Take classic glamour to the next level with a cushion-cut halo engagement ring.
The cushion-cut diamond has been beloved for over a century! With its rounded edges and soft square shape, the cushion-cut is experiencing a resurgence in popularity as couples throwback to the classics.
And what’s the perfect way to modernize a cushion-cut diamond? A halo! FYI: the now-obsessed-over halo engagement ring rose to popularity in the opulent Roaring Twenties as a glitzy way to show off a gorgeous center diamond.
A Cushion-Cut:
Shows off the clarity of your diamond
Radiates gentle grace and class
Gives engagement rings a romantic feel
A Halo:
Adds striking sparkle to any engagement ring
Draws attention to its center stone
Makes its center stone appear larger
Keep scrolling for our expert picks – the cushion-cut halo engagement rings at the crux of old-style charm and fresh glam:
Marquise Cluster
“The ring I purchased looks one-of-a-kind.” – Michael A.
Whether you’re a secret agent or a straight shooter, check out our pro tips for finding her engagement ring style.
Everyone has a personal style. Some are more understated than others and, therefore, harder to discern. Your job as Buyer of Rings, Proposer of Marriage, is to hone in on that style by whatever means necessary. Put on your detective hat and do some snooping around or straight up ask your partner what she’d like. Either way, finding her engagement ring style needn’t be a chore with our handy guide. Just pop on some good music and get sleuthing.
Finding Her Engagement Ring Style: Cut to the Chase
These days, it’s perfectly acceptable – preferable even – to bring your partner into the design process. No one knows the wearer’s style better than the wearer herself, so why not involve her in the decision making? Goodness knows, you’ll need all the help you can get when confronted with terms like pavé, halo, and tension! (That last one’s a setting style btw, not a headache.) By promoting your partner to Chief Ring Adviser, you’ll come across as the sensitive and considerate human being you are while eliminating much of the guesswork. It’s a win-win.
Now, the direct approach won’t work for everyone, mind you. Some customers – proposer and proposee alike – have their hearts set on a solo ring selection, culminating in the Big Reveal. To those irrepressible romantics, we say… read on!
Finding Her Engagement Ring Style: A Spy on the Wall
Like all good detectives, you’ve been waiting for the right case to come along; a case worthy of your powers of deduction. Finding her engagement ring style is right up there with #WhoBitBeyoncé and that whole Yanny vs Laurel thing – except the odds of you solving this one are far higher!
Seriously though, your partner’s online and offline activity might give away key clues about her ring preferences. If she has a Pinterest account, it’s worth checking to see if she’s created any boards with sparkle-related titles or pinned any specific rings. Assuming you have access to her Facebook account, check her profile and activity log for any ring posts she’s liked or shared.
What’s the Buzz?
Even if she’s been careful not to leave a digital trail, she may have confided in her best friend or sibling. Once you’ve got a sparkly bee in your bonnet, it’s almost impossible to keep it to yourself! Listen for subtle hints that might come up when she’s chatting with her inner circle, especially if the topic of celebrity engagement rings comes up.
Finding Her Engagement Ring Style: How She Rolls
When finding her engagement ring style, it often helps to draw on your own personal experience. Presumably, you’ve spent a fair bit of time with your SO and have gleaned an insight or two about her day-to-day.
What kind of lifestyle does she lead? If she has a job or hobby that requires her to wear gloves, she’d be better off with a setting that doesn’t have exposed diamonds on the band. Solitaire and channel-set rings are both practical options as they minimize the risk of the diamonds getting caught or falling out. A less hands-on lifestyle would allow for more exposed diamonds on the band – pavé being the obvious example.
Extra! Extra! Read All About It!
Vintage Inspired Floral Bouquet Engagement Ring
Spiral Tension Set Engagement Ring
If your girl is more Devil Wears Prada than Devil Wears Nada, you might consider a more daring setting. Pay close attention to her wardrobe. If she dresses to impress and won’t touch anything unless it’s by a top designer, go for something with character, such as a vintage engagement ring or hyper-modern tension ring.
If, on the other hand, her idea of glamour is a pair of old jeans and a t-shirt, we’d recommend opting for something simple like a baguette side-stone engagement ring. Understated yet elegant.
If none of the above tips speak to you, no one would fault you for playing it safe and going with a classic style such as a solitaire. This is essentially a single center diamond mounted on a plain setting. Solitaires are considered classics for a reason: they work with practically any individual style and never go out of fashion.
Once you’ve figured out your setting style, it’s time to consider the diamond shape. If you have even the slightest doubt about what shape to get, you can’t go wrong with a round cut. Round-cut diamonds are by far the most popular shape for engagement rings, owing to their perfect geometry and abundant sparkle. These timeless classics are tried and true, but if it’s a little more edge you’re after, a princess or cushion-cut diamond should suffice.
Walk a Mile in Her Style
How did you manage to pinpoint your partner’s style preference?Did you go undercover or were you upfront about it? Let us know in the comments below or over onInstagram, Facebook, Snapchat, or Twitter.
For more invaluable ring-buying tips and tricks, check out the previous posts in our men’s FAQ series.
Pin the style on your fiancée!
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Jonny is passionate about puns, adores alliteration, and finds diamonds positively facet-nating! Since joining James Allen, he has written the word 'sparkle’ 9,732 times and counting.
Cushion cut diamonds are the chic descendant of the historic old mine cut. A square shape with rounded corners, these pillow-shaped diamonds are a total dream.
The cushion brilliant cut features 58 facets that reflect and refract light, carrying its antique romantic charm into the 21st century.
Fleur De Lis Pavé Engagement Ring
Originally, cushion cut diamonds were designed to catch the beauty of candlelight in the 18th century (A.K.A. when every dinner was a candlelit dinner).
Almost every engagement ring featured a sparkling cushion cut diamond until the early 1900s. In the century that followed, cushion cut diamonds went through a gorgeous renaissance.
Comfort Fit Solitaire Engagement Ring
Among those who have chosen cushion cut allure for their engagement rings? Celeb powerhouses including Sofia Vergara, Kelly Rowland, Jessica Biel, Kim Kardashian, and Bar Refaeli.
Make sure the corners and sides of the diamond are symmetrical to achieve ideal sparkle! For surefire harmony, choose a True Hearts cushion cut from our premier collection of perfectly symmetrical diamonds.
Frame Halo Vintage Engagement Ring
Standard or Modified Cushion Cut Diamonds?
Modified cushion cuts have an extra row of facets on their pavilion, which gives them a kind of “crushed ice” look. To the untrained eye, standard and modified cushion cut diamonds look mostly identical.
If you’re obsessed with one (or more!) of these rings, let us know in the comments below, or on our social channels:Instagram, Facebook, Snapchat, or Twitter.