Buying loose cut diamonds can be difficult because they come in different sizes, shapes, and colors. The most important factor that many people consider is the carat weight as it directly influences the price of the stone. But remember that the cut is equally important, and two of the popular choices are the emerald-cut and the cushion-cut. There are variations of these cuts, and engagement rings with them as center stones are exquisite. In this article, we will discuss in detail the difference between emerald-cut diamond and cushion-cut diamond.
Emerald-Cut VS Cushion-Cut
Emerald-cut diamonds have parallel-looking faces, and because of this, they are also known as step cut diamonds. Their main characteristic is the presence of rectangular flat surface area on the crown, also known as the table. Compared to other diamond cuts, brilliant facets are absent, and hence these have less sparkle. The advantage of less sparkle is that you can get a stone of lower color grade. As a result of this, and due to the mirror effect, you can easily spot inclusions. Above all, an emerald-cut diamond will give brilliant flashes of light.
A cushion-cut diamond has sparkle because it has facets like brilliant-cut diamonds. A variant of this is the rectangular cushion-cut, which has dimensions almost similar to an emerald-cut diamond. These diamonds are ideal center stones for engagement rings. Some of the terms used for defining this type of ring are modified, classic, chunky, large or no culets, broken glass, rectangular, square, and old miners. It is important to know these terms before purchasing. Finally, this is a fancy cut diamond with a soft side, and hence it cannot be evaluated in numbers.
The Origin Of Emerald Cut And Cushion Cut Diamonds
Emerald cut diamonds originated in the early 1400s, and they became popular as they are less costly than traditional cut diamonds. It was created by first cutting off the round surfaces for revealing a table cut diamond. After this, the other round edges are smoothed to create the emerald-cut diamond.
A cushion cut diamond is a square-cut diamond with rounded corners; it is also known as an old mine cut. It has been in existence for almost 200 years, and it was the popular choice up until the early part of the 20th century. The distinctive look of this diamond is mainly due to the larger than normal culet, which can be seen through the table.
On a final note, the ring setting plays a key role in the choice between the emerald-cut and rectangular cushion-cut diamonds.
