The cushion cut is a square to rectangular shape with rounded corners and a soft, pillow-like outline. It reads warmer and more antique than a round brilliant, trading icy, pin-sharp sparkle for broad flashes of fire. If you want a stone that looks vintage in spirit but sits cleanly in a modern setting, it is one of the most rewarding shapes to commission.
What a cushion cut looks like
The outline is its signature: gently curved sides and four rounded corners that give the stone its cushion, or pillow, profile. The facets are larger and fewer than a round brilliant, and that changes the character of the light. Rather than the tight, white scintillation of a round, a cushion returns light in bigger, slower flashes with noticeable coloured fire.
Faceting falls into two broad families, and they read very differently. A crushed-ice cushion has many small facets crowded toward the centre, scattering light into a glittering, textured look that hides the table and gives a busy, shimmering surface. A chunky or old-mine cushion uses larger, more open facets that produce bold, defined flashes and a more transparent, glassy centre with clear windows of light. Crushed-ice tends to look modern and forgiving; chunky and old-mine faceting looks more antique, and is what most people picture when they imagine a vintage cushion.
Square vs rectangular cushions
Cushions come in everything from near-square to clearly elongated. Ratio, the length divided by the width, is the simplest guide. Around 1.00 to 1.05 reads as a true square cushion, balanced and classic. Between roughly 1.10 and 1.20 gives a softly rectangular stone that flatters the finger and lengthens the hand. Beyond about 1.30 the shape becomes distinctly elongated and starts to behave more like a cushion-cut radiant. There is no correct ratio, only the proportion that suits the hand and the design, which is something we look at together with you, guided by the full grading and detail of your chosen stone.
Who it suits
The cushion suits anyone drawn to vintage and antique design, to warmth over coolness, and to fire over relentless white sparkle. It sits naturally in heirloom-style and Art Deco-inspired rings, and it carries colour gracefully, which is why it is a favourite for fancy yellow diamonds and coloured gemstones. If you love the romance of an older ring but want modern certification and precision, this is a shape worth considering closely.
Settings and metals
A halo is the classic partner for a cushion, tracing the soft outline with a frame of small diamonds that amplifies the pillow shape and adds presence. Vintage detailing also flatters the cut: milgrain edges, fine bead-set shoulders, and gallery work under the stone all suit its antique character. For metals, rose and yellow gold lean into that warmth and give an authentically antique feel, while platinum keeps the look crisp and shows a near-colourless stone at its whitest. We design every setting in-house in CAD and hand-finish it at our own bench, with casting and setting carried out by trusted specialist workshops, so the mount is built around your specific stone rather than a standard template.
Carat and proportion
Cushions can carry weight in their depth, so two stones of the same carat can look quite different from above. We assess each by its millimetre spread and outline, not the carat figure alone, and balance that against the band width and the wearer's hand. A slightly elongated cushion often looks larger for its weight and sits comfortably for everyday wear. Every centre stone we supply comes with GIA or IGI certification, so the proportions are documented and independent.
Commissioning with us
Hatton Garden Bespoke Jewellery draws on family in the trade since the late 1960s, across three generations, with our founder in Hatton Garden since 1999. We work by appointment from our studio at Unit 1.02, The Goldsmiths' Centre, 42 Britton Street, London EC1M 5AD. After a free, no-obligation consultation we provide a fixed written quote, move to CAD within about seven to ten days, and complete the ring three to four weeks from your CAD approval. Every piece is hallmarked at the London Assay Office, included, and delivered with free, fully insured UK delivery, with international delivery arranged and insured on request. Settings start from £800 and complete bespoke engagement rings from £1,500, with most commissions falling between £3,000 and £12,000.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between crushed-ice and chunky cushions?
Crushed-ice cushions have many small facets near the centre that scatter light into a glittery, textured sparkle. Chunky, or old-mine, cushions have larger open facets that give bolder, more defined flashes and a clearer, more antique look. Neither is better; it is a matter of taste, and we will talk you through both, with full grading and detail, before you decide.
Do cushion cuts hide inclusions well?
A crushed-ice cushion, with its busy faceting, can help mask small inclusions, which sometimes lets you choose a slightly lower clarity grade without a visible difference. A chunky or old-mine cushion is more transparent through the centre and shows the stone more openly, so clarity matters more there. We select each stone to suit its faceting style.
Should I choose a natural or lab-grown cushion?
Both work beautifully in this shape. Lab-grown diamonds offer a larger or higher-clarity stone for the same budget, while natural diamonds carry their geological rarity. We supply both with GIA or IGI certification, and we are glad to source options to your brief and share full grading and detail so you can compare with confidence.
To begin, book a free, no-obligation consultation. We reply within four working hours, Monday to Friday, and can talk through faceting style, ratio, and setting before you commit to anything. Start by choosing a setting, or contact us to arrange a visit. If you are weighing shapes, you may also like the oval and the emerald cut.
