It’s rare to come across a perfect cushion however this diamond of the week most definitely has it all. Here we have a 3+ carat elongated cushion cut diamond. Firstly, the fact that it is elongated means you achieve a better face to weight ratio on the center stone. Oftentimes cushion cut diamonds are cut too deep or even to shallow and therefore will look smaller than their actual weight and causing light leakage or a milky stone which does not have a nice brilliance or shape to it.

Having an elongated cushion with a proper depth percentage gives you the right face up ratio and the perfect amount of sparkle. An elongated cut of almost any stone gives a graceful effect when worn on the hand as it mimics the shape of a finger and still looks its size. The cut of this cushion gives a crisp clean look with beautifully clear facets.

This particular diamond is a GIA certified F color and SI1 clarity which is the perfect combination of specifications. The first thing you usually notice on any diamond is its size and shape along with color. Clarity normally needs to be determined under magnification unless we are talking about heavily Included diamonds. With this stone being three carats you certainly notice it’s size and the fact that it is a colorless stone makes the deal even better as it would be impossible to detect any trace of yellow in this stone.

The Slightly included clarity range is where majority of our customers find a large amount of value. While imperfections are difficult to detect to the naked eye it allows consumers to slightly compromise on one specification category in order to go for a higher color grade or larger carat size which is easier to detect without magnification. While this 3 carat cushion is an SI1 it is a very good SI1. No two diamonds are created equal. One SI1 stone can be graded as such because there are many clouds causing a glassy look (see comparison image below). However, this stones inclusions do not affect the brilliance of the diamond and allow for a crystal clear appearance. Finding a beautiful SI1 is not easy- that’s why it is so important to see visuals such as videos on any diamond you purchase. It would be impossible to tell based on a GIA certificate alone that one SI1 is better than another since clouds cannot actually be viewed on the certificate’s inclusion map.

We hand pick through a variety of diamonds before putting together a perfect selection of stones that will satisfy our customers. Anyone who knows diamonds understands that many times stones cannot be judged solely based on their grades. It’s the things that don’t show up on the certificate, such as very well placed inclusion, than can make an SI1 diamond look like a Flawless stone to the naked eye. Don’t be a consumer that pays for an SI1 stone and never actually sees or compares it via Internet video or in person to another diamond with similar specifications. At Lauren B we essentially do all the work for you and allow you to see firsthand how the diamond performs compared to other options.