Cushion cut
A square or rectangular diamond with rounded corners, like a pillow.
Easily confused with
How to read it
GIA describes the cushion as a square or rectangular outline with rounded corners, often described as a cross between a round and a princess. It comes in two main styles: brilliant cushions with larger facets, and modified cushions with extra facets that give a “crushed ice” look, as radiants do.
Also searched as: cushion cut diamond, cushion diamond, pillow cut.
Grades describe a stone as a grading laboratory saw it. This page explains the grading scales; it doesn’t grade or value any stone.
Cushion or princess?
The outline tells them apart: a cushion’s corners are rounded, a princess’s are pointed. GIA describes the cushion as a cross between a round and a princess.
More diamond grading
Sources
- Guide to Diamond Engagement Ring Shapes (GIA 4Cs), Gemological Institute of America
- The History of Cushion Cut Diamonds (International Gem Society), International Gem Society
- The Diamond (Cattelle, 1911), W. R. Cattelle, The Diamond, John Lane Company, 1911, Internet Archive (scan)
Last reviewed September 28, 2026 by Rory Hansen. How we research