Cushion Cut Engagement Rings: Popular for a Lifetime

There are so many different types of diamond cuts when you are engagement shopping, and while you are most likely to choose your ring based on how pretty it is, it is also helpful to know all the different benefits each individual cut offers. Some are cut to maximize sparkle and some to increase lustre. Some are cut to use as much of the rough diamond as possible.

Cushion cut engagement rings are also known as pillow cut engagement rings are one of the many square types of cuts. What makes a cushion cut different from the rest is that they have rounded corners and also the fact that they are cut to maximize their facets. Being cut this way ensures that the ring has larger facets, which allows it to capture the light and reflect it back, increasing the brilliance and sparkle of the ring. Sometimes cushion cut engagement rings are also sometimes known as candlelight diamonds, perhaps because of the way they sparkle in the candlelight.

Because of their large facets, imperfections and flaws are more visible to the naked eye, so buying a higher-grade diamond is encouraged. These diamonds are beautiful as a solitaire engagement ring, but they can also be combined with other stones as shoulder accents or surrounded by smaller diamonds to give the ring even more sparkle. And although most people think diamonds when they think engagement rings, that does not always have to be the case. Cushion cut engagement rings can also be other precious stones, such as sapphires, rubies, or emeralds, all of which make a very dramatic statement.

Cushion cut rings have a roller-coaster history of popularity. Over a century ago, they were one of the very most popular cuts available. The demand for cushion cut rings went down a bit for a while, but now, thanks to the craving for all things traditional and antique, they have returned to the forefront of leading engagement ring cuts by leaps and bounds. They are made even more popular because of the many celebrities who wear them. Several years ago, Ben Affleck gave Jennifer Garner a 4.5-carat cushion cut ring designed by Harry Winston and it still sparkles on her finger today. Molly Sims has a cushion cut halo engagement ring designed as a collaboration between her husband and designer-to-the-stars Lorraine Schwartz.

There is a reason cushion cut engagement rings have been popular for so long, and continue to grow in popularity even today. The way they are cut makes a stunning display of brilliance and sparkle.