One of the biggest drawbacks to selecting a cushion cut diamond for your engagement ring is the vast amount of variability in cuts. Just as a starting point, there are 12 standard cutting plots for the diamond cutter to choose from and each one will have its own degree of brilliance and fire. This can make choosing the right diamond for your chosen setting complicated. It is best to ensure that you get an accurate visual of the diamond in question before buying so that you can be sure it is in a style and variation of cushion cut that you like the look of and that suits your engagement or wedding ring and personal style.

This cut also makes use of an open table format which has a tendency to expose flaws and imperfections that other cuts may otherwise hide. As such a SI1 or SI2 clarity grade is recommended. If you are looking at the crushed-ice style of cushion diamond, you can get away with a few flaws as this particular cut has a better tendency to conceal them, this is especially true of flaws inthe corners as the higher density of facets conceals them better.



The same can be said of its ability to retain colour, so choose a colour grade of H or better. Of course, if you are looking for a coloured diamond, as some manufacturers specialise in, then this is an excellent choice of cut to really capture the personality of your chosen stone. If you’re setting your stone in rose or yellow gold, then you can drop the required colour grade by a few points to a J or K, but we wouldn’t recommend going lower than that unless colour is exactly what you’re looking for in your engagement ring.



On the other hand, engagement rings and wedding rings that incorporate a cushion cut diamond tend to offer a higher level of brilliance and fire. The rounded edges of this cut also make for a harder wearing ring as they are less inclined to catch and be damaged.

Cushion cut diamonds lend themselves to a wide range of settings which means you can have a far more personalised engagement ring or fashion piece. They work well set as a single stone in a solitaire setting or offset by an arrangement of smaller diamonds along the band.



When it comes to the girdle on a cushion cut, you’ll typically find that they have thicker girdles than some other cuts of diamond. This is something that is unavoidable. You may be able to find some with thinner girdles that are a better choice, but the other factors are of a much higher priority.