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Those are my favorite selection from James Allen, you can click through those items to watch their 3D videos and get more info, Enjoy.

My special lady and I were excited as we searched many fine jewellery stores with the intent of purchasing an engagement ring for her. We wanted to see a selection of cushion cut engagement rings but unfortunately, most of the establishments we visited had just one or two to show us.

We had given this important purchase some serious consideration as of course, this ring would symbolize our relationship with each other – as well as being an investment. Also, as my lady will wear her ring for the rest of her life, I felt that she should have the style of cushion cut engagement ring she desired.

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Visit the James Allen online jewelry store.

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Of course, there are many types of lovely rings in the stores but if you want a particular setting and cut of gemstone, you might need to have it custom-made.  But how do you find a skilled and reputable gemologist who would create a cushion cut engagement ring to your own specifications and who would be sufficiently sensitive to one’s needs to understand what was wanted? It got me wondering – how many other couples run into this problem?

I continued my search on the Internet and, after much reading, wrote off most of the sites one by one! And finally, my search found gold! I found James Allen’s online jewellery store. There was a large range of cushion cut engagement rings for us to examine – which we did! Our memorable experience is one that I’d like to share with you, if you find yourself in the same position as I was.

James Allen Jewelry was established in 1998 with a single objective; to offer the world’s most beautiful engagement rings, coupled with the finest laboratory-graded diamonds – and all at an extraordinary value. James Allen has succeeded in that objective. The purchase of our cushion cut engagement ring at James Allen was a significant experience for us as the risks of buying it online were immediately eliminated, simply because we could see exactly what it was that we were getting. We found that,

• Selecting our ring was simple because of the 3D videos where we could view the loose diamonds, mounted in settings as well as on a model’s hand – and because each of James Allen’s diamonds is pictured individually, you can view the actual stone through a “Virtual Loupe.”  Each diamond is magnified to such a degree that you can spot any “inclusions” or carbon specks within the diamond and we were able to create our own perfect cushion cut engagement ring  without any hesitation;
• you can see each individual component of your ring by clicking on your preferred setting, the precious metal to be used, the design and the stone itself by the four “C’s” (color, cut, clarity and carat). And best of all, you can actually create the exact ring you’ve dreamed of.

Watch an example of those amazing 3D videos:

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For more videos and ring styles click here (click 3HD to watch).

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The origin of the diamonds was important to us, given the world-wide publicity concerning “blood” diamonds. We were relieved to know that the diamonds at James Allen are certified as conflict-free – legally obtained without using child labor, without any abuse of human rights and without affecting the environment.

We asked many questions and all were fully answered by James Allen’s experts – at no time were we pressured to buy and did not feel rushed – just excellent customer service! We felt that James Allen Jewelers sincerely wanted us to be delighted with our purchase of our cushion cut engagement ring and that we enjoy the experience we had when shopping with them.

We had some questions concerning warranty and were advised that there is a thirty day, 100% guarantee of our money back if we were not satisfied with our purchase. And there is also a lifetime warranty which means that if our cushion cut engagement ring needs repair or an inspection to ensure the diamond is secure, we can send it to them and they will take care of any problems. They will even re-size it for you within sixty days or purchase – at no charge!

As our ring was an online purchase, we were concerned about shipping and security. We were told that every item shipped within the United States – in fact, world-wide – was sent with full insurance and James Allen also provides order status updates and tracking information on all shipped jewellery.

Payment was made very easy for us and James Allen offered a variety of ways for us to pay for our cushion cut engagement ring. We could use wire transfer, certified personal check or money order in addition to all major credit cards, like American Express, Visa, MasterCard and Discover.

So friends – that was our experience with James Allen Jewelers. Positive from first to last! We would recommend this website to anyone who is searching for that special piece of jewellery, especially cushion cut engagement rings because without a doubt, they had the best selection to choose from. Their website is attractive and they are staffed with experts in the jewellery field who stand firmly behind what they sell. I appreciated the advice they gave us on the types, colors and cuts of their diamonds as well as some fascinating information about the art of diamond cutting.

And if you are still reading this, it means that you are interesting in purchasing a particular piece of jewelry and are perhaps searching for a place where you can do just that. This, without a doubt, is the place – please search no more!

And as for my lady – does she still love her cushion cut engagement ring? Most definitely and she now has a wedding ring to go with it – purchased online, of course, from James Allen Jewelry.

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Click here to visit James Allen online jewelry store

Cushion cut engagement rings are all the rage these days.

Perhaps one of the most famous cushion cut engagement rings of all time was the 5.73-carat sapphire and diamond masterpiece worn by the late Princess Diana and princess-to-be Kate Middleton. The rounded corners and larger facets really enhance the brilliance of this perfect gemstone.

Country singer LeAnn Rimes was also won over by the cushion cut engagement rings style. Her 5-carat ring led her to Perkins Chapel in Texas, where she wore her stylish Vera Wang dress to wed dancer Dean Sheremat with an intimate gathering of 150 attending. Later, it was sushi and beef tenderloin at Four Seasons Hotel. We can’t hold it against the ring that her first marriage didn’t work out… but perhaps that shows the power that eye-catching cushion cut engagement rings can have!

Nicolette Sheridan also loves the cushion cut engagement rings, which are so good at showcasing a huge rock if you’re fortunate enough to buy or receive one! Her $22,000 diamond is definitely cut to impress. Diamond enthusiasts say the round shape signifies trust and fidelity, along with traditional values.

Other fans of cushion cut engagement rings include Alissa Milano, Jennifer Garner, Ivanka Trump, Danielle Deleasa, Salma Hayek, Gwenyth Paltrow, Jennifer Lopez, Heidi Klum and Mena Suvari. If you’re looking for that celebrity style, cushion cut engagement rings are definitely something to consider.

Generally speaking, cushion cut engagement rings are a little cheaper than Brilliant Cut, since they employ 60 cuts, rather than 80. Nevertheless, you’ll find that cushion cut engagement rings have a soft sparkle in low light settings, which is simply mesmerizing.

Are you trying to decide whether cushion cut engagement rings are right for your sweetheart? Please download my free guide (fill your details at the right side bar), This is certainly a big decision for you and you want to get it just right!

My new engagement ring buying guide is available for download (free).

It is a short read and will give good tips on buying engagement rings.

Because buying an engagement ring is an expensive investment and most people doesn’t know much about diamonds, the guide covers most of the doubt that people got when they come to buy a ring.

It basically uncovers the advantage that jewelry shops got on a regular person. You don’t know how much you should pay !!!, and they use it.

Did you know that most of jewelry shops make a profit of between 100%-300%.

That is why I strongly suggest you read that guide, and even if you get the smallest thing that will help you, then I know it did the job.

To download the guide fill your name and e-mail on the right side and enjoy reading the guide.

*** If the guide didn’t answer some of your questions, please post them here and I will both answer and add those to the guide.

A few days ago my friend asked me to help him buy an engagement ring, he was planning to propose during their coming trip to Italy. He insisted to get a ring at a local store, even though I told him that buying at a store is more expensive than buying online. We took a laptop with us so we can compare prices between the store and online.

My favorite ring was an amazing cushion cut engagement ring, unfortunately, his favorite ring at the store was set with a round center stone (similar to the one in the picture), with channel side stones. The center diamond was 0.50ct G VS costs $ 7746.

My friends budget was $2000, maybe he could go a bit higher but not to $7K.

I told him that if he really likes the design of this ring He can get the same with a smaller diamond. They had in the store the same ring with 0.16ct diamond and a 0.25 ct. But after he saw 0.50 ct he was so fascinated, it was difficult for him to go for smaller diamond.

A quick browse online We found a similar design, with 0.50ct diamond (G VS) which costs only $2300.

What do you think, which ring did my friend got eventually? You would think that he went for the online one, but no, He went for the 0.16 ct at a local store which costs him $2250.

He felt better buying there even though there were no risk buying online from a known brand.

This is the first ring I present to you, which I think it is beautiful, it is an 18k White gold engagement ring set with pave setting on the side. It can be set on the center with a cushion cut diamond.
This design has a vintage look & feel and a thick band of 2.5 – 3.5 mm set with 12 round diamonds on the sides and one center stone (ring price does not include center diamond).

Click here for this ring on James Allen.

Best 1.00 Carat G-VVS2 Ideal Cut Cushion Diamond to fit the above ring.

This is a cushion cut diamond G color, VVS2 clarity with Ideal proportions. The diamond has a grading report from GIA.

Price: $4,220 Shape: Cushion Certificate: GIA The 4c’s: Carat weight: 1.00 Cut: Ideal Color: G Clarity: VVS2 Diamond proportion: Depth: 69.6% Table: 57.0% Polish: Very Good Symmetry: Good Girdle: Medium to very thick, faceted. Fluorescence: None Measurements: 6.22 x 5.23 x 3.64 Ratio: 1.19

Click here for this diamond on James Allen.

Were you ever wondering how the price of a cushion cut engagement ring is determined, knowing that can help you get a better price or a bigger diamond in the same price.
The price consists of many variables, following are the most common ones:

- Weight of the gold.
- Labor.
- Design – If it was designed by a famous designer.
- Diamonds and other precious stones – The price of the stones set in the ring.

In gold diamond rings the price is mostly affected by the price of the diamonds especially the center stone and other precious stones that are set on the ring. Better quality will result in a higher price (sometimes even way high), that’s why it is very important to know what are the diamond types that exist. You can choose a diamond which is a bit lower in quality (barley visible to the untrained person) and get a better price for it or choose a larger diamond which is in the same price.

There are 4 variables affecting the quality and price of a diamond – the 4 C’s – Carat, Clarity, Color and Cut.

Carat – The diamonds weight is measured in carats. Where 1 carats = 0.2 grams = 0.00705 ounces.
It is important to know that a 2 carat cushion cut engagement ring is not double the price of a 1 carat cushion cut engagement ring of the same quality. For example: one large 5 carats diamond costs more then five pieces of 1 carat diamonds.

For more information on Carat from James Allen web site click here.

Clarity – The clearer the diamond the more expensive it will be. Because a diamond is allotrope of carbon, some carbon left during the crystallization process. It looks like small dots (inclusions), most of them are invisible to the naked eye.

The quality grading is as follows:
IF – Internally flawless or to be more exact LC (loope clean), it is flawless if it is enlarged by max 10x).
VVS1, VVS2 – Very very small inclusion (one and two inclusions).
VS1, VS2 – Very small inclusion. (almost not visible to the naked eye)
SI1, SI2 – Slightly included.
I1, I2, I3 – Included.

For more information on Clarity from James Allen web site click here.

Color – Diamond colors are running from colorless to yellow on a scale from D to Z. This is very tricky because some of the colors are difficult to see for the untrained person. The best way to see the color of the diamond is by placing it on a folded white paper. It is more difficult even to see the color of the diamond when it is mounted on a ring.

Color scale:
D, E, F – Colorless
G, H, I – Near colorless – (almost not visible to the untrained eye).
J, K,L,M – Faint yellow
N, O, P, Q, R – Very light yellow.
S, T, U, V, W, X, Z – Light yellow

For more information on Color from James Allen web site click here.

Cut – The cut represents the quality of the polishing of the diamond, The grading of the cut are running from ideal cut to poor. The difference is visible by the brilliance of the diamond (the idea is to reflect back as much light as possible from the top of the diamond). Some of the rough diamond are selected for lower quality cut because it maintains more weight.

Ideal
Premium
Very Good
Good
Fair & Poor

For more information on Cut from James Allen web site click here.

So before buying a cushion cut center diamond engagement ring or any diamond decide what quality of diamond do you prefer because sometimes going for a bit lower quality diamond which is not visible to the untrained eye, will allow you to get a higher weight diamond in the same price.

I hope the information in this post helped you get some more understanding of what are the types of diamonds that exists on the market, and even make a wiser decision before buying a diamond.

The cushion diamond shape was very popular during the mid 1800s through the early 1900s which during this period most of the diamonds were cut this way to preserve more of the weight of the diamond. These days the original cushion cut is very rare and it can be found mostly on antique cushion cut engagement rings, but you can find contemporary cushion cut which is more symmetrical and gaining new found popularity. The cushion cut engagement ring is sought after by those who desire a unique diamond cut of which very few people possess.

The cushion cut diamond is also known by other name as the pillow cut, candlelight diamond or the old mine cut. Its general shape is square to rectangle with rounded corners with 58 facets which are designed to create one of the most brilliant diamond cuts, which shows its brilliancy even in candle light because of the high level of returning light. Returning light is the most important in any diamond shape because the whole idea of the diamond cut is to have as more light as possible returns from the crown of the diamond. A very brilliant diamond looks very good on an engagement ring, especially a cushion cut engagement ring.

Cushion cut solitaire engagement ring – Cushion cut diamonds are still rare in contemporary rings therefore it works well as a solitaire diamond ring as a central unique gem. The most common ring settings for a cushion cut is the prong setting that hold the diamond without obscuring its beauty and shape, making it a very beautiful cushion cut engagement ring.