Cushion Engagement Rings

The cushion cut is one of the oldest faceting styles in fine jewellery — its rounded corners and larger facets trace directly to the old mine cut of the nineteenth century, adapted over decades into the modern cushion we recognise today. It occupies a distinct position among engagement ring cuts: broader and softer in outline than a round brilliant, more romantic in character than a princess, with a warmth to its light return that suits both traditional and contemporary settings. This collection holds 411 cushion engagement rings, made to order in our Hatton Garden workshop in gold or platinum, with centre stones available as certified diamonds, coloured diamonds or gemstones.

The range spans simple four-claw solitaires through to more complex designs — halo settings like the Waverly Halo Diamond Engagement Ring at £1,548, which amplifies the cushion's already-generous outline, and nature-influenced shoulder treatments such as the Willow Diamond Engagement Ring at £1,155, where delicate pavé branches frame the centre stone. Coloured-stone variants — including sapphire, lab-grown emerald, and combinations of coloured and white diamonds — sit throughout the collection and reflect how naturally the cushion cut suits deeply saturated gemstones.

Every ring is finished by hand and hallmarked at the London Assay Office before dispatch. Diamonds in this collection are certified by GIA, IGI or HRD. Every order includes complimentary insured UK delivery, free resizing for life, and a lifetime warranty against manufacturing defects. The 30-day returns policy applies to stock pieces; bespoke and engraved orders are not returnable.

What is a cushion cut diamond?

The cushion cut is a square or rectangular diamond with softly rounded corners and a curved outline — the shape of a cushion, which is where the name originates. It is defined by its large, open facets rather than the dense, small facets of a modern round brilliant. Those larger facets produce a different optical character: broader flashes of light and colour, sometimes described as a "crushed ice" appearance in modern cushion cuts, or a more chunky, distinct sparkle in the classic modified cushion cut. Both exist in this collection.

The ratio of length to width determines whether the stone reads as square or rectangular. A length-to-width ratio of 1.00–1.05 produces a square cushion; anything above 1.10 begins to read rectangular. Most clients who want an elongated shape without the pointed ends of a marquise or pear will choose a cushion ratio between 1.15 and 1.25. The choice is a matter of personal preference and hand proportion — both perform the same optically; the difference is purely in silhouette.

How a cushion cut looks on the hand

The cushion cut has a generous face-up area relative to its carat weight. A 1.00ct cushion typically measures approximately 5.5mm across its face — slightly smaller than a 1.00ct round brilliant at around 6.5mm, because the cushion retains more of its weight in depth. This means that at the same carat weight, a cushion will appear marginally smaller face-up than a round, but the trade-off is its three-dimensional presence: the cushion looks substantial from all angles, not only from above.

The soft corners make the cushion sit visually wider than a princess cut of similar dimensions, and they avoid the vulnerable pointed tips of pear and marquise cuts. On a shorter or narrower finger, a square cushion reads as a classic square stone without the geometric austerity of a princess; on a longer finger, an elongated cushion creates a flattering horizontal spread. Settings with pavé shoulders — such as the Petite Luxe Twisted Vine Sapphire and Diamond Engagement Ring at £1,548 — extend that spread further and increase apparent finger coverage.

Best settings for a cushion cut

The cushion's rounded outline works with a wider range of settings than most cuts. A four-claw solitaire is the traditional choice — the claws sit at the corners and let the rounded sides breathe, maximising light entry from the sides. A halo setting, as in the Waverly Hidden Halo Diamond Engagement Ring at £1,417, encircles the cushion with a border of smaller diamonds that blend with the centre stone's outline and increase apparent size. The hidden halo places that border slightly beneath the girdle, so the cushion appears to float without visible halo from above.

Three-stone settings complement the cushion particularly well when the flanking stones echo its rounded form. The Luxe Rhiannon Three Stone Sapphire Engagement Ring at £1,771 pairs a cushion centre with tapered sapphire side stones — a combination that balances the warm character of the cushion with colour on the shoulders. Bezel and part-bezel settings offer a more modern register and additional protection for the stone's edges, making them a practical choice for clients with active lifestyles. Pavé shoulder designs such as the Arden Diamond Ring with Lab Emerald Accents at £1,312 add stone coverage along the band without altering the prominence of the centre stone.

Cushion cuts with coloured stones

The cushion's large, open facets make it one of the most effective cuts for displaying colour. Saturated gemstones — deep blue sapphires, vivid green emeralds, warm yellow sapphires — return colour evenly across the face because the broad facets do not fracture the hue into small, inconsistent flashes. This is why the cushion has historically been the preferred cut for coloured stone jewellery, and why it translates so well to coloured-centre engagement rings today.

Several designs in this collection pair a cushion-cut coloured centre stone with diamond-set shoulders or pavé accents. The Willow Ring With Sapphire Accents Engagement Ring at £1,221 and the Willow Ring With Lab Emerald Accents Engagement Ring at the same price frame cushion-cut coloured stones with botanical-style pavé shoulders. For a more formal three-stone treatment, the Luxe Rhiannon Three Stone Lab Emerald Engagement Ring at £1,705 places the cushion within a fully graduated stone composition. Lab-grown and natural coloured stones are both available; neither is presented as the preferable choice — the decision depends on the client's priorities.

How much does a cushion engagement ring cost in the UK?

Entry-level cushion engagement rings in this collection begin around £1,155 — the Nadia Sapphire and Diamond Engagement Ring and the Willow Diamond Engagement Ring both sit at this price point. The mid-range spans roughly £1,400–£2,000, covering halo and pavé shoulder designs in 18ct gold with higher total diamond weight. More complex multi-stone compositions such as the Luxe Secret Garden Lab Emerald and Diamond Engagement Ring at £2,728 reflect the additional setting work involved in elaborate coloured-stone and pavé designs.

For context, the UK average engagement ring spend is £2,247 (Bridebook, 2026), and this collection provides substantial choice across that range. The main cost variables for a cushion ring are carat weight (because the cushion retains more weight in depth, a given face-up size costs slightly less per millimetre than a round brilliant), metal choice, and the density of diamond work in the setting. Choosing a lab-grown diamond — available on request for any design — is the most direct way to increase carat weight at a given budget without changing the setting or metal.

Made to order at President Jewellers

Every ring in this collection is made to order at our Hatton Garden workshop. Lead time is 7–14 working days from order confirmation — straightforward solitaire and two-claw designs at the faster end, complex pavé, three-stone and bespoke commissions toward fourteen days. The process opens with a CAD rendering of the setting; where proportions need to be reviewed before metalwork begins, a silver or wax sample is available to try at the workshop. Casting, stone setting, finishing and polishing are carried out in-house; hallmarking follows at the London Assay Office.

If a loose certified diamond or gemstone is ordered separately from the ring, it is delivered within 5–7 working days; set into a ring, the combined schedule reverts to the 7–14 working day timetable. If you would like to see diamonds alongside a setting before committing — or to discuss a bespoke cushion design not represented in this collection — contact us to arrange an appointment at the workshop. All rings include complimentary insured UK delivery, free resizing for life, and a lifetime warranty. Resizing an existing cushion solitaire is straightforward; resizing a full-set band is not possible without rebuilding the setting, and this is noted at the time of order.

Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between a cushion cut and a round brilliant?

A round brilliant has 57 or 58 precisely proportioned facets arranged for maximum light return, resulting in intense, uniform sparkle. A cushion cut has a square or rectangular outline with rounded corners and larger, fewer facets that produce broader flashes of light and more visible colour dispersion. At the same carat weight, a round brilliant typically has a larger face-up diameter because less weight is buried in depth. The cushion appears slightly smaller face-up but offers a warmer, more textured light return and a more vintage-influenced outline — distinct optical characters rather than one being superior to the other.

Does a cushion cut show inclusions more than other cuts?

More so than a round brilliant, which uses its dense facet arrangement to mask minor inclusions effectively. The cushion's larger, open facets are more transparent to the eye, making inclusions easier to spot — particularly in the body of the stone rather than near the facet junctions. For cushion cuts, a clarity grade of VS2 or above is generally recommended for stones above 1.00ct if eye-cleanliness matters to the buyer. In smaller stones, SI1 inclusions are often invisible to the naked eye regardless of cut. All diamonds in this collection are certified by GIA, IGI or HRD, and clarity is noted on every certificate.

Can I have a cushion engagement ring with a coloured gemstone instead of a diamond?

Yes. The collection includes cushion-cut sapphire, lab-grown emerald and coloured diamond designs alongside colourless diamond options. Any setting in the collection can also be made to order with a different centre stone — natural or lab-grown — on request. The cushion is well suited to coloured stones because its large facets display saturated hues evenly. If you have a specific stone in mind, bring it to the Hatton Garden workshop or contact us before ordering; we can advise on carat and proportion before a CAD rendering is produced.

What metals are available for cushion engagement rings?

9ct, 14ct and 18ct gold in yellow, white or rose, plus 950 platinum. Yellow gold complements the warmer light return of the cushion cut and suits lower colour grades — G to J — without any loss of perceived whiteness. White gold and platinum are the right choice when a cool, bright metal is preferred or when a colourless diamond grade (D to F) is the priority. Platinum is denser and more resistant to long-term wear than gold; white gold achieves a similar colour through rhodium plating, which can be re-plated every two to three years as a routine service.

How long does a cushion engagement ring take to make?

7–14 working days from order confirmation at President Jewellers. The timeline begins with a CAD design, followed where appropriate by a silver or wax sample for review at the Hatton Garden workshop. Casting, stone setting and finishing take place in our UK workshop; hallmarking is completed at the London Assay Office before insured UK delivery. Simpler solitaire designs tend to be ready toward the seven-day end; multi-stone and heavily pavé-set designs are closer to fourteen days. If your order has a specific date requirement, contact us before placing it.

Are the diamonds in these rings independently certified?

Yes. Every diamond above 0.10ct in this collection is certified by GIA, IGI or HRD — three of the most widely recognised independent grading laboratories in the world. The certificate accompanies the ring on delivery and records the stone's carat weight, cut, colour and clarity grades, as well as any fluorescence. For cushion cuts specifically, the certificate also notes whether the stone is a standard or modified cushion brilliant — a distinction that affects its optical character and is worth confirming before purchase. Lab-grown diamonds carry equivalent certificates from the same laboratories.