Ehud Laniado: Cushion, How Diamond Dreams Are Made

By Ehud Arye Laniadowww.ehudlaniado.com

Cushion, How Diamond Dreams Are Made

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Presentation by Ehud Arye Laniado on Cushion, how diamond dreams are made

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The Cushion- shaped diamond has been popular for several centuries. These squarish diamonds have rounded corners and large facets that make them resemble the shape of a cushion.

A full version of the article can be found at the last slide of the presentation

May 2015

The views expressed here are solely those of the author in his private capacity. None of the information made available here shall constitute in any manner an offer or invitation or promotion to buy or to sell diamonds. No one should act upon any opinion or information in this website (including with respect to diamonds values) without consulting a professional qualified adviser.

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Cushion, how diamond dreams are made

3May 2015

The Cushion & Pop Culture

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Cushion, how diamond dreams are made

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• Sean Lowe proposing to finalist Catherine Giudici on The Bachelor in 2011

• Kelly Rowland, Naya Rivera and Kaley Cuoco receiving Cushion-shaped engagement rings

May 2015

The media fanfare around these diamond rings led to a rise in this diamond’s popularity.

Recently, Cushion-shaped diamonds have received a number of mentions in the media including:

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Cushion, how diamond dreams are made

5May 2015

The Cushion-shaped diamond is a member of the square diamond shapes, one of three groups of diamond shapes. The other two are Rounds and semi rounds.

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Cushion, how diamond dreams are made

6May 2015

There are a number of different ways to polish a Cushion-shaped diamond, though usually it has 64 facets. Another characteristic of the Cushion-shaped diamond is its depth. More of its weight rests in the lower part of the diamond, making it appear smaller, as the following illustration shows.

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Cushion, how diamond dreams are made

7May 2015

A Comparison of Round, Oval, Pear, Heart, Marquise and Cushion-Shaped Diamonds to Scale

Please note – not real size

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Cushion, how diamond dreams are made

8May 2015

Compared to Rounds, the value of Cushion-shaped diamonds is about 29%-58% less, depending on color and clarity.

The following table compares the value of one carat and 0.95 carat Cushion-shaped diamonds to 1-carat Round diamonds (1 carat Round = 100%) in all colors and clarities.

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Cushion, how diamond dreams are made

9May 2015

The 0.95-carat comparison is here to highlight the relatively small difference in size that results in a large difference in value.

The views expressed here are solely those of the author in his private capacity. None of the information made available here shall constitute in any manner an offer or invitation or promotion to buy or to sell diamonds. No one should act upon any opinion or information in this website (including with respect to diamonds values) without consulting a professional qualified adviser.

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Cushion, how diamond dreams are made

10May 2015

Polishing the Cushion

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Cushion, how diamond dreams are made

11May 2015

In terms of polishing, the manufacturer has to take into account that with Cushions, an important aspect is its exact proportions and faceting.

Cushion-shaped diamonds don’t reflect light as well as other shapes so a very good cut or better is important.

A polisher would usually want to get the best value out of a rough diamond.

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Cushion, how diamond dreams are made

12May 2015

Example A: The following is a 4.49-carat rough diamond in the 3D render. The polisher can polish out of it a Round diamond, which will result in a 1.87-carat, D color, VS1 clarity and Excellent Cut. In this case, yield is 41.5%, meaning 58.5% of the rough diamond's weight will be lost in the polishing process.

Image: Sarine

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Cushion, how diamond dreams are made

13May 2015

Example B: The following is a a much larger Cushion-shaped diamond. In this case, a Cushion-shaped diamond will take better advantage of the shape of the rough diamond and will result in a 2.66-carats, D color, VS1 clarity and Excellent Cut polished diamond. In this option, the yield is a high 59.4%.

Image: Sarine

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Cushion, how diamond dreams are made

14May 2015

For this rough diamond, the polisher preferred a Cushion-shape to a Round because of the value. The following value comparison is based on an analysis of current prices in the market and represents the total value of the diamonds.

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Cushion, how diamond dreams are made

15May 2015

Getting a Better Yield

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Cushion, how diamond dreams are made

16May 2015

Example A: The following is a 4.55-carat rough diamond. It can be polished into a 1.40-carat, D/IF Round diamond with an Excellent Cut at a yield of 30.7%.

Image: Sarine

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Cushion, how diamond dreams are made

17May 2015

Example B: Alternatively, the polisher may consider a Cushion-shaped diamond to get a higher yield. In this case, a 1.70-carat D/IF, Excellent Cut diamond can be made at a yield of 37.4%, as shown in the following.

Image: Sarine

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Cushion, how diamond dreams are made

18May 2015

Even though the Round diamond is smaller, it has a higher value than the alternative Cushion, as the following table shows.

The reason the yield is noted in all these polishing options is because from a financial standpoint, it makes sense to try to get the best return out of the cost of the rough diamond.

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Cushion, how diamond dreams are made

19May 2015

Necessary Proportions

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Cushion, how diamond dreams are made

20May 2015

When polishing a diamond, proportions are important for a number of reasons, including aesthetics. Another reason is light return. The more light that is reflected, the more the diamond shines.

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Cushion, how diamond dreams are made

21May 2015

To achieve this, the facets must face each other at the right angles. The following is a list of Cushion-shaped proportions by Cut standard:

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The intention of this review was to highlight a number of issues relating to diamonds and their value.

The views expressed here are solely those of the author in his private capacity. None of the information made available here shall constitute in any manner an offer or invitation or promotion to buy or to sell diamonds. No one should act upon any opinion or information in this website (including with respect to diamonds values) without consulting a professional qualified adviser.

May 2015

A full version of the article can be found here:http://www.ehudlaniado.com/home/index.php/news/entry/cushion-how-diamond-dreams-are-made