The cushion cut diamond is one of the oldest shapes and cutting styles that has remained popular over the years. There are three types of cushion cut diamonds to know about: Old Mine Cut, Cushion Modified and Cushion Brilliant. While old mine cut diamonds are popular for those looking for an antique feel, today we will focus on the more modern Cushion Brilliant and Cushion Modified.

Cushion Cut diamonds combine a square cut or squarish-rectangular cut with rounded corners giving it a pillow-y look, hence the name! Typically these stones are less brilliant than Round Brilliant diamonds but often have more fire which many find appealing.

Personal preference plays a large part when selecting a cushion cut diamond. Modern cushion cuts may also have an extra row of facets of the pavilion which gives the stone a “crushed ice” look. These have been classified by the GIA as Cushion Modified- looking more similar to a radiant cut diamond vs a traditional cushion cut.

Which style do you prefer?

As noted by the New York Times, turquoise is rarely seen as a luxury gemstone.  Yet Paley still managed to catapult the semiprecious gem into the spotlight, starting a trend that went strong well into the ‘60s and ‘70s.  Turquoise took on an allure that was desired by modern high-end jewelry circles. Recently, turquoise is resurfacing: Eva Mendes and Cameron Diaz are among actresses, models, and socialites who have been spotted wearing turquoise in high-end designer pieces.

Of course, throughout the centuries, turquoise has been valued for its bright beauty by cultures ranging from Middle Eastern royalty to Native American tribes of the Southwest.  It had a brief moment of glory as a 1920s fashion craze, and artist Georgia O’Keefe adopted the Southwestern gem as her own.  But only in the second half of the 20^th century has turquoise come into its own as a gem suitable for high-end jewelry.

Turquoise has a complicated relationship with the fashion jewelry industry, in part due to the fact that turquoise is a bit on the rough side and not as rare as most high-end gems.  It is considered semiprecious, though inexpensive.  But over time, the merits of turquoise have become apparent: It complements many precious gems, is bright enough to stand out on its own, and has thousands of years worth of mythology behind it.

The color manifestations of turquoise include the recognizable bright blue, as well as other shades of light and medium blue and green.  In the U.S., Arizona and Nevada are the largest producers of turquoise; Iran, Sinai, and some East Asian countries also have significant mining activity.  For much of its known history, turquoise was considered to be holy by many cultures, including Ancient Egyptian and Persian empires that used it for protection against evil.

An echo from turquoise’s rich past has been heard by the modern jewelry world.  Babe Paley’s foray with turquoise turned out to be a game-changing moment for the jewelry industry.  Turquoise is now in the fashion jewelry trend cycle, but is it here for good?  Designers may lose interest (as they did in the ‘80s and ‘90s), but of history is any indicator, turquoise will bounce back as it has before.

More than 200 years after its discovery, palladium has gained popularity in the world of jewelry. One of the rarest metals in the world, palladium has only recently been in the spotlight by fine jewelry makers. The naturally white, oil-resistant metal is hypoallergenic, non-tarnishing and a member of the platinum group of metals.  These metals, which are resistant to corrosion and oxidization, are commonly referred to as “Noble Metal”.

Palladium shares its name with the asteroid Pallas and its namesake Pallas Athena, the Greek goddess of wisdom.  So why have jewelers only recently wised up to its starry charms?  Producers of the metal say that shifting a buyer’s attention away from the standards to market a new metal takes time and patience.  In an interview with the New York Times, a leader in the palladium industry explained that platinum took 15 years to be established as a metal “brand.”  Marketing palladium as an equal to other precious metals is a work in progress.

Palladium seems to be well on its way with its fast and trendy take on the traditional timelessness that is assigned to precious jewelry. Palladium engagement rings and wedding bands have spiked in popularity in recent years. While it may be similar to platinum and in the same group of metals, it is much lighter making it more affordable.

If you love diamonds, then you have probably heard it said that diamonds are the hardest mineral in nature.  This rock of ages got this reputation not because it’s “hard” to find, but because of a systematic means of testing it against other gemstones.

The Mohs Scale of Mineral Hardness gives a rating to various minerals by testing them for scratch resistance.  One mineral is scratched with another to determine which is harder:  The mineral with the least scratching after the test is the harder one.   A German geologist named Friedrich Mohs invented the scale in 1812.  However, this method (without the Mohs branding) has been employed all the way back to the days of ancient Greece.  The first mention of it was in the book “On Stones” in 300 B.C. by Therophrastus, a natural historian and successor to Aristotle as Athens’ lead philosopher.

The Mohs Scale has a rank order of 1 through 10, with talc, the softest mineral, at 1, and diamonds at 10.  This doesn’t mean that diamonds are 10 times harder than talc, however.  The true comparison is dictated by what’s called the absolute hardness of the mineral.  Talc has an absolute hardness of 1, while the next mineral on the Mohs Scale, gypsum, has an absolute hardness of 3 – meaning it’s three times as hard.  At the other end of the spectrum, diamonds have an absolute hardness of 1600.

Other minerals not on the scale fall anywhere between 1 through 10, including decimal places.  So if a mineral is scratched by (and thus softer than) topaz (8) but not quartz (7), it might have a ranking of 7.5, depending on the hardness of other similar minerals.  Since the original development of the scale, many more substances have been tested and given numbers that fall between the levels on the Mohs Scale.  These can be references for testing yet other minerals to see exactly where they fall.

Diamonds happen to be the hardest mineral and one of the most valuable, but the hardness of a gemstone isn’t a “hard and fast” rule for determining its value.   What it will tell you is how carefully you should treat the gemstone.  To get technical, diamonds are actually no longer the hardest mineral on Earth – that title belongs to two rare substances – mineral lonsaleite and quartzite boron nitride, both of which have a similar structure to diamonds, but are stronger and formed by chaotic geologic events.  Unless a meteorite strikes the ground or a volcano erupts – and someone happens to arrive with a pick axe – you’ll be on the waiting list for a long time.

With over a decade of experience in high-end jewelry, read below for the Charles Jewelry take on platinum vs gold:

Appearance and Maintenance
The striking sheen of platinum makes it the precious metal of choice for the highest quality jewelry. Unlike white gold which on occasion will be treated with Rhodium to maintain its appearance, the magnificent appearance of platinum stands on its own. The heavy weight, resistance to corrosion and durability of platinum make it a metal that will not wear away with constant use. Platinum is the strongest of jewelry metals. It can, however, scratch and develop a patina of wear. Many people find this look unique to platinum as well as very attractive. Soaking platinum in a solution of soap and warm water while gently scrubbing it with a soft-bristled brush at home is all that is required to maintain the metal’s luster. Buffing with a soft cloth will usually bring mildly scratched platinum jewelry to its pristine luster. For more severe scratches, a jeweler can easily polish your jewelry to bring back the original finish.

Gold has been the most sought after of precious metals through all the ages of man. Its value dates back to prehistoric times. It has served as money, a store of value, and as jewelry. Gold occurs as nuggets or grains in rocks. Gold will not tarnish, rust, or corrode. Gold should be kept away from harsh chemicals. Warm water and detergent-free soap may be used with a soft-bristled brush (a dull tooth brush works well) to clean gold jewelry.

If a person is allergic to nickel or other alloy metals then 18 karat, 22 karat or even pure gold may be their metal of choice. Gold filled or plated jewelry will serve for occasionally worn jewelry. Every day use of gold plated jewelry will wear down the gold layer. This may result in discoloration of your skin or an allergic reaction. For pieces that will last a lifetime, we suggest using the highest quality your budget allows.

Pricing
Platinum is far more precious than gold. The price of platinum varies with market conditions but normally is almost twice the price of 14K gold.

The value of gold jewelry is dependent upon the karat weight, as well as the design, construction and beauty of the piece.

With this being said, we suggest that no more than ten percent of your overall budget for an engagement ring (or any jewelry design) should go towards the metal components. For example, if your overall budget is $6,000 and you want to go with platinum, that will use up a significant portion of the budget versus going with white gold. The additional money saved can go towards making a bigger visual impact with diamonds, etc. which often times our clients prefer.

Composition
Platinum jewelry is classified by the amount of platinum it contains. Platinum content is measured in parts per thousand of metal composition. The number you will see shows how many parts per one thousand is pure platinum. If you see ’850 Plat’ marking, it has 850 parts platinum out of 1000 total parts.

Pure gold is considered too soft for jewelry use in Western society. Western cultures are concerned that pure gold jewelry will easily be scratched or deformed. In Western culture, gold is mixed with metals such as silver, copper, nickel, or zinc to give it strength and durability. Yellow Gold found in jewelry is most often 14k or 18k. Because 14k jewelry has less gold in its composition, its color is not as rich as 18k. 14k gold is often the composition of choice when strength and durability are desirable. Examples might be earring backs, bracelet clasps, or a gold necklace or religious chain that is to be worn every day.

Jewelry grade gold is created by mixing it with rhodium, nickel, or Palladium. To many, rhodium is the alloy of choice because of its tough hard shine. Nickel can be mixed with gold to create a white (gray) color, but it may cause dermatitis in people sensitive to it. Palladium may also be used to create white gold but is less commonly used to do so.

The “Karatage” of gold is shown with a number followed by “k”. This refers to its purity, or the amount of true gold included in the metal. 100% gold is traditionally referred to as 24 karat.

The addition of copper creates “Rose gold”. The addition of copper gives gold a beautiful pink color; the more copper, the deeper the effect.

The color of gold is determined by:
• The metal alloys with which it is mixed.
• The percentage of each metal alloy in the total composition of the piece.

What this all boils down to is that there is no right or wrong decision to be made when it comes to determining what metal to use. The most important factor when choosing what metal (or any other component) is being informed. Finding a jeweler that you trust and is willing to spend the time educating you on what options are available will ensure an end product that you will love forever.