Cushion cut
Square, or Not Square
No other shape name covers this much ground. A 1.00 cushion and a 1.30 cushion are both correctly described as cushions, and nobody buying online is told which one is on the way.
Written by the Mapple Gems workshop, Surat Β· Updated 30 August 2026
Short answer
Divide the length by the width from the measurements line. 1.00β1.05 is a true square cushion; 1.05β1.15 is the soft square most people picture; 1.15β1.30 reads as a clearly elongated or "rectangular" cushion. All three are sold under the same word. Square cushions suit halos and wide bands and flatter longer fingers; elongated cushions lengthen a shorter finger and take a straight band more easily.
Ratio matters on every fancy shape, but on a cushion it does something it does not do elsewhere: it changes what the shape fundamentally is. An oval at 1.35 and an oval at 1.50 are both recognisably ovals. A cushion at 1.00 and a cushion at 1.30 look like two different shapes that happen to share a name, and buyers who did not specify frequently receive the one they did not have in mind.
This sits alongside the faceting problem β crushed ice or chunky β as the second undocumented variable on the least standardised shape in use.
Working it out
Take the measurements line from the report: length Γ width Γ depth in millimetres. Divide the first number by the second. A 6.60 Γ 6.30mm cushion is 1.05. A 7.40 Γ 5.90mm cushion is 1.25. Same weight, entirely different outlines.
Because a cushion is close to square at the low end, small changes in the figure move the look more than they would on a long shape. On an emerald cut, 1.40 to 1.45 is barely noticeable. On a cushion, 1.02 to 1.12 is the difference between square and visibly not square.
The bands
| Ratio | Usually called | How it reads | Suits |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1.00β1.05 | Square cushion | Genuinely square with soft corners; antique | Halos, wide bands, longer fingers |
| 1.05β1.15 | Soft square | The default mental image of a cushion | Almost everything; the safe choice |
| 1.15β1.30 | Elongated or rectangular cushion | Clearly longer than wide; modern | Shorter fingers, solitaires, straight bands |
| Above 1.30 | Cushion, but reading as an oval | The rounded corners stop registering | Rare; usually better served by an oval |
The last row is worth taking seriously. Past about 1.30 most people stop reading the stone as a cushion at all and see a soft-cornered oval. If that is the look you want, an actual oval is easier to source, easier to band and better documented β the comparison is in oval vs cushion cut.
Ratio, size and the hand
At a fixed carat weight, a squarer cushion is broader and an elongated one is longer. A 2.00ct square cushion sits around 7.2 Γ 7.0mm; the same weight at 1.25 lands nearer 7.9 Γ 6.3mm.
Square cushions therefore cover more of the finger side to side, which reads as substantial on a longer, more slender hand and can look bulky on a short one. Elongated cushions borrow length, which flatters a shorter finger. It is the same logic as every other shape, but the range is wider here, so the effect is more pronounced. If you are weighing size across shapes, which shapes look biggest for the carat covers the broader picture.
From our bench in Surat
Cushion is the shape we ask the most questions about before quoting, and it is because two numbers are missing from almost every enquiry: ratio and faceting. Someone asks for a two carat cushion and there are perhaps six meaningfully different stones that answer the description. We would rather ask twice than build the wrong one.
The concession: neither figure appears on our product pages. Carat is there, millimetres are not, faceting style is not. On a shape this loosely defined that is a bigger gap than it would be on a round, and we know it. Ask and we will send both for any specific stone β and ask whoever else you are considering, because the answer tells you quickly whether they have the stone in hand.
Where ratio meets the rest of the ring
- Halos. A square cushion in a halo is the classic combination and the reason many people want the shape at all. An elongated cushion in a halo starts to look like an oval halo, which is a different ring.
- Wedding bands. Elongated cushions band more easily β less curve meets the straight edge. Square cushions with a low setting often manage it too, but check.
- Band width. Square cushions carry a wider shank; elongated ones look better on something narrower.
- Corners. Rounded corners mean no vulnerable points and no corner prongs required, which is one of the shape's genuine practical advantages over an emerald or princess cut.
What to specify
- Ratio as a range, not a figure. "1.05 to 1.12" is answerable; "1.08" is not.
- Length and width in millimetres for the actual stone.
- Faceting style in the same sentence β the two together define the stone.
- Whether the corners are tightly or generously rounded, which varies more than people expect.
- A hand shot if the ratio is above 1.20, since it changes the look considerably.
- Side elevation if a straight wedding band matters to you.
Keep reading
Crushed ice or chunky: how to tell before you buy
Frequently asked questions
What is the best ratio for a cushion cut?
1.05 to 1.15 β the soft square β is what most people picture when they say cushion, and the safest choice if you are buying without seeing the stone. It is not a quality judgement: no laboratory grades ratio, so a 1.00 or a 1.25 is equally well cut. It simply looks different.
What is the difference between a square and an elongated cushion?
Only the ratio. A square cushion sits at 1.00 to 1.05 and looks genuinely square with soft corners; an elongated cushion at 1.15 to 1.30 is clearly longer than it is wide. Both are sold simply as "cushion", which is why the figure has to be specified rather than assumed.
Does the ratio affect the price?
Not directly, because it is not a quality grade. Very square cushions are sometimes a little dearer because they are harder to source in a given weight, and unusually elongated ones can be softer because demand is thinner. In a made-to-order piece, specifying your ratio should cost nothing.
Which cushion ratio suits a halo?
Square or soft square, 1.00 to 1.12. The halo traces the stone's outline, so a square centre gives the classic cushion halo look. Above about 1.20 the halo starts reading as an oval halo instead, which may not be what you were after.
Is the ratio printed on the certificate?
Not as a stated figure, but the measurements it is calculated from always are. Divide the length by the width. Fancy shapes receive no cut grade either, so proportion is not assessed for you on a cushion at all.
Tell us the ratio and the faceting
Two numbers and one word, and we can build exactly the cushion you have in mind rather than the one that happens to be in stock.
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