Prepared by the Imperial Cushions editorial team. Laboratory terminology is retained where a report is cited; historical context and dealer judgment are identified as interpretation.
Old mine cuts and cushion brilliants can share a softly squared outline, yet their light behaviour is often very different.
Old mine character
Old mine stones commonly show larger, less uniform facets and slower flashes. Their culets may be visible and their outlines reflect individual hand work. They can feel intimate and architectural rather than mechanically symmetrical.
Cushion brilliant character
Modern cushion brilliants are generally cut with more repeatable symmetry and a more continuous pattern of scintillation. Some have crushed-ice areas; others show larger pavilion mains. The category itself contains many visual types.
Which should you choose
Choose according to the light pattern and personality you respond to, not the label alone. Compare stones in motion, at normal viewing distance and in more than one lighting environment.