Cushion cut guide for dummies?

[luckystar112]

hahaha actually mrs.mitchell, I see that you DID see the movie. lol. I should have paid more attention.

C--I think I just need to get out there some more.

The only time I had a chance to try on different colored diamonds was when I went to Jareds, but they don''t see anything lower than an I. I could definitely see the color differences, but it didn''t really "bother me" I don''t think.

We also went to Robbins bros. Both stores were kind of pushy...Robbins Bros WAY more pushy than Jared, and we didn''t even get to see a diamond, they just wanted us to pick a setting. It was awful.

Anyway, after those experiences my boyfriend was so mad at the way we were treated. (Not that we didn''t expect it) but since then...and it''s been a year...he has been putting off getting back out there to look at some more. I think Robbins bros left a really bad taste in his mouth.

So, I''m not sure what to do. I''m scared of how I''d be treated if I went by myself! I just know that an I color doesn''t bother me....I haven''t seen any lower colors though!

 

[Cehrabehra]

Date: 3/11/2007 3:01:22 PM
Author: luckystar112


Hey...have you see the movie comparing the 1.26 and 1.51ct cushions for sale? They sparkle like crazy!!
There is a link to it here. (scroll down a little bit)

Both are L colored! Both under budget...
I kind of want one....I''m just so nervous about the L. I can''t shake it.


Thanks Mrs. Salvo, I think I''ll wait a while before making Mark run around.

if L makes you nervous you shouldn''t get it - L''s deserve to be in the hands of people who get excited over the color - not nervous about it hehehe (see - defending the underdog again!) Also.... different stones have different colors of yellow... mine is NOT lemony and I like it that way - mine is more of an ivory shade (more brown than yellow) but really not enough for my taste..... here''s a pic I took of it right before I sent it off (sob) outside on an overcast (typical oregon) day on a piece of white kleenex on a white plate - and I was wearing white too.... I think the color is almost as saturated as it gets... I wish it was a little more.... it is a *low* J and I think I would like an MNOP best... or a D LOL!!! All of the blue/grey color in this shot is just from the clouds - there was no blue sky.

 

[luckystar112]

That looks pretty white to me!

I was also thinking, since Jared uses IGI, maybe I have tried on a J or K in AGS/GIA standards?

According to this color chart by DBL, I don''t really start to get bothered until the L colored radiant. The L colored asscher looks fine to me though. It would also probably help if I could see these diamonds in regular outside sunny day lighting. hmmph.

I think your diamond has a beautiful color though!

 

[Cehrabehra]

Date: 3/11/2007 3:11:18 PM
Author: luckystar112
hahaha actually mrs.mitchell, I see that you DID see the movie. lol. I should have paid more attention.

C--I think I just need to get out there some more.

The only time I had a chance to try on different colored diamonds was when I went to Jareds, but they don''t see anything lower than an I. I could definitely see the color differences, but it didn''t really ''bother me'' I don''t think.

We also went to Robbins bros. Both stores were kind of pushy...Robbins Bros WAY more pushy than Jared, and we didn''t even get to see a diamond, they just wanted us to pick a setting. It was awful.

Anyway, after those experiences my boyfriend was so mad at the way we were treated. (Not that we didn''t expect it) but since then...and it''s been a year...he has been putting off getting back out there to look at some more. I think Robbins bros left a really bad taste in his mouth.

So, I''m not sure what to do. I''m scared of how I''d be treated if I went by myself! I just know that an I color doesn''t bother me....I haven''t seen any lower colors though!

haha when I went to robbins bros I went in and they said what are you looking for and I told them! They asked how much and I said oh I don''t even want to know prices - leave that for my husband.... later they pushed and I said, "well I figure I''ve waited 15 years that should be a least $2k for every year I''ve waited.... hehehe.... of course the stones they showed me were only up to and equal that of what I got - and I spent half that. In order to see anything really great I had to say - well I HAVE *known* him for 30 years - maybe I should go for $2k per year - so 60k. That got out the better stones LOL

And seriously - nothing better than what I got. When it comes to those places don''t be afraid to LIE OUT YOUR BUTT on your "budget" triple it - quadruple it.... say 25k and I bet what they show you is nothing better than what you''re looking at online for 5k Also - when they show you settings just breathe on your fingertips, buff your fingernails on your shirt, and say, "It''s all about the stone, I want a stone that SPEAKS to me and *it* will choose the setting...." or "the setting is secondary" - just play their stupid little game or they''ll treat you like cattle.

 

[Cehrabehra]

Date: 3/11/2007 3:34:17 PM
Author: luckystar112
That looks pretty white to me!

I was also thinking, since Jared uses IGI, maybe I have tried on a J or K in AGS/GIA standards?

According to this color chart by DBL, I don''t really start to get bothered until the L colored radiant. The L colored asscher looks fine to me though. It would also probably help if I could see these diamonds in regular outside sunny day lighting. hmmph.

I think your diamond has a beautiful color though!

I have no problem with DBL at all - they use their eyes to pick their stones and I don''t know anyone who has been upset with their choices.... but I don''t like the way they take pictures, it bugs me LOL I can''t put my finger on it exactly, but the colors in particular always look like they have to be inaccurate - but whether they are or not I''ve no experience, and I would assume they are.

 

[Cehrabehra]

okay - in that video they posted, neither of those are antique style... just an FYI. the larger on the left has a big table - both have a lot of white sparkle, but I didn''t see any colored sparkle - I don''t know how people get "no" color because I have a VERY hard time getting no rainbow colors.... those are both very white stones, very pretty... and the one on the left, all of those little tiny glittery sparkles in the stone? Mine does that but they''re rainwbow sparkles - most are golden like champagne bubbles but only about 1/3 - the other 1/3 spans the rainbow... I''ve never seen white sparkles in my stone like that... just colored ones, but that is very accurate to what I see (except I see more cause my stone is bigger lol) but my stone also has big lobs... the one on the right was more chunky than the one on the left, but neither would be what I considered chunky based on what I saw. They''re both very pretty though Twinkly!

 

[luckystar112]

I almost forgot, this past V-Day my boyfriend bought me a 14k white gold diamond necklace and diamond earrings from Jared as well. The diamond in the necklace is probably .25ct and the earrings are probably .10 each. Since the price for both together was about $350 I am going to go ahead and assume that the diamonds aren''t the highest in color or clarity. But they are white white white...almost TOO white. I am definitely thinking I could go for a J...maybe even a K. And the L''s in that video by DBL still look really white to me.

I guess I''m not that color sensitive! Just to make sure, I probably should try to find a place that will actually sell lower colored stones.

 

[luckystar112]

Date: 3/11/2007 4:10:07 PM
Author: Cehrabehra
okay - in that video they posted, neither of those are antique style... just an FYI. the larger on the left has a big table - both have a lot of white sparkle, but I didn''t see any colored sparkle - I don''t know how people get ''no'' color because I have a VERY hard time getting no rainbow colors.... those are both very white stones, very pretty... and the one on the left, all of those little tiny glittery sparkles in the stone? Mine does that but they''re rainwbow sparkles - most are golden like champagne bubbles but only about 1/3 - the other 1/3 spans the rainbow... I''ve never seen white sparkles in my stone like that... just colored ones, but that is very accurate to what I see (except I see more cause my stone is bigger lol) but my stone also has big lobs... the one on the right was more chunky than the one on the left, but neither would be what I considered chunky based on what I saw. They''re both very pretty though Twinkly!

Maybe it''s the camera they use. It seems like the photos of their diamonds are just image stills off their video camera, doesn''t it? I like the amount of white light I see in those diamonds, but you''re right, the colored light could be better. That''s why I wish they would take some pics outside, or somewhere that doesn''t have a black background all the time.

 

[luckystar112]

The 1.26ct cushion is only $3195
The 1.51 is only $4350

Seems VERY worth it if I like the L color in person! And the big table on the 1.51 didn't bother me really.... a smaller table would let it sparkle more though, huh?

And the 1.51 has strong blue fl, so it probably faces up whiter. The more I look at it, the more I think of what a great deal it seems to be.

 

[luckystar112]

Date: 3/11/2007 4:04:15 PM
Author: Cehrabehra

Date: 3/11/2007 3:34:17 PM
but I don't like the way they take pictures, it bugs me LOL I can't put my finger on it exactly, but the colors in particular always look like they have to be inaccurate - but whether they are or not I've no experience, and I would assume they are.

Exactly! I know what you mean. It always leaves me wondering what it "really" looks like. But I have never seen someone who wasn't happy with what they purchased. They have a huge following on that *other* forum, and their ebay feedback is 100% positive...no neutrals....not withdrawls. They must be doing SOMETHING right!



oops, I don't know what I did there.

 

[Cehrabehra]

Date: 3/11/2007 4:10:59 PM
Author: luckystar112
I almost forgot, this past V-Day my boyfriend bought me a 14k white gold diamond necklace and diamond earrings from Jared as well. The diamond in the necklace is probably .25ct and the earrings are probably .10 each. Since the price for both together was about $350 I am going to go ahead and assume that the diamonds aren''t the highest in color or clarity. But they are white white white...almost TOO white. I am definitely thinking I could go for a J...maybe even a K. And the L''s in that video by DBL still look really white to me.

I guess I''m not that color sensitive! Just to make sure, I probably should try to find a place that will actually sell lower colored stones.

I don''t know if you''ve learned about FIC, TIC, BIC etc on the rounds, but my opinon on it is that I like BIC (bright white brilliant) stones for ears..... TIC (balance of fire and white circle brightness) for pendants.... and FIC (FIRE FIRE FIRE!!!) for a ring.

My earrings are poorly cut but I really like them - they have almost no fire, a little sparkle, but they''re white dots that show up well through hair and whatnot... they don''t need much light to return the white circle diamond stud look LOL My ring as you know is all about the fire.... and the only other diamond I''m planning to buy (haha planning) is a pendant and when I do that I''ll probably go with an ACA new line (or what would be one if it didn''t have high fluor) and I''ll probably go D for color, just to do something different.... I think my ring stone would be a lousy pendant.... but I wouldn''t be happy looking at what I consider a perfect pendant stone on my finger all day either.... to me those superideal rounds have a limited viewing range which makes them *perfect* for a pendant but I love the sculputural and yes leaky quality of my ring stone... it has rainbows escaping in all directions and I''m supposed to think that''s a bad thing? hehehe Now I just need a good excuse for another diamond.... hehehe....

 

[Cehrabehra]

Date: 3/11/2007 4:19:18 PM
Author: luckystar112
The 1.26ct cushion is only $3195
The 1.51 is only $4350

Seems VERY worth it if I like the L color in person! And the big table on the 1.51 didn''t bother me really.... a smaller table would let it sparkle more though, huh?

And the 1.51 has strong blue fl, so it probably faces up whiter. The more I look at it, the more I think of what a great deal it seems to be.

I don''t know if a small table would sparkle more - garry has said that high crowns naturally have more contrast but I dunno.... I thought my stone had great contrast and scint but it turns out it doesn''t LOL at least not according to the aset! A small table can indicate a higher crown which can indicate more colored fire... but I dunno if I would say more "sparkle".

 

[mrssalvo]

lucky a cushion will show more color than a round. I''d have no problem going down to and I,even a J in a round but not in cushion. You''ve really got to want and know you want and love the lower color warmth of a cushion. Let me ask you this, are you going for size and the lower color will get you there on budget or if you had any budget would you still choose the J-K-L? nothing wrong with going down in color at all if size is the priority, but do keep in mind you will see it in a I-J cushion. I just spoke to Mark a couple of weeks ago and unless the budget/size thing comes into play, he recommends staying at H or above in a cushion too. Everyone is different and if you really do love warmer colors to show than that is what you should get but seeing them in person is the only way to know for sure. jewelry store lighting can mess with the color too so keep than in mind when looking. try to get to a window so you can get some natural light on the stones rather than the special glow stores use that makes everything look good..

 

[Cehrabehra]

Date: 3/11/2007 4:44:17 PM
Author: mrssalvo
lucky a cushion will show more color than a round. I''d have no problem going down to and I,even a J in a round but not in cushion. You''ve really got to want and know you want and love the lower color warmth of a cushion. Let me ask you this, are you going for size and the lower color will get you there on budget or if you had any budget would you still choose the J-K-L? nothing wrong with going down in color at all if size is the priority, but do keep in mind you will see it in a I-J cushion. I just spoke to Mark a couple of weeks ago and unless the budget/size thing comes into play, he recommends staying at H or above in a cushion too. Everyone is different and if you really do love warmer colors to show than that is what you should get but seeing them in person is the only way to know for sure. jewelry store lighting can mess with the color too so keep than in mind when looking. try to get to a window so you can get some natural light on the stones rather than the special glow stores use that makes everything look good..

that is an excellent point!!! If I had 100k to spend on a big honken stone of my dreams it would probably be lower than a J lol or a D. I don''t like the almost stuff it''s kinda like what''s the point (other than saving money) so if I was unlimited I''d go d or probably... L - for love I love cushions in the warm colors but after all these months if I got a round I''d want it white - if I was going to get the super high performance blah blah blah I''d just get the d strong and go that direction lol

 

[g00mba]

Date: 3/10/2007 10:53:29 PM
Author: Gothgrrl
Here is my cushion

Could you possibly post pictures of your Stone/Setting from the side? I''m trying to get a better idea of what square cushions look like in different settings

Regarding cushions, what is a reasonable girdle? I''m mainly looking at modified brilliant or square H&A''s.

One particular stone I have seen has the following dimensions:

5.63x5.63x3.98

It has a girdle that is 1.97%. Is that too big or just right?

 

[neatfreak]

Date: 3/11/2007 6:48:11 PM
Author: g00mba

Date: 3/10/2007 10:53:29 PM

Author: Gothgrrl

Here is my cushion

Could you possibly post pictures of your Stone/Setting from the side? I''m trying to get a better idea of what square cushions look like in different settings

Regarding cushions, what is a reasonable girdle? I''m mainly looking at modified brilliant or square H&A''s.


One particular stone I have seen has the following dimensions:


5.63x5.63x3.98


It has a girdle that is 1.97%. Is that too big or just right?

Having just finished my cushion search (in a size similar to yours) I can tell you what others have told me. You need to see it. If it speaks to you, it''s yours. If you''re looking for Square H&A I have heard the Good Old Gold is the way to go. For regular Cushions, Mark at Engagement Rings Direct is who you should be talking to.

I tried for a few months to "find" one on my own. And they never seemed to measure up once I found out more info about them. One call to Mark and a week later and he had found us a fantastic stone...and under budget too! I could have never weeded through all the cushions in that size range and come up with a winner on my own.

My advice to EVERYONE looking for a cushion: Since the cut is so subjective you will save yourself a lot of time and effort if you just call a good vendor and have them search for you!

Best of Luck!

 

[Gothgrrl]

g00mba, I tried to load some pics, but for some reason it''s not letting me. If you go type in ''new and improved'' you should be able to see some pics of my cushion.

I agree with neatfreak. Call up a vendor, tell them what your looking for and they''ll do the work. That''s exactly what I did. And they found me the perfect cushion.

 

[Cehrabehra]

Date: 3/11/2007 9:43:57 PM
Author: Gothgrrl
g00mba, I tried to load some pics, but for some reason it''s not letting me. If you go type in ''new and improved'' you should be able to see some pics of my cushion.

I agree with neatfreak. Call up a vendor, tell them what your looking for and they''ll do the work. That''s exactly what I did. And they found me the perfect cushion.

hehe - easier to just go through your list of topics in your profile

https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/new-and-improved.54548/

 

[Gothgrrl]

Thanks Cehrabehra. You rock.

 

[g00mba]

Date: 3/11/2007 9:43:57 PM
Author: Gothgrrl
g00mba, I tried to load some pics, but for some reason it''s not letting me. If you go type in ''new and improved'' you should be able to see some pics of my cushion.


I agree with neatfreak. Call up a vendor, tell them what your looking for and they''ll do the work. That''s exactly what I did. And they found me the perfect cushion.

What would you call that type of setting? It looks very nice.

I''m pretty set on the Square H&A... So, I believe the only place to get that is GOG. Someone please correct me if I''m wrong. Looking at their video comparisons to other cushions, I think my girlfriend would love it.

 

[Gothgrrl]

It''s just a 4 prong tiffany style ring. Most vendors have their own version.

 

[luckystar112]

Date: 3/11/2007 4:44:17 PM
Author: mrssalvo
Let me ask you this, are you going for size and the lower color will get you there on budget or if you had any budget would you still choose the J-K-L?

Good question.

If I were going for a round, I would def go J or above. A cushion though? Yikes, I don''t know. I''m sure if I had ANY budget I would like it to be whiter. Maybe a G-I. I don''t mind the lower colors, I just want it to look like I picked that color on purpose, not that I sacraficed color for size. You know what I mean? I think that cushions, OMCs, OECs, and the like look good in the lower colors, but you usually see those stones in antique like settings. Say I wanted a cushion solitaire like the absolute beauty that Leon has on his page, I''m just afraid the yellow would look "cheap" and not "beautiful." I guess I''m just really confused. Basically, I think Cehrabehra is the perfect balance of white and color...although I know she wants it lower. And if that L on the DBL site looks like hers with the FL, then I think it seems like an awesome deal. I need to think about it some more.

Do you think its possible to get a decent 1.2-1.5 cushion for $5000 in the G-J range?

 

[g00mba]

Date: 3/13/2007 12:12:12 AM
Author: luckystar112

Date: 3/11/2007 4:44:17 PM

Author: mrssalvo

Let me ask you this, are you going for size and the lower color will get you there on budget or if you had any budget would you still choose the J-K-L?

Good question.

If I were going for a round, I would def go J or above. A cushion though? Yikes, I don''t know. I''m sure if I had ANY budget I would like it to be whiter. Maybe a G-I. I don''t mind the lower colors, I just want it to look like I picked that color on purpose, not that I sacraficed color for size. You know what I mean? I think that cushions, OMCs, OECs, and the like look good in the lower colors, but you usually see those stones in antique like settings. Say I wanted a cushion solitaire like the absolute beauty that Leon has on his page, I''m just afraid the yellow would look ''cheap'' and not ''beautiful.'' I guess I''m just really confused. Basically, I think Cehrabehra is the perfect balance of white and color...although I know she wants it lower. And if that L on the DBL site looks like hers with the FL, then I think it seems like an awesome deal. I need to think about it some more.


Do you think its possible to get a decent 1.2-1.5 cushion for $5000 in the G-J range?

I have a question along the same lines as the above. I would like the stone (Square H&A) to look clear/white and not much tinge of yellow. The stones I have in mind are:

.95 E VS2 @ ~$6700
1.04 J VS2 @ ~$5700

Once the stone is set, will there be a noticeable difference in size? If not I think I would go with the .95, but if so then the 1.04 is a little bigger... but then the question arises, will the color difference be that noticeable (not to mention that there is a $1000 price difference in favor of the bigger stone).

 

[Gothgrrl]

Once set, you probably won''t see much of a difference. Now the color depends on how color sensitive you are. Also, does the J have any fluor? If you just want to see just a tinge of color, you probably don''t want to go below G-H.

 

[Cehrabehra]

Date: 3/13/2007 2:45:44 PM
Author: g00mba

Date: 3/13/2007 12:12:12 AM
Author: luckystar112

Date: 3/11/2007 4:44:17 PM

Author: mrssalvo

Let me ask you this, are you going for size and the lower color will get you there on budget or if you had any budget would you still choose the J-K-L?

Good question.

If I were going for a round, I would def go J or above. A cushion though? Yikes, I don''t know. I''m sure if I had ANY budget I would like it to be whiter. Maybe a G-I. I don''t mind the lower colors, I just want it to look like I picked that color on purpose, not that I sacraficed color for size. You know what I mean? I think that cushions, OMCs, OECs, and the like look good in the lower colors, but you usually see those stones in antique like settings. Say I wanted a cushion solitaire like the absolute beauty that Leon has on his page, I''m just afraid the yellow would look ''cheap'' and not ''beautiful.'' I guess I''m just really confused. Basically, I think Cehrabehra is the perfect balance of white and color...although I know she wants it lower. And if that L on the DBL site looks like hers with the FL, then I think it seems like an awesome deal. I need to think about it some more.


Do you think its possible to get a decent 1.2-1.5 cushion for $5000 in the G-J range?

I have a question along the same lines as the above. I would like the stone (Square H&A) to look clear/white and not much tinge of yellow. The stones I have in mind are:

.95 E VS2 @ ~$6700
1.04 J VS2 @ ~$5700

Once the stone is set, will there be a noticeable difference in size? If not I think I would go with the .95, but if so then the 1.04 is a little bigger... but then the question arises, will the color difference be that noticeable (not to mention that there is a $1000 price difference in favor of the bigger stone).

I wouldn''t go to J if noticing yellow is a concern

 

[mrssalvo]

gOOmba- i'm with Cehra..I wouldn't go to a J either in a cushion if you're wanting a white stone. even set, a J cushion is probably going to show the warmth. I personally start seeing the warmth in an H and can see it easily in an I (cushions shapes that is) of course color is personal but the lab graded the stone a J for a reason

 

[moremoremore]

I too can easily see color in a fancy Mrs. I saw a diff between my e cushion and a g cushion of the same cut and shape when I was at mark's....

I don't know if it's too late...cushions MUST be seen. They just must be. There does seem to be consistency with the moderns I think...they usually have ex/ex and depths in the 60s and tables in the 50s....But that's only going by what I see online when comparing #s to the cert plot which is only stock in any event...that might not even be the look you want. I think james allen's site is so much fun to look at numnbers and then see what it looks like!

best of luck!

Oh, p.s. easiet way to a good cushion is a good vendor who will find it for you!

 

[luckystar112]

Well, I''ve emailed my boyfriend the link to ERD as well as their customer support number. I told him to go for G-I in color, so hopefully that will give us lots of size options for our budget as well. Now let''s just hope my boyfriend gets over his fear of the internet!!!

I really really really really hope he does!!!!

I''m trying so hard to resist the urge to check his email to see if he''s read it yet.

Meanwhile, I''ve been totally obsessed with cushions. I went to walmart today saw a row labeled "cushion" that contained dining room stuff....

Then I went to a furniture store and bought a new dining room table that had curved edges like a cushion...

I''ve gone insane!

 

[Cehrabehra]

Date: 3/13/2007 9:09:52 PM
Author: luckystar112

Then I went to a furniture store and bought a new dining room table that had curved edges like a cushion...

I''ve gone insane!

bahahaha I can relate - it is a beautiful shape, isn''t it

 

[luckystar112]

DBL just got in a new 1.27ct D/I1 cushion cut, hand picked, eye clean.
Looks like it's got some nice chunky facets as well as little ones. I wish he would link the GIA plot though. Price is nice at $4299. Should I email this as a prospect to my boyfriend?
MEASUREMENTS: 7.38 x 5.67 x 3.76 mm
TOTAL DEPTH: 66.3%
TABLE SIZE: 59%
POLISH: VG
SYMMETRY: VG
FLUORESCENCE: NONE
GIA REPORT #: 15063130

Is 66% depth considered deep?

Here's the link: http://rockdiamond.com/index.php?crn=1&rn=855&action=show_detail

PS. Don't know if I'm allowed to say this...but that "other" forum banned DBL and everyone who has ever bought from them and erased every hint at their existence because they wouldn't pay double for their advertising.

It's sad. I wish they would come here! Mods...if I'm not allowed to talk about that, please delete it. I don't want to get in trouble!

ETA: I had to fix all my spelling mistakes, as usual.