Guide

Cushion cut diamond ring in South Africa

Cushion-cut diamond ring in South Africa: antique vs modern brilliant cushion are different stones with the same name. The chunky-flash test that tells you which.

By Themba Mokoena · Updated 13 July 2026

The two stones sold under one name

The most-common buying mistake on cushion cut is not knowing that “cushion cut” refers to two genuinely different stone styles, both commercially classified under the same name. The difference is not a manufacturer-marketing detail; it is a structural difference in facet geometry that changes the visual character of the stone fundamentally.

Antique cushion (also called “old mine cut”): cut between roughly 1830 and 1920, before the modern brilliant facet pattern was codified. Geometry: fewer facets (typically 33 to 49 depending on cutter), a higher crown above the girdle, a smaller table relative to the diameter, and a steeper pavilion below the girdle. The high crown and small table mean more of the stone’s surface catches light at angled views, producing broad chunky flashes of colour (red, orange, blue) that shift across the table in distinct blocks as the stone tilts. The brilliance return is lower than a modern cut but the fire (the rainbow colour-play) is more pronounced and more visually distinctive under candlelight or warm indoor light.

Modern brilliant cushion: cut from roughly 1960 forward using updated facet geometry borrowed from the round-brilliant cut. Geometry: more facets (typically 58 to 64), a flatter crown, a wider table relative to diameter, and a shallower pavilion. The flatter crown and wider table mean more light enters and exits through the table, producing tighter pinpoint scintillation and a higher brilliance return that more closely resembles a round-brilliant. Less fire, more sparkle.

Both are commercially classified as “cushion cut”. A buyer arriving at an appointment with the phrase “I want a cushion” may end up with either. The decision is meaningful: the two styles have different visual characters, different price points, and different cultural associations.

The chunky-flash test

At the appointment, the test that distinguishes the two cushion styles in 30 seconds:

1. Indirect daylight. Hold the stone face-up under window light (not direct sun and not jewellery-shop spotlight, which both flatten the visual difference).
2. Slow tilt. Tilt the stone 15 to 20 degrees in both directions, watching the table.
3. Read the flash pattern. An antique cushion produces broad, distinct flashes of colour across large regions of the table, with the flashes shifting in chunky blocks as the stone tilts. A modern brilliant cushion produces small pinpoint sparkles distributed across the full table, with the scintillation pattern reading as a glittering field rather than discrete flashes.
4. Loupe confirmation. Under 10x loupe, the antique shows larger facets and a smaller table proportion; the modern brilliant shows smaller facets and a wider table.

Cushion pricing in May 2026

Modern brilliant cushion sits at roughly 23 to 25 percent below round-brilliant at matched 4Cs. Antique cushion sits at roughly 13 to 15 percent below round-brilliant, reflecting the 10 to 15 percent premium of antique over modern brilliant. The antique premium has held stable for over a decade, driven by finite supply (most antique stones predate 1920) and steady collector demand.

Square vs elongated cushion

Length-to-width ratio is the second cushion decision. Two competing preferences in SA in 2026.

• Square cushion (1.00 to 1.05): the traditional pillow shape that gave the cushion cut its name. Most-requested in bespoke commissions, particularly for antique cushion stones (almost all antique cushions are square). Reads as classic and timeless.
• Slightly elongated (1.05 to 1.15): minority preference, sits between square and elongated.
• Elongated cushion (1.15 to 1.30): gained meaningful share since 2017, when Meghan Markle’s engagement ring photographs featured a notably elongated cushion as the centre stone. Reads as more modern and visually elongating on the finger. The elongated cushion is almost exclusively modern brilliant cut (the antique stones are rarely in this ratio).
• 1.30+: reads as a rectangular radiant cut rather than a cushion; uncommon as commercial cushion.

Why cushion holds value better than other fancy shapes

Resale rates from our column’s informal tracking of SA private resale prices for diamond engagement rings sold 5 years after original purchase:

• Round-brilliant: typically 40 to 50 percent of original retail purchase price.
• Cushion cut (both styles): typically 35 to 45 percent of original retail purchase price.
• Oval: typically 30 to 40 percent of original retail purchase price.
• Pear: typically 28 to 38 percent of original retail purchase price.
• Marquise: typically 25 to 35 percent of original retail purchase price.
• Princess cut: typically 25 to 35 percent of original retail purchase price.

Two factors place cushion second only to round-brilliant in resale recovery. Demand stability: cushion has held roughly 9 to 11 percent of SA engagement-ring centre stones since 2015, with less trend-driven volatility than the elongated fancy shapes. The vintage and antique jewellery markets provide a secondary collector demand floor that the other fancy shapes lack. Manufacturing flexibility: cushion stones can be recut between antique-style and modern brilliant-style with relatively modest weight loss (typically 2 to 4 percent), giving wholesalers more options to reposition inventory.

Where to commission a cushion cut engagement ring in SA

For a bespoke commission with antique vs modern brilliant comparison, the working route is a Bedfordview wholesale workshop on appointment. The workshop sources 3 to 6 candidate cushion stones, typically a mix of antique and modern brilliant cuts, presents them for side-by-side chunky-flash inspection, and the buyer’s visual choice drives the final selection. Lead time 3 to 6 weeks.

Bedfordview workshops running the wholesale-to-public model carry both modern brilliant cushion inventory and, less frequently, certified antique cushion stones with provenance documentation.

For walk-in retail cushion selection, mid-tier independent jewellers at Hyde Park Corner and Melrose Arch occasionally carry certified modern brilliant cushion stones. Antique cushion stones are rarely stocked in chain retail; the supply concentrates in vintage-jewellery dealers in the Cape Town V&A Waterfront and in private dealer trade. Chain mall jewellers carry pre-set modern brilliant cushion rings at the entry bracket, often without specifying which cushion style is in the setting.

Common questions