A cushion cut diamond is the perfect answer for those torn between round brilliant and princess or square cut diamonds. Cushion cut diamonds were once the standard cut for diamonds, before round brilliant cuts took over. With their soft, rounded corners, cushion cut diamonds bridge the gap between round brilliant cuts and princess cuts. At Schwanke-Kasten Jewelers, we have a beautiful array of GIA certified cushion cut diamonds for your engagement ring or jewelry piece.
PROS & CONS of Cushion Cut Diamonds
Jewelers and recipients alike, enjoy this design for its classic and timeless aesthetic. Furthermore, gemologists have determined these cuts to have the most dispersion of light, or fire. Additionally, the jewelry market typically prices round brilliant cut diamonds higher than cushion cut for two reasons.
Demand
Less waste
However due to the deeper cut needed for this design, you
will need to overcompensate with a larger stone than anticipated.
Chunky vs Crushed Ice: Jewelers refer to these two terms when talking about the back facets and light reflections. If the light reflections appear in broad flashes, it refers to “chunky” aesthetic, if it appears as broken glass
“Chunky”
“Crushed Ice”
Length-to-Width Ration: Cushion cuts can come in “square” ratios as well as varying rectangle ratios. We should mention that you ought to avoid a length to width ration between 1.06 to 1.10.
Standard vs Modified Brilliant Cushion Cuts: Beginning in the 1920’s, diamond cutters added an extra row of facets beneath the girdle. However there is minimal affect on the beauty or structural integrity of the diamond.
Depth and Table: look for a cushion cuts with a depth and table under 70%. As well as symmetry and polish that is very good or excellent.
CARAT WEIGHT:
As we previously mentioned, cushion cuts tend to appear smaller than their round counterparts due to the depth of the cuts. That being said, if size is an issue, you may have to go larger than anticipated.
COLOR:
Cushion cuts show more color than round brilliant but this effect is negated by their brilliance and dispersion. However, we suggest looking for cushion cuts with color grades of I or higher.
CLARITY:
Schwanke-Kasten Jewelers tell shoppers to choose
clarity grades of SI1 or higher as the integrity of the stone is not
compromised as well as the aesthetic.
Email, text or call Schwanke-Kasten
Jewelers today to learn more about cushion cut diamonds and how to set up a
free consultation with one of our highly trained sales associates.
Gemologists rank green diamonds as among the most rare of the naturally colored diamonds. These marvelously beautiful and unique diamonds have been exposed to cosmic radiation over its million year formation. Other colored diamonds tend to have an additional element such as hydrogen as an inclusion. Please note, holding a green diamond will not make your finger fall off as the radioactive half-life has long since passed by the time it has been found. Diamonds with the natural colors of green, blue or red account for less that 0.07% of all diamonds examined by the GIA.
Green Diamond Formation
As we mentioned before, green diamonds form due to radioactive
materials being present during its formation. Moreover, these materials could
be uranium or thorium. Geologist have concluded that radiation penetrates the
diamond crystal and can knock electrons or carbon atoms out of the specific
crystal lattice. This often appears as a shallow “green” skin on the outside of
the diamond, but uniform green throughout the diamond can exist although it is
much rarer.
Furthermore, because electrons and carbon atoms are displaced in the crystal lattice, the way light enters and is refracted is affected. Hence the green portion of the visible color spectrum is reflected while the rest are absorbed and gives the diamond that appearance.
Additionally, diamonds can also have structural defects due to the presence of nitrogen, hydrogen or nickel atoms that may give the diamond its green appearance. However, natural irradiation is much more common.
Fancy Color Scale:
As for all natural colored diamonds, they follow a similar color grading scale: faint green, very light green, light green, fancy light green, fancy green and fancy intense, vivid and deep. For green diamonds, the more intense, vivid or deep the natural color is, the more expensive the stone is.
Diamond cutting:
As we mentioned before, often times green diamond color is very shallow, so this presents diamond cutters with a problem. How to maximize the natural green color in an exceptionally rare diamond.
Famous Green Diamonds
In fact, Christie’s Auction sold the Aurora Green diamond in 2016 for $16.2 million. The sale made it the most expensive green diamond as well as the largest Fancy Vivid Natural Green Diamond.
At Schwanke-Kasten Jewelers, we pride ourselves on being South Eastern Wisconsin’s go-to jewelry store for all natural diamond jewelry. Stop by our beautiful Whitefish Bay location just north of Milwaukee to see our beautiful selection of diamond necklaces, rings, and bracelets! Additionally, Schwanke-Kasten Jewelers also carries GIA certified diamond engagement rings.
Engagement ring settings refers to how the diamond (or
center stone) is attached to the ring and sure-enough, there are many ways to
do so. At Schwanke-Kasten
Jewelers, we carry an wide array of engagement rings with various settings.
ENGAGEMENT RING SETTINGS
PRONG SETTING:
The most common settings you’ll find in the market are four and six prong settings on solitaire diamonds. Jewelers prefer this setting because it elevates the diamond, showcasing the stones fire and brilliance while offering a clean, timeless look that is easy to maintain. The pieces of metal that hold the center stone in place (the prongs) often have a rounded, points, flat or v-shape. These metal prongs extend up and gently fold over the diamond to secure it in place. Whats the benefits over one or the other? Simply put, a four prong setting will show off more of the diamond while six prongs will make the diamond more secure. Additionally, six prong settings make the diamond appear more round (versus square with a four prong). Prong settings in general use less metal than other settings, so either way they will be more visible.
Vada Engagement Ring from Naledi – 6 Prong Setting, Round Brilliant Diamond with 18k White Gold Prongs and 18k Rose Gold Mounting
However, because the diamond is elevated, should you have an active lifestyle or wear lots of loose fitting clothing, you will run a heightened risk of the setting getting snagged on clothing. So we recommend having annual “check-ups” with this type of setting.
TIFFANY SETTING
A special six prong setting scientifically developed by the
famed light blue box jeweler Tiffany & Co., in 1886. This setting maximizes
the light returned on the diamond by using a knife edge of its shaft and design
of its prongs. The benefits and cons are similar to your standard prong
setting.
CATHEDRAL SETTING
Jewelers consider the cathedral setting as one of the more elegant and classic engagement ring settings. While the center stone may be set using prongs, tensions or bezel settings, what defines this setting is really the arches mounted above the rest of the shank. These arches add additional height making the stone appear larger and more accentuated. That height, however, comes at the added risk of being snagged on clothing, furniture and other objects.
BEZEL SETTING
Due to its modern look and suitability for active lifestyles, the bezel setting is quickly becoming a popular style. Instead of elevating the diamond with prongs, jewelers use a metal rim custom-fitted to encircle, either fully or partially, the center stone in place. The absence of prongs will no longer snag on clothing as well as protects the diamond very well. However, with extra protection comes more center stone being hidden and less light being allowed in.
Claire Ring Design by Naledi – 18k White Gold, Bezel Setting with Round Brilliant Cut Diamond
CHANNEL SETTING
Often times jewelers set smaller diamonds on the shank or band of the ring to enhance the ring’s overall sparkle while minimizing snagging opportunities and maximizing stone security. Using grooves in a metal channel (or row), the stones are set, flush against each other. The downside, is that it is difficult to clean within the grooves as well as resize.
PAVE SETTING
While very similar to the channel setting, jewelers will drill holes into the ring, place the stones into the ring then form tiny beads (prongs) around each stone to secure them. Pave settings provide additional brilliance and sparkle to highlight the center stone, more so than channel setting, but is much more difficult to resize that a channel set ring.
Martin Flyer Cutdown Halo Engagement Ring – 14k white gold, 4 prong center stone setting, micropave set diamonds in halo and shanks.
If diamonds are smaller than .01 carat, it is called micro-pave,
which you see often with our Martin
Flyer collection.
HALO SETTINGS
At Schwanke-Kasten Jewelers, we carry many engagement rings using halo settings as they provide a beautiful way to make a smaller carat center stone bigger or a lesser quality center stone more vibrant. This setting refers to smaller stones encircling the center stone, like a…wait for it, halo (or doughnut). The downside of halo settings is that it may become hard to resize but it adds additional security to the center stone as well as can provide contrast if you decide to use different gemstones or metals.
SPLIT SHANK
For a more modern look (or classic, depends on how you go),
the split shank is a beautiful way to go. The shank, or the part that encircles
your finger, splits into two (or more) to hold the center stone. This type of
setting provides a unique, attention grabbing appearance that offers additional
area for side stones as well as gravitates the eye towards the center stone.
There are many other types of engagement ring settings such
as: cluster, flushed, bar, antique, tension, bezel, three stone and more. At Schwanke-Kasten
Jewelers, we have an in-house goldsmith that will let you craft the perfect,
custom engagement ring. Otherwise, you can find an outstanding, engagement ring
from one of our highly-trustworthy designers such as: Rahaminov, Martin Flyer,
Memoire and Naledi.
One of the most unique and definitive engagement ring diamond cuts are marquise diamonds. Jewelers and fans also refer to marquise cuts as football cuts, cat-eye cuts and boat cuts because of the highly elongated elliptical shape. This 58 faceted diamond cut is actually a vintage style and looks great on long, slender fingers. Furthermore, this romantic cut breathes an aristocratic air and carries a royal pedigree.
Additionally, gemologist originally design marquise cuts for diamonds, however jewelers now use these cuts with emeralds, rubies and sapphires.
Custom Marquise Diamond Engagement Ring by Schwanke-Kasten Jewelers
Marquise Diamonds – TIPS
Marquise cuts are a fairly extreme cut when it comes to diamond cuts, so they are susceptible to chipping, so you may want to look for a mounting with protective prongs along the ends of the diamond.
A higher cut grade is important for the marquise diamond. Typically, elongated shapes tend to form a bow tie effect in the middle of the stone. Additionally, the symmetry of marquise cuts are very important.
One noticeable benefit is that marquise cuts tend to make the center stone look larger.
Do you like marquise diamonds? You know who else does too? Victoria Beckham, aka Posh Spice, Ashley Simpson and THE Catherine Zeta Jones.
While this time of year is filled with so many sports, one of our favorites is Wimbledon & the French Open. And of course, the bauble that comes to mind, are the iconic diamond tennis bracelets. This piece of jewelry features a line or row of diamonds secured with a clasp. The “tennis” bracelet name came in 1987 when legendary Tennis Pro Chris Evert was asked why she called for a time-out during a very competitive match. Her response, “my diamond Tennis Bracelet came off”, and she wanted to find it before continuing the game. It was then and there that this bracelet got its name.
If you are wondering if wearing a tennis bracelet during a
match is a good idea, according to the GIA experts here is what they suggest so
you can wear your bracelet without worry:
“In addition to the clasp, add a safety catch on
the side of the bracelet for added protection.
Have the tennis bracelet routinely checked by a
jeweler to make sure the clasp, safety catch, and mountings are secure, and
Nearly 30 years have passed since Evert’s unforgettable
on-court incident, and the tennis bracelet is still a fashion accessory for the
sophisticated set. “
At Schwanke-Kasten Jewelers we have a great selection of gorgeous diamond tennis bracelets that are sure to be a grand slam. With prices starting around $2800, these make great gifts for your bride-to-be, mom-to-be, celebrating an anniversary or birthday. Whatever the occasion, a diamond bracelet is sure to be a huge hit, on and off the court. Stop by our Whitefish Bay or Downtown Milwaukee locations to peruse our selection.
Enter into the exciting and highly exclusive world of fancy colored diamonds, where the traditional notions of diamonds being colorless shatters that concept. The first color diamond Schwanke-Kasten Jewelers will explore with you, is the yellow diamond; also known as the canary diamond.
Yellow Diamonds – A Canary Delight!
In the Superman comics, the hero crushes a lump of coal (carbon-based material) so hard that it produces enough heat and pressure to form a diamond for Lois Lane. While coal, under immense heat and pressure does not create diamonds, although they possess similar atomic makeups. However, when nitrogen enters the rigid structure of the composition of diamonds, they absorb blue light and give off a yellow shade in the visible light spectrum. The amount of nitrogen present in a yellow diamond will affect how light or dark the color is. Moreover, this logic of wanting more nitrogen, an impurity, naturally present in a yellow diamond is the opposite of a flawless white diamond. Additionally, gemologist give recognition to fancy color yellow diamonds a secondary hue such as orange or brown.
Yellow Diamond Engagement Ring from Schwanke-Kasten Jewelers
The GIA grades yellow diamonds slightly different than
traditional white diamonds. Diamonds Pro sums
it up nicely, “if the white diamond color scale [D – Z], were to continue past
Z – all the way to a rich, yellow color – you’d have a Fancy Vivid Yellow
Diamond”. Essentially this means that the best quality yellow diamond will be
fully saturated with yellow and have no traces of whiteness.
Gemologists estimate that one out of about every 10,000 carats of diamonds are a natural colored diamond. Furthermore, 60% of those natural colored diamonds are yellow. So, while they are common among natural colored diamonds, they are still exceptionally rare among the grand scheme of things.
Your true love is your princess; it’s only fitting to propose your undying love for her with a princess cut diamond engagement ring? This beautifully and interestingly square cut diamond is actually the second most popular style of diamond cut, below round but above cushion! At Schwanke-Kasten Jewelers, we decided to share with you all there is to know about princess cut diamonds
Princess Cut Diamonds History:
Surprisingly, diamond cutters have been only creating this style of cut for around 40 years to 50 years. Although it is hard to pinpoint, gemologist argue that a man named Basil Watermeyer created the cut as the Barion Cut in the 1970’s, however this was a combination of an emerald cut and a marquise cut. Others point to Arpad Nagy, a London Based diamond cutter, who created the what was then known as the “profile cut” back in 1961. started seeing demand for this style around the 1970’s. Israeli diamond cutters, Betzalel Amber and Israel Itzkowitz popularized Nagy’s cut several years later under the name Princess Cut, which was a “fancy French inspired cut”.
The Cut:
The princess cut was designed to have a modern, clean and
feminine look to it. It is actually a modified square cut stone. Typically,
princess cut diamonds appear as square, sometimes rectangle. On the profile,
the stone has an inverted pyramid shape with four beveled sides. These stones typically
have between 60 to 70 facets. Furthermore, because they retain, on average, 80%
of the original rough stone, they are prone to having more inclusions than a
round brillian cut. Which is not a negative, this allows the uniquely cut ring
to have a very interesting and gorgeous light play to it!
The Cost:
Because Princess Cut Diamond only lose 20% of the rough
stone when being cut (compared to 40-50% of a round diamond) they are a less
expensive cut when all other factors are held constant (i.e. the 4 C’s).
Similar Cuts:
Cushion Cuts – have
larger facets than princess cuts which increase their brilliance and highlight
the clarity. However, they do not have as sharp of a sparkle and have an older,
more vintage feel. Furthermore, they do not have as sharp of edges as princess
cuts.
Round Brilliant –
The most popular style of ring tends to look bigger when comparing the same carat
weight stone. However, due to the cutting process, they are more expensive when
all factors are held constant.
Asscher Cut – Similarly
cut to a princess cut but with step cuts (a commonly found on emeralds, hence
the name, emerald cut).
Famous Princess Cuts
Emily Ratajkowski Engagement Ring
Chicago Cubs World Series Rings features two princess cut diamond, among others.
Emily Ratajkowski – When choosing an engagement ring, she couldn’t decide between a princess cut or a pear cut, so she got both!
Cameron Diaz
Snooki – Everyone’s favorite Jersey Shore socialite has an engagement ring with a princess cut center stone.
Snooki Engagement Ring
At Schwanke-Kasten Jewelers, our professionally trained sales team and GIA-certified gemologist are eager to help you find the perfect diamond for the perfect engagement ring. Visit Schwanke-Kasten in one of our two convenient Milwaukee Locations (Downtown Milwaukee and Whitefish Bay).
Simply put we love diamond halo engagement rings! The added sparkle and light play are indescribable with words! In fact, diamond halo engagement rings are the second most popular style of engagement rings, behind solitaire rings.
History
In fact, halo rings can be traced back to the Georgian era in Europe (1714-1837), where round diamonds and pearls were surrounded by smaller stones. During the Victorian era (1837 – 1901) the style grew even more popular with the rise of colored gemstones as engagement rings. Finally the modern sense of a halo ring arose during the Art Deco Movement.
Benefits
Aside from adding additional fire, sparkle and light play,
the biggest benefit of a diamond halo engagement
ring is to enhance the size of the center stone. This benefit is a great
way to stretch your engagement ring budget!
Milwaukee Diamond Halo Engagement Rings
At Schwanke-Kasten Jewelers, we have a full range of semi-mounted engagement rings as well as ready to go ones! Additionally, we are also able to fully customize an engagement ring to your liking! Here are a couple of our favorites!
Accentuated by 41 micropave set diamonds in a halo and on the shanks, this round brilliant cut, 0.71 carat, I color, SI2 clarity diamond center stone is a thing of beauty! Beautifully made by Martin Flyer as a part of their FlyerFit range, this ring is set in 14k white gold and sized as a 6.5. The suggested retail is $5000, including the center stone.
World-reknowned diamond jewelers, Rahaminov consistently create remarkibly beautiful diamond jewelry. This stunning cushion-cut brilliant engagement ring from Rahaminov is almost as beautiful as your true love! Additionally, the GIA certified center stone is 2.01 carats, F color and SI1 clarity. Accompanying the center stone is a melody of diamonds totaling 0.64 carats that form a halo and continue down the shanks. Furthermore, the designer set the ring in platinum and in a size 5. Moreover, this ring is valued at $43,575.
We especially enjoy unique engagement rings, which is why we created this gorgeous one-of-a-kind engagement ring , set in 18K white gold, has a Marquise center diamond with 1.57 carat weight, D color and SI1 clarity. Additionally, the side diamonds have a 1.43 total carat weight. Valued at $16,500.
Recently, a lot of celebrities (i.e. Paris Hilton and Cardi B) have been opting for the ever-fashionable pear cut engagement rings. Furthermore, this Martin Flyer ring mounted in 14k white gold, the center stone is 0.70 carats, E color and SI2 clarity. Moreover, the designer set 38 micropave diamonds around the ring. Valued at $5,000. Price includes center stone and sized as a 6.5.
Schwanke-Kasten in Whitefish Bay and Milwaukee
Stop by Schwanke-Kasten Jewelers in Milwaukee and Whitefish Bay today to explore our wide range of beautiful and unique diamond engagement rings. Additionally, our highly trained sales team is eager to make this as enjoyable and personalized as possible!
Rings, bracelets and necklaces, when worn, they have no
beginning or end, which is why symbolically they make sure great Valentine’s
Day gifts! At Schwanke-Kasten
Jewelers, we’ve curated a 2019 Valentine’s Day gift guide to find a gift worthy
of the beauty of your true love.
2019 Valentine Day Gift Guide
Roberto Coin
Timelessly beautiful with exceptional quality, the prolific
Roberto Coin is one of our favorite jewelry designers. Incorporating the
ancient legend of a ruby touching your skin will grant you prosperity,
happiness and love, in every piece, it only makes since that Roberto Coin
jewelry is perfect for Valentine’s Day! One of our favorites, the Princess Flower
Collection. Diverse and chic, with plenty of opportunity to make sets, the Princess
Flower is gorgeous. This piece in particular, the Princess
Flower Diamond Drop Earrings are set in 18K yellow gold, and feature a
medium diamond “Princess Flower” dangle on a levered back post
closure. They have a .35 ctw diamond, and each has the signature hidden ruby.
Valued at $3,100.00.
Martin Flyer
The FlyerFit collection by Martin Flyer, is the flagship line of engagement rings with matching wedding bands. These mountings come in array of beautiful traditional and nontraditional styles with gorgeous center stones that scream, “Our love is as solid as a diamond”. We also carry a number of ready-made engagement rings available online as well! Take the Round Brilliant Halo Engagement Ring by Martin Flyer, accentuated by 41 micropave set diamonds in a halo and on the shanks, this round brilliant cut, 0.71 carat, I color, SI2 clarity diamond center stone is a thing of beauty! The ring is set in 14k white gold.
Graymoor Lane Designs
We love the solstices! The romantic associations of when the sun shines the longest or being snuggled up with your true love on winter’s day. Graymoor Lane Design’s perfectly encapsulates that feeling with their Solstice Collection. Available online and at both Schwanke-Kasten Jewelers location, this beautiful Solstice Bangle Bracelet in 14k yellow gold features a leaf motif and is spring hinged. Value at $1,295.
FOPE
Based out of the heart of fine gold jewelry making, in Vicenza, Italy, FOPE brings impeccible designs time after time! As a family owned and operated jewelry designer, we are particularly fond of them. Using a beautiful and high quality basket weave style with their 18k gold jewelry designs, their pieces are designed to last a lifetime. We love their 17” Prima necklace with a Tri-Color Rondel, this piece looks great by itself or layed with other jewelry. Available in white or yellow gold and valued at $4,630.
Be sure to check out our 2019 Valentine’s Day Collection online on the Schwanke-Kasten website. Save up to 20% off of sterling silver jewelry until Valentine’s Day as well! Use the code: VALENTINES-DAY-2019 when checking out.
Solitaire engagement rings pack a lot of significance and beauty, within its unassuming and simple designs. Structurally, a solitaire engagement ring only has two parts, the center stone and the setting, both can be customized to your specifications (i.e. marquise cut diamond set in platinum to a princess cut set in 14k yellow gold) however the ring still remains understated. At Schwanke-Kasten, we are by no means saying that is a bad thing either!
A solitaire diamond ring places the focus on the center stone, like your love for your one “true rock”. Additionally, the ring, being a shape with no beginning and end and a diamond, a pure carbon structure material, symbolizes pure and endless love for your partner. Furthermore, this style of ring is a perfect option for any budget!
Schwanke-Kasten Jewelers custom diamond solitaire engagement ring
At Schwanke-Kasten Jewelers, we love this timeless design for its ability to showcase the true shine of the diamond ring.
Buying Guide – Solitaire Engagement Rings
Here is a list of things to consider when looking at diamond solitaire engagement rings:
The Diamond (or center stone)
Shape (Cut) – Oval, round, princess, pear, emerald, etc.
Color – The more colorless the better, when shopping for traditional white diamonds
Clarity – the higher grade, the more pure (or transparent) the stone is
Carat – The size of the diamond
The Band
Metal – 14k, 18k or platinum? Yellow, Rose or White?
Width – How wide should the ring be
The Setting – bezel set, channel set or prong set? Furthermore, be sure to consider whether your future partner wants more sparkle or a more discrete or low diamond height.
Rahaminov Diamond Engagement Ring – Tapered with Diamonds
We recommend stopping by our store in either Whitefish Bay or in Milwaukee to get an idea of styles and prices and then work with one of our specialists to find an engagement ring that is truly reflective of the special bond between you and your partner!
