Engagement rings with cushion cut diamonds have been seen on the fingers of several celebrities recently and are proving to be very popular with many other people. This cut has been around for over a century, and was extremely popular in the late 1800s to early 1900s. It has brilliance (or sparkle) which is good, but it's not quite as high as some of the modern cuts. You may also see the cushion cut described as the pillow cut or the candle light diamond (a name which comes from the times when diamonds were viewed in the light of candles). It has similarities to the oval cut and the old mine cut, but is more rectangular or square in shape. The facets of this cut are large and the corners are rounded, the large facets making any flaws such as inclusions more visible. This means that this type of cut is usually reserved for high quality diamonds which have fewer flaws. The cut also affects how visible the colour of a diamond is, so this is something else to take into account, since very few diamonds are completely colourless.
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 2.46CT CUSHION CUT DIAMOND ENGAGEMENT RING C11 ANTIQUE STYLE HALO ETERNITY  US $10,850.00
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 1.90CT CUSHION CUT ANTIQUE DIAMOND ENGAGEMENT RING US $6,599.00
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 2.54CT CUSHION CUT DIAMOND ENGAGEMENT RING ANTIQUE STYLE C23 US $15,789.00
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 1.95CT CUSHION CUT AQUAMARINE ANTIQUE STYLE DIAMOND ENGAGEMENT RING US $2,950.00
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Cushion cut diamonds vary in their width and length ratios and this gives them different looks depending on the ratio. They also tend to be quite large and therefore if you are looking for a smaller diamond you may need to choose a different style of cut such as an Asscher cut.
Some famous diamonds are good examples of the cushion cut, such as the well-known Hope Diamond. This diamond has a blue colour and was believed to originally be 112 carats,
and is thought to have been part of the French crown jewels in the 1600s before passing through a series of owners. It is now on display in the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C. in the USA.
Solitaire cushion cut engagement rings work particularly well as they show off the qualities of the cut very well. If additional diamonds are set into the engagement ring, they are often set into channels to avoid detracting from the visual impact of the cushion cut. These days the most frequently used setting for the main stone is a four-pronged one, since this shows off the shape better than other settings. It was common however, for older rings to have settings with eight prongs.
As with other antique engagement rings, antique cushion cut engagement rings are becoming increasingly popular.
