how long did you wait for your cushion?

[sweetpea&babycorn]

i am working with mark at ERD - he is great! we talked on the phone yesterday and he said that the type of cushion im looking for is a "needle in a haystack." the one that we were really interested in was already with another vendor when mark called for its availability and it sold the same day. he said that the type of cushion i want usually sells as soon as it''s released from the cutter (or whoever has the stone). i''m sure mark is working hard to find it for us, but i get a little discouraged learning how quickly they go! i guess i also wonder where i am in the line to get my needle in the haystack and how many people are waiting for the same cushion i want.

for those in a similar situation, how long have you waited to get your perfect cushion?

should i also work with another vendor to find the right one? even the PS ads say mark is the cushion guy and his prices are very reasonable, so i''m a little weary going with someone else.

thoughts?

 

[swingirl]

I don''t know what your specs are but from everything I''ve read Mark is the man to work with for cushions. I''d be patient. The fancy cuts take a bit longer to find especially if you have very tight requirements.

 

[Lorelei]

Date: 11/18/2009 2:06:17 PM
Author:sweetpea&babycorn
i am working with mark at ERD - he is great! we talked on the phone yesterday and he said that the type of cushion im looking for is a 'needle in a haystack.' the one that we were really interested in was already with another vendor when mark called for its availability and it sold the same day. he said that the type of cushion i want usually sells as soon as it's released from the cutter (or whoever has the stone). i'm sure mark is working hard to find it for us, but i get a little discouraged learning how quickly they go! i guess i also wonder where i am in the line to get my needle in the haystack and how many people are waiting for the same cushion i want.

for those in a similar situation, how long have you waited to get your perfect cushion?

should i also work with another vendor to find the right one? even the PS ads say mark is the cushion guy and his prices are very reasonable, so i'm a little weary going with someone else.

thoughts?

Sometimes it takes a while, no harm in looking around at some of the other vendors if you have a deadline to meet and you have given Mark a reasonable amount of time, you could try-

www.goodoldgold.com and www.briangavindiamonds.com to see what they have available.

But definitely give Mark a chance to see what he can come up with.

 

[pixley]

I think I searched for about 4 months, but that was 2 years ago. Nowadays Jon at Good Old Gold has a line of "August Cushions" that are cut like antique cushions and they are magnificent. Likewise, Mark has been sourcing antique styled cushions for PSrs on a fairly consisent basis.

 

[CharmyPoo]

It took me about 8 months before I found my chunky cushion. I was unable to find what I wanted through existing inventory - I finally gave up after 6 months when I was not shown anything new. I then went to GOG to have them cut me my own cushion - they cut me 2 stones within 4 months. I now have the stone of my dreams with the exact specs I was looking for Well.... I don't have it yet .. it has been with Richard Sherwood for the past month

 

[sweetpea&babycorn]

Charmy - amazing that you got a custom cut cushion!

sounds like i have quite a wait to go! i''ve been frequenting bluenile (which i then ask mark to look into for me) and james allen to find any potential cushions. if anyone knows of other places to search for cushions, this is what i told mark im looking for:

carat: 1.6 - 2.0ct (something in the 7.00mm range)
color: J or higher
clarity: SI2 or better, i''m just looking for eye-clean
type: modern, 8-main cushion brilliant or a 8-main modified. i''ve seen some 4-mains on the site which i think are beautiful, but im much more attracted to the 8-main.
ratio: square as possible! 1 - 1.05 l:w

i really like the modern cushions, but not the crushed ice kind (i saw the video from GOG made for cushion buyers, i definitely did not like that crushed appearance!). mark explained to me that finding an 8-main in the size i want is the really hard part. he says he knows a cushion cutter - could this be daniel k? ive seen his name floating around the forums, but im not familiar with his work except that he cuts beautiful cushions.

GOG also has some beautiful cushions but it seems like they really specialize in the chunky, antique ones. i''ve looked into the square H&As, but they''re pretty pricey!

i gave no timeline to mark, but sounds like it was a good move! i''m not in a big rush to get engaged, but i know the custom ring process takes a while, and i''m not sure how patient i will be at that point! so the sooner mark can find a cushion the happier i will be

 

[bgray]

GOG is your best bet for a well cut stone that fits your specs

 

[Collee]

Date: 11/18/2009 3:46:56 PM
Author: CharmyPoo
It took me about 8 months before I found my chunky cushion. I was unable to find what I wanted through existing inventory - I finally gave up after 6 months when I was not shown anything new. I then went to GOG to have them cut me my own cushion - they cut me 2 stones within 4 months. I now have the stone of my dreams with the exact specs I was looking for Well.... I don''t have it yet .. it has been with Richard Sherwood for the past month

WOW, you are really patient.

on your own specailly cut stone. Any pics to share or are you waiting to unveil once the setting is complete?

To answer the OP question, I have been on the wait list for about 2 months. Although I am anxious, I want to be certain that I love the stone and not settle just because I am feeling impatient.

 

[sweetpea&babycorn]

yikes! i didn''t know cushion brilliants were in such high demand!

lorelei, i took your advice, caved, and contacted brian gavin about his signature modern cushions. i got a reply the same day from lesley and am excited to learn that all their cushions are 8-main brilliants! i am still holding out on what mark can find but brian gavin seems like a strong possibility, thank you for mentioning him

bgray: goes good old gold have a large selection of modern cushions? they also seem to have higher price tags - is this because they have higher quality stones? i''ve read that people were willing to pay the higher prices for their great service and upgrade policy.

 

[Lorelei]

Date: 11/18/2009 11:05:47 PM
Author: sweetpea&babycorn
yikes! i didn''t know cushion brilliants were in such high demand!

lorelei, i took your advice, caved, and contacted brian gavin about his signature modern cushions. i got a reply the same day from lesley and am excited to learn that all their cushions are 8-main brilliants! i am still holding out on what mark can find but brian gavin seems like a strong possibility, thank you for mentioning him

bgray: goes good old gold have a large selection of modern cushions? they also seem to have higher price tags - is this because they have higher quality stones? i''ve read that people were willing to pay the higher prices for their great service and upgrade policy.

Glad to help! GOG do have modern cushions yes, you would need to ask Jon what he currently has available.

 

[sweetpea&babycorn]

i got terrible news today!

mark called this afternoon to inform me that there is NOTHING in the market for the cushion i want... he said the cutter he knows is now using the rough diamond to cut rounds, since he can get more money by selling rounds than cushions! not sure where to go now, but mark said he would talk to someone about recutting an older stone for us, but i''m not sure how far that will go

so still waiting to hear back from brian gavin, and found a stone through JA with this ASET (below).

if i talk to jon, will he offer more options that what is listed on the website? i''m not particularly attracted to any of the stones available online.

ahh im so lost now

i thought mark would bring good news.

 

[Lorelei]

Date: 11/19/2009 3:00:57 PM
Author: sweetpea&babycorn

i got terrible news today!

mark called this afternoon to inform me that there is NOTHING in the market for the cushion i want... he said the cutter he knows is now using the rough diamond to cut rounds, since he can get more money by selling rounds than cushions! not sure where to go now, but mark said he would talk to someone about recutting an older stone for us, but i''m not sure how far that will go

so still waiting to hear back from brian gavin, and found a stone through JA with this ASET (below).

if i talk to jon, will he offer more options that what is listed on the website? i''m not particularly attracted to any of the stones available online.

ahh im so lost now

i thought mark would bring good news.

Where did the ASET come from?

 

[Laila619]

she said it was from James Allen.

So sorry to hear that bad news!

Don''t give up though, James Allen, GOG or WF might have a cushion for you.

 

[sweetpea&babycorn]

lorelei, the ASET came from Darin at JamesAllen. it''s the only 8-main anything cushion i could find.

 

[Laila619]

Check out WF Premium Select cushions...you just never know!

 

[Lorelei]

Date: 11/19/2009 3:51:31 PM
Author: Laila619
she said it was from James Allen.

So sorry to hear that bad news!

Don't give up though, James Allen, GOG or WF might have a cushion for you.

She did indeed, I read carefully and didn't see it. ASET image looks good.

 

[ChunkyCushionLover]

Date: 11/19/2009 3:00:57 PM
Author: sweetpea&babycorn

i got terrible news today!

mark called this afternoon to inform me that there is NOTHING in the market for the cushion i want... he said the cutter he knows is now using the rough diamond to cut rounds, since he can get more money by selling rounds than cushions! not sure where to go now, but mark said he would talk to someone about recutting an older stone for us, but i''m not sure how far that will go

so still waiting to hear back from brian gavin, and found a stone through JA with this ASET (below).

if i talk to jon, will he offer more options that what is listed on the website? i''m not particularly attracted to any of the stones available online.

ahh im so lost now

i thought mark would bring good news.

The type of stone you are looking for is very similar to the one my Fiance has and a picture is here https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/the-shocking-final-diamond-choice-i-gave-to-my-fiance-which-one-would-you-pick.121154/.
You should snap this one up for viewing by Mark really quickly if you can http://www.bluenile.com/cushion-cut-diamond-2-carat-very-good-cut-j-color-vvs2-clarity_LD01230676
Mark is correct there are very few of these left in the marketplace and since the Belgian cutter stopped cutting them they may be much harder to find now.

The BGD stone is 8 main but very different example here https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/bgd-cushion-let-me-know-what-you-think.128493/.

Are you sure you want this type type of cushion over all others? (Have you seen it in person?)

Here are the types of cushions for your reference:

i) Cushion Modified Brilliant (often referred to negatively as the "crushed ice" variety as many in this category have only small flashes and were cut to save weght not to optimize light return),
a) 4 Pavillion main facets (several varieties)
b) 8 mains (several varieties) http://www.vimeo.com/3164922 Pictures and commentary here https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/the-shocking-final-diamond-choice-i-gave-to-my-fiance-which-one-would-you-pick.121154/
c) Square Brilliant (rare seen more in Belgium)
ii) Cushion Brilliant
a) 4 main like this one http://www.octonus.com/oct/projects/foxymovies/round_cushion2_office_fr.phtml or http://www.vimeo.com/2120607 (4 main is on the far left)
b) 8 main modern http://www.vimeo.com/2120607 (stone on the left)
c) 8 main old mine cushion http://www.vimeo.com/5310842
iii) Square Cushion Hearts and Arrows http://www.vimeo.com/2120109
iv) Cushette http://www.vimeo.com/3164922
A helpful thread to see the plots and pictures of different types of cushions can be seen here https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/a-cushion-by-any-other-name.36001/ (keep in mind pictures aren''t as useful as videos and can only be used reliably to understand facet structure not light performance)

If you want to learn about cushions a great video by Jon at GOG can be watched here http://www.vimeo.com/7579666 and bonus footage here http://www.vimeo.com/7611843.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

[ChunkyCushionLover]

Date: 11/19/2009 3:00:57 PM
Author: sweetpea&babycorn

i got terrible news today!

mark called this afternoon to inform me that there is NOTHING in the market for the cushion i want... he said the cutter he knows is now using the rough diamond to cut rounds, since he can get more money by selling rounds than cushions! not sure where to go now, but mark said he would talk to someone about recutting an older stone for us, but i''m not sure how far that will go

so still waiting to hear back from brian gavin, and found a stone through JA with this ASET (below).

if i talk to jon, will he offer more options that what is listed on the website? i''m not particularly attracted to any of the stones available online.

ahh im so lost now

i thought mark would bring good news.

I have never seen that ASET for a cushion before please post the link on the JamesAllen site I am curious.

 

[Collee]

Date: 11/19/2009 3:00:57 PM
Author: sweetpea&babycorn

i got terrible news today!

mark called this afternoon to inform me that there is NOTHING in the market for the cushion i want... he said the cutter he knows is now using the rough diamond to cut rounds, since he can get more money by selling rounds than cushions! not sure where to go now, but mark said he would talk to someone about recutting an older stone for us, but i'm not sure how far that will go

so still waiting to hear back from brian gavin, and found a stone through JA with this ASET (below).

if i talk to jon, will he offer more options that what is listed on the website? i'm not particularly attracted to any of the stones available online.

ahh im so lost now

i thought mark would bring good news.

oh no! sorry for the bad news.

your specs are in high demand but i would advise that that you email or call jon directly to address your questions, desires, and wish list. not all of his cushions are posted on his online inventory. some are currently being grading and perhaps others haven't been uploaded yet. be advised that there is a wait list though so contact him sooner rather than later.

 

[ChunkyCushionLover]

Date: 11/19/2009 9:19:43 PM
Author: Collee

Date: 11/19/2009 3:00:57 PM
Author: sweetpea&babycorn

i got terrible news today!

mark called this afternoon to inform me that there is NOTHING in the market for the cushion i want... he said the cutter he knows is now using the rough diamond to cut rounds, since he can get more money by selling rounds than cushions! not sure where to go now, but mark said he would talk to someone about recutting an older stone for us, but i'm not sure how far that will go

so still waiting to hear back from brian gavin, and found a stone through JA with this ASET (below).

if i talk to jon, will he offer more options that what is listed on the website? i'm not particularly attracted to any of the stones available online.

ahh im so lost now

i thought mark would bring good news.

oh no! sorry for the bad news.

your specs are in high demand but i would advise that that you email or call jon directly to address your questions, desires, and wish list. not all of his cushions are posted on his online inventory. some are currently being grading and perhaps others haven't been uploaded yet. be advised that there is a wait list though so contact him sooner rather than later.

There is only a waiting list for GOG signature diamonds like August Vintage Cushion, any other cushion like the modern ones have to be called in or are already in inventory.

 

[sweetpea&babycorn]

chunkycushionlover: thanks for the link - i love stone #1 (the one your fiance wound up choosing). i have seen these modern cushions in person and i''m absolutely in love with them! i''ve watched all the video links you posted and it only makes me want a cushion more! i have seen the pricescope link to the BGD cushion - do they all look like this? i''m not very impressed with the ASET image, as i''ve heard that green is not as desirable as red. i''m still giving it a try though.

the bluenile cushion you linked to is right up my alley, except for the price! it''s a huge chunk of my ring budget, and i think if i picked that stone, i would be sacrificing the dream micropave setting. i''ve contacted mark about it- hopefully he can get on it in the morning. i''ve already informed him on the james allen cushion and i would really like to wait until mark receives it before posting the link. i am determined to get my cushion!

collee thanks for the advice! i think i''m going to stick with mark for this whole process and keep my eye out on james allen, whiteflash, and bluenile. i''m just a little turned off by their high prices for their stones.

lorelei thanks for the feedback on the ASET. just wondering, what would a good ASET for a cushion look like? i know reds are good, greens are good too but not as desirable as reds, and blue and white and black?? are not good. im not sure how the distribution throughout the diamond should look.

thanks everyone!

 

[ChunkyCushionLover]

Date: 11/20/2009 2:50:27 AM
Author: sweetpea&babycorn
chunkycushionlover: thanks for the link - i love stone #1 (the one your fiance wound up choosing). i have seen these modern cushions in person and i''m absolutely in love with them! i''ve watched all the video links you posted and it only makes me want a cushion more! i have seen the pricescope link to the BGD cushion - do they all look like this? i''m not very impressed with the ASET image, as i''ve heard that green is not as desirable as red. i''m still giving it a try though.

the bluenile cushion you linked to is right up my alley, except for the price! it''s a huge chunk of my ring budget, and i think if i picked that stone, i would be sacrificing the dream micropave setting. i''ve contacted mark about it- hopefully he can get on it in the morning. i''ve already informed him on the james allen cushion and i would really like to wait until mark receives it before posting the link. i am determined to get my cushion!

collee thanks for the advice! i think i''m going to stick with mark for this whole process and keep my eye out on james allen, whiteflash, and bluenile. i''m just a little turned off by their high prices for their stones.

lorelei thanks for the feedback on the ASET. just wondering, what would a good ASET for a cushion look like? i know reds are good, greens are good too but not as desirable as reds, and blue and white and black?? are not good. im not sure how the distribution throughout the diamond should look.

thanks everyone!

Mark was able to beat the Bluenile price for us by a few hundred especially if you are willing to buy a setting from him too. You can bargain a little he is a really great value vendor.
If you are thinking of the Harry Winston Micropave https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/my-10yr-cushion-upgrade-from-erd.124340/ you would be pretty much copying our ring what did you have in mind for setting?

Yes all the BGD cushions are cut precisely with similar optics like in the photographs and perform well under office lighting but may not be as strong in other lighting conditions (like outside).

I feel that with modern cushions its really difficult to interpret green in an ASET. Purists will tell you they would prefer to see more red especially a good distribution of red towards the outside of the stone, while others who have seen the BGD''s and the type of cushion you like in person like the look of them. There was a controversial thread a while ago here https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/cushion-feedback-with-report-photos.122152/.

Good luck with Mark tell him ChunkyCushionLover says hello.

 

[sweetpea&babycorn]

thanks chunkycushionlover. at this point we will most likely go with mark for a setting. he has been so great to us, and we've built a great relationship. i hope he can knock off more than a couple hundred since the stone has a huge price tag on it.

the HW micropave setting seems so popular here! we were looking for just a very thin, simple micropave with surprise stones and engraving. we don't want it super blingy so we opted to go without the halo. i think even a setting like this would cause us to go over budget.

if all the BGD cushions look like the one posted in the thread, i would feel a little weary of purchasing one from them. where are they located? if possible we could visit and take a look at them ourselves. at this point though i really trust mark to do the right thing for us. we will probably visit him sometime in december.

ETA: thanks for the ecuation on ASETs. i guess with cushions it's all about that your eyes tell you!

 

[Lorelei]

Date: 11/20/2009 2:50:27 AM
Author: sweetpea&babycorn
chunkycushionlover: thanks for the link - i love stone #1 (the one your fiance wound up choosing). i have seen these modern cushions in person and i'm absolutely in love with them! i've watched all the video links you posted and it only makes me want a cushion more! i have seen the pricescope link to the BGD cushion - do they all look like this? i'm not very impressed with the ASET image, as i've heard that green is not as desirable as red. i'm still giving it a try though.

the bluenile cushion you linked to is right up my alley, except for the price! it's a huge chunk of my ring budget, and i think if i picked that stone, i would be sacrificing the dream micropave setting. i've contacted mark about it- hopefully he can get on it in the morning. i've already informed him on the james allen cushion and i would really like to wait until mark receives it before posting the link. i am determined to get my cushion!

collee thanks for the advice! i think i'm going to stick with mark for this whole process and keep my eye out on james allen, whiteflash, and bluenile. i'm just a little turned off by their high prices for their stones.

lorelei thanks for the feedback on the ASET. just wondering, what would a good ASET for a cushion look like? i know reds are good, greens are good too but not as desirable as reds, and blue and white and black?? are not good. im not sure how the distribution throughout the diamond should look.

thanks everyone!

It depends, but as a general guide you want a good amount of red which is evenly distributed throughout the diamond, some green and minimal blue. This tutorial is great reading to learn about ASET.

 

[sweetpea&babycorn]

Date: 11/19/2009 6:08:00 PM
Author: ChunkyCushionLover

The type of stone you are looking for is very similar to the one my Fiance has and a picture is here https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/the-shocking-final-diamond-choice-i-gave-to-my-fiance-which-one-would-you-pick.121154/.
You should snap this one up for viewing by Mark really quickly if you can http://www.bluenile.com/cushion-cut-diamond-2-carat-very-good-cut-j-color-vvs2-clarity_LD01230676
Mark is correct there are very few of these left in the marketplace and since the Belgian cutter stopped cutting them they may be much harder to find now.

The BGD stone is 8 main but very different example here https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/bgd-cushion-let-me-know-what-you-think.128493/.

Are you sure you want this type type of cushion over all others? (Have you seen it in person?)

Here are the types of cushions for your reference:

i) Cushion Modified Brilliant (often referred to negatively as the ''crushed ice'' variety as many in this category have only small flashes and were cut to save weght not to optimize light return),
a) 4 Pavillion main facets (several varieties)
b) 8 mains (several varieties) http://www.vimeo.com/3164922 Pictures and commentary here https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/the-shocking-final-diamond-choice-i-gave-to-my-fiance-which-one-would-you-pick.121154/
c) Square Brilliant (rare seen more in Belgium)

ii) Cushion Brilliant
a) 4 main like this one http://www.octonus.com/oct/projects/foxymovies/round_cushion2_office_fr.phtml or http://www.vimeo.com/2120607 (4 main is on the far left)
b) 8 main modern http://www.vimeo.com/2120607 (stone on the left)
c) 8 main old mine cushion http://www.vimeo.com/5310842

iii) Square Cushion Hearts and Arrows http://www.vimeo.com/2120109
iv) Cushette http://www.vimeo.com/3164922

A helpful thread to see the plots and pictures of different types of cushions can be seen here https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/a-cushion-by-any-other-name.36001/ (keep in mind pictures aren''t as useful as videos and can only be used reliably to understand facet structure not light performance)

If you want to learn about cushions a great video by Jon at GOG can be watched here http://www.vimeo.com/7579666 and bonus footage here http://www.vimeo.com/7611843.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

ChunkyCushionLover: THANK YOU so much for finding this stone! Mark was able to get it and said it is not going anywhere! Plus, he also said he can give us a much better price on it!

I am feeling pretty good about this now and we are more than likely to work with him too on a setting. I''m so happy that Mark came through for us. He is sick as a dog and has been working all week for us trying to get something in.

so thank you so much for finding this stone for us. i hope things work out!

 

[CharmyPoo]

Date: 11/19/2009 6:08:00 PM
Author: ChunkyCushionLover



The type of stone you are looking for is very similar to the one my Fiance has and a picture is here https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/the-shocking-final-diamond-choice-i-gave-to-my-fiance-which-one-would-you-pick.121154/.
You should snap this one up for viewing by Mark really quickly if you can http://www.bluenile.com/cushion-cut-diamond-2-carat-very-good-cut-j-color-vvs2-clarity_LD01230676
Mark is correct there are very few of these left in the marketplace and since the Belgian cutter stopped cutting them they may be much harder to find now.

I use to see the 8 main moderns on Blue Nile very frequently but I haven''t looked lately. If they are really that hard to find now, I really won''t be able to part with mine as I was planning to. I have been sitting on it unable to let it go even with the purchase of my new diamond. I guess a girl can have two engagement rings

 

[sweetpea&babycorn]

ugugugugug of course when i want a cushion the belgian cutter stops making them

charmypoo i would suggest you hang onto that cushion, especially if you''re on the fence! i have a feeling once you get rid of it you will never see it again. or if you do, it''ll be one someone else''s hand

the price mark put on the cushion is low enough so that we can still afford a setting, but too high for us to get a custom.

what do you think i should do?

bf wants to get a setting that is very unique. he doesn''t seem to be into the "bland" plain solitaires. i personally wouldn''t mind esp if a setting change was possible in the future.

i do love micropave, but would be willing to sacrifice it for later. i could also get a semi-eternity wedding band to increase the accented bling factor.

dunno what to do! if we don''t take this one we will wait for a long, long time for something to show up. i''m not in a huge rush, but i''m not sure i would be willing to wait for months and months.

 

[Rhino]

Hi sweetpea,

Just curious ... why do you want an 8 mained cushion? Is it the splintery appearance that draws you?

 

[CharmyPoo]

If it is not too personal of a question, what is your remaining budget for the setting? We might be able to find you some options! Prices from custom jewelers can range greatly so you still might be able to find something within the range.

We were suppose to sell the other diamond since we purchased a new one as the engagement diamond. I am too attached to the first one to give it up .. I guess I am more sentimental than I though.

 

[Rhino]

Charmy you are so funny.

I''m sure you can think of something creative to do with it.