Cushion Cut Tourmaline

The cushion cut perfectly complements tourmaline’s natural properties by maximizing color saturation through its pavilion faceting pattern that enhances light return. Its slightly deeper cut preserves more of the rough crystal’s weight while minimizing waste of this precious material. The soft, rounded corners of cushion cuts reduce tourmaline’s vulnerability to chipping—a practical advantage given its perfect cleavage planes. Additionally, this classic cutting style’s larger facets showcase tourmaline’s exceptional clarity and color zoning characteristics, creating a perfect balance between brilliance and color depth that particularly flatters tourmaline’s unique optical properties.

A cushion cut significantly enhances tourmaline’s color presentation through its distinct faceting pattern that maximizes light return from the pavilion while controlling the path length of light through the stone. This creates greater color saturation and improved brilliance compared to other cuts. The cushion’s larger facets allow more color appreciation, revealing tourmaline’s pleochroic nature where different colors appear when viewed from various angles. Expert cutters orient tourmaline rough to position the most valuable color face-up in the finished stone. For bicolor or tricolor tourmalines, a skilled cushion cut can dramatically showcase these natural color zones in aesthetically pleasing patterns.

For an exceptional cushion tourmaline, precise facet placement and polishing are paramount to maximize the stone’s natural brilliance and color. The critical crown angle must be optimized specifically for tourmaline’s refractive index (around 1.62-1.65) to create proper light return. Facet symmetry directly impacts value, with even the slightest irregularities reducing a stone’s worth. The pavilion depth requires careful calibration to enhance color without creating extinction areas (dark spots). A properly executed cushion cut features balanced proportions with length-to-width ratios between 1.05:1 and 1.20:1, creating the ideal canvas for displaying tourmaline’s remarkable color properties while maintaining optimal light performance.

Antique-style cushion cuts differ significantly from their modern counterparts in tourmalines. Traditional cuts typically feature larger, chunkier facets, higher crowns, and deeper pavilions that create a distinct vintage character with softer scintillation patterns. Modern cushion cuts employ more numerous, precisely arranged facets designed to maximize brilliance and light return while maintaining color saturation. While vintage cuts possess romantic appeal and often showcase tourmaline’s color zoning more dramatically, contemporary precision cuts typically command higher prices per carat for their superior light performance. Collectors often seek antique-cut tourmalines for their unique aesthetic and historical significance, while those prioritizing brilliance prefer modern cutting techniques.