Elongated Cushion Cut Diamonds
Pros, Cons, Tips & Tricks

 

There are ten diamond shapes that are considered to be most commonly purchased. And within them cushion cut diamonds hold a respectful place of being one of five most selling shapes (some even say in the top three). But little is known that within the niche of cushion cut diamonds, there are actually several ways to cut them and elongated cushion cuts is one of them - a gorgeous one.

Understanding Cushion Cut Diamonds

Cushion cut diamonds are essentially a hybrid between two diamond shapes (or diamond cuts). The old style “old mine cut” and the more modern round brilliant cut. Or, you can say that it is a square cut diamond as the princess cut only with softer rounded corners.

In a way, cushion cut diamonds bring to the table the best of both worlds. The beautiful strong fire and sparkle of rectangular diamonds such as the princess cut along with a softer classical appearance of round diamonds.

Cushion cut diamonds have been around for close to 200 years, and this was the standard cut before the 1900s. If you are looking for a different twist on your diamond jewelry beyond the round cut and cushion cut, then the elongated cushion cut can come into play.

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What Is the Elongated Cushion Cut Diamond?

An elongated cushion cut is similar to a regular cushion cut, but it has more of a longer, rectangular structure rather than a square shape. As with the square version, the corners are rounded to form a pillow-like shape. Traditional cushion cuts have symmetrical sides, but with the elongated versions, there are different proportion ratios possible.

What Is the Right L/W Ratio for the Perfect Cushion Cut?

The length to width ratio speaks of the edges of the rectangle. A perfect square has L/W ratio of 1:1. Rectangular may have 1:2 or 1:1.5 or any other number. Whenever you are surpasing the 1:1.1 the appearance is of an elongated sqaure, an elongated cushion cut.

It is very important to note that unlike in princess cuts which need to be as close to perfect square as possible, there is no right or wrong when it comes cushion cuts. How sqaure or how rectagular is a matter of choice, of style, of personal taste.

Square Cushion Cut vs Two Elongated Cushion Cut Diamonds Square Cushion Cut vs Two Elongated Cushion Cut Diamonds

Unfortunately, to-date, no retailer or e-tailer allows filtering out cushion cut diamonds based on their proportions. However, when you can see the diamonds on display in a clear pictures gallery, it's quite easy to distinguish. For example, all of the above cushion cuts are courtesy of Blue Nile's cushion cuts collection.

How to Pick the Right One?

The wider choice you have for a diamond ring, the better. Different shapes appeal to different people, and the elongated cut only expands the pool to choose from. For many people, the longer cushion diamond on their ring accentuates and elongates their fingers nicely and gives the elegant and gorgeous look they can appreciate. You can describe the elongated cut as tall and skinny, and this could be appealing to you. It all boils down to personal preference.

Buying an elongated cushion cut diamond ring does not necessarily mean spending more on the ring. If a square cut and an elongated cut diamond have the same 4 C's (i.e. cut, color, carat and clarity), then their price is going to be the same. The cushion-cut ratio is not a factor in the price comparison.

However, elongated cushion cut diamonds do tend to look slightly bigger for the same carat weight. It is something you need to check on a per case basis but if you'd look at the below three diamonds, these are all 1 carat diamonds. But, when it comes to mm measurements, the square cushion is approximately 5.65mm x 5.65mm. The elongated are about 5.55mm x 6.00mm and 5.50mm x 6.60mm. Of course, this is a specific case and it has to do with the girdle thikness and the depth of the diamond but you do see it often.

Square Cushion Cut Diamond - 1:1 Ratio Square Cushion Cut - 1:1 Ratio
Elongated Cushion Cut Diamond - 1:1.1 Ratio Elongated Cushion Cut - 1:1.1 Ratio
Elongated Cushion Cut Diamond - 1:1.2 Ratio Elongated Cushion Cut - 1:1.2 Ratio

Short Conclusion

Elongated cushion cut diamonds are long and elegant and are considered a great choice of gemstone for engagement rings. Their shape is slender, and they often look bigger than other cuts even when they have the same carat weight. Besides diamonds, the elongated cut is also a great choice with gemstones such as sapphire, ruby, garnet, and spinel.

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