut oval, cushion, or radiant can be extraordinarily beautiful, and many buyers prefer the distinctiveness of a fancy shape over the conventional round. The most important factor is ensuring the cut quality is excellent, regardless of the shape you choose.
Round brilliant diamonds have historically held their resale value better than fancy shapes, largely because they represent the largest segment of market demand. Fancy shapes — ovals, pears, cushions — can fluctuate more in resale value depending on current trends. That said, diamonds are generally not considered liquid investment assets, and the intrinsic beauty and personal meaning of your chosen shape should take precedence over resale considerations in most purchasing decisions.
For round brilliants, the GIA and AGS provide cut grades (Excellent/Ideal) that reflect overall proportion quality. For fancy shapes, no equivalent standardized cut grade currently exists — which means buyers must evaluate proportions themselves. At Michael Gabriels, each of our individual shape guides includes a detailed proportions section with the specific measurements you should look for, and our gemologists are available to review any stone you are considering.
