Cushion Cut Diamond Rings for Women
A cushion diamond is square or slightly rectangular with rounded corners, so it looks soft and pillow-like from above. Its facets are larger than a round's, which gives it bold, colorful flashes rather than fine, needle-point sparkle. This collection holds every cushion ring we make: engagement rings, solitaire rings and bezel rings for everyday wear, in white diamonds and lab-grown fancy colors. Natural cushions go up to 1 carat, and lab-grown cushions come in larger sizes.
What Is a Cushion Cut?
The cushion grew out of the old mine cut, the main diamond shape of the 1700s and 1800s, when stones were cut by hand to keep as much of the rough as possible. The modern version keeps the rounded-square outline but uses brilliant faceting, typically 58 to 64 facets, for more light return. It's deeper than most shapes, which helps it hold color well but means it can look a little smaller from above than a round of the same weight.
Standard or "Crushed Ice"
Cushions come in two faceting styles, and they look quite different on the hand.
Standard cushion brilliant. Fewer, larger facets on the underside create big, distinct flashes of light. This is the look people usually mean by a classic cushion.
Modified cushion brilliant. An extra row of facets on the underside breaks the light into many small sparkles, often called a "crushed ice" look. It isn't brighter overall, just busier, and it hides small inclusions well.
Neither is better. Look at a video of each stone, since the difference is easier to judge in motion than in a still photo.
Square or Rectangular
Cushions are described by their length-to-width ratio.
- About 1.00 to 1.05: a square cushion, the most traditional outline.
- About 1.05 to 1.15: slightly rectangular, still reads as square at a glance.
- Above about 1.15: an elongated cushion, which looks longer on the finger.
How Big Does a Cushion Look?
Because cushions carry more weight below the girdle, they face up a little smaller than rounds. Typical measurements for a well-cut square cushion are:
- 0.50 ct: about 4.9 × 4.9 mm
- 0.75 ct: about 5.5 × 5.5 mm
- 1.00 ct: about 6.0 × 6.0 mm
- 1.50 ct: about 6.8 × 6.8 mm
- 2.00 ct: about 7.5 × 7.5 mm
- 3.00 ct: about 8.5 × 8.5 mm
Depth varies a lot between cushions, so two stones of the same weight can measure differently. Always check the millimeters, not just the carat.
Color and Clarity in a Cushion
A cushion's corners and depth tend to hold color, so a faint tint shows more in a cushion than in a round of the same grade. If you want a white look, especially in white gold, choose a higher color grade than you would for a round. Clarity works the other way on a crushed ice cushion, whose many small facets hide inclusions, while a standard cushion's larger facets show them more clearly.
Natural or Lab-Grown Cushions
Natural cushions go up to 1 carat. A natural diamond weighing 0.50 carat or more has an IGI or GIA report, and natural stones below that size have no documentation. See natural diamond rings.
Lab-grown cushions come in larger sizes as well, so choose lab-grown for a cushion center stone above 1 carat. A lab-grown diamond weighing 1 carat or more has an IGI report, and smaller lab-grown stones are not individually certified. See lab-grown diamond rings.
Rings priced above $800 also include a third-party jewelry certificate from GSI.
Colored Cushion Diamonds
More than half of our cushion rings use a lab-grown fancy color center stone in pink, yellow, blue or green. The cushion is a good shape for color because its depth and broad facets hold and spread the hue across the whole stone. These come as solitaire, halo, hidden halo, bezel and pavé engagement rings, and as classic cushion solitaire rings. See colored lab diamond engagement rings, or read the colored diamond engagement ring buying guide.
Cushion Engagement Rings
The corners of a cushion are its most exposed points, so most settings use a prong at each corner.
- A solitaire, with four corner prongs holding a single cushion.
- A halo, which follows the rounded-square outline with small diamonds.
- A hidden halo, with a row of diamonds tucked under the center stone.
- A bezel, a metal rim around the full outline that covers the corners.
- Pavé shoulders, with small diamonds set along the band.
See all cushion cut engagement rings, and our cushion cut engagement ring buying guide for more on choosing one.
Everyday Cushion Rings and Bands
Not every cushion ring here is an engagement ring. The collection also includes classic cushion solitaire rings in white and fancy color diamonds, and a natural cushion bezel ring with round diamond accents, made for daily wear or stacking.
To pair a band with a cushion engagement ring, a straight band usually sits flush against a solitaire or bezel. A halo can leave a small gap, and a curved wedding band closes it. Browse all women's wedding bands.
Coming Soon: Elongated, Old Mine and Antique-Style Cushions
We don't carry elongated, old mine or antique-style cushion rings yet, but all three are coming soon. In the meantime, our elongated cushion buying guide explains how they differ from a square cushion.
Gold
All cushion designs come in yellow, white and rose gold, in 10K, 14K or 18K. White gold suits a colorless cushion, yellow gold brings out a yellow cushion and gives a vintage feel, and rose gold pairs well with a pink center stone.
How to Choose
- Pick the ring type. Engagement ring, solitaire ring or everyday bezel ring.
- Choose natural or lab-grown. Natural up to 1 carat, lab-grown for larger cushions, or a lab-grown fancy color.
- Decide on standard or crushed ice faceting, then a square or rectangular outline.
- Pick a size by millimeters from the list above.
- Choose a setting that protects the corners, and a gold color.
- Check your ring size in our size guide and read the returns and exchange policy before you order.
For cleaning tips, see the care guide. For a size or setting not shown here, ask about a custom design or contact us. We typically reply within 24 hours. For cushion earrings and other pieces, see our cushion cut diamond jewelry.
Find Your Cushion Diamond Ring at Diagaa
Choose the faceting and outline you prefer, then the setting and gold. When you're ready, shop every cushion cut diamond ring in the collection.
