Cushion Brilliants vs. Cushion Modified Brilliants

If you've been looking into purchasing a cushion cut diamond you may have noticed that the choice isn't as simple as just asking for a cushion cut diamond. Not only is it available in either a square or rectangular shape, but there are several different variations on the cut alone. In this post we'll explain the new descriptions being used to categorize the cushion cut.

The Cushion Debate

Recently there has been a debate in the diamond world involving the cushion cut and all its variations. The discussion stems over whether the newer, “Cushion Modified Brilliants” are in fact more brilliant than traditional “Cushion Brilliants”.  Over a number of years different variations of the cushion shape have been cut and modified, with the intentions of either creating a unique style, preserving the most amount of diamond weight from the rough, or in an attempt to improve appearance. As more variations of the cushion cut were created, the GIA’s established cutting style descriptions were challenged. This lead to a new descriptive category aptly named, “Cushion Modified Brilliant”.

The variations on the traditional cushion cut were subtler, and usually had “kite” shaped facets added to the pavilion or symmetrical half-moon facets just below the girdle. As GIA attempted to make distinctions between the different faceting styles they created a confusing descriptive system that was difficult to for the public to understand. By using Shipley’s, the founder of GIA, definitions and other more traditional classifications, the GIA Laboratory developed a system for when “modified” would be used in a cutting style description. This system was implemented on October 1, 2009.

Below are examples of the faceting styles regarded as “Cushion Modified Brilliant”.

The next examples below are the faceting styles which have been deemed traditional “Cushion Brilliants”.  Any variation of these styles will be described as Cushion Modified Brilliants.