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GCAL By Sarine Launches 8X Cushion Cut
The lab’s proprietary diamond cut grade has been expanded to include the popular fancy shape.
The GCAL 8X Cushion Cut Grade is available now for qualifying natural and lab-grown cushion brilliant diamonds.
New York—GCAL by Sarine has expanded its 8X Ultimate Cut Grade program to include cushion-cut diamonds.
The proprietary grading process evaluates eight factors—polish, external symmetry, proportions, optical brilliance, fire, scintillation, optical symmetry, and shape aesthetics.
It was introduced in 2023, created to provide more information about light performance, shape appeal, and cut precision, which is often limited in traditional grading processes for fancy shapes, GCAL said.
Cushion cuts are “especially challenging” to standardize, GCAL said, because the shape requires a precise balance of outline, rounded corners, facet structure, contrast pattern, light return, and the minimization of the bowtie effect—a dark shadow that can appear across the center of some elongated diamonds.
The GCAL 8X Cushion standard was developed through technical research, advanced measurement, optical imaging, and direct light performance analysis.
The lab looked at traditional proportion measurements, as well as the relationship between craftsmanship, shape aesthetics, and visible performance.
“Cushion cuts have tremendous consumer appeal, but they have also been one of the most difficult fancy shapes for retailers and consumers to compare confidently,” said Angelo Palmieri, president of GCAL by Sarine.
Two cushion diamonds can have the same carat weight, color, and clarity, yet look “dramatically different” because of cut quality and optical performance, the lab said.
Palmieri continued, “The GCAL 8X Cushion Cut Grade gives the market a precise, transparent, and independently verified way to identify cushion diamonds that truly perform at the highest level.”
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The proprietary grading process evaluates eight factors—polish, external symmetry, proportions, optical brilliance, fire, scintillation, optical symmetry, and shape aesthetics.
It was introduced in 2023, created to provide more information about light performance, shape appeal, and cut precision, which is often limited in traditional grading processes for fancy shapes, GCAL said.
Cushion cuts are “especially challenging” to standardize, GCAL said, because the shape requires a precise balance of outline, rounded corners, facet structure, contrast pattern, light return, and the minimization of the bowtie effect—a dark shadow that can appear across the center of some elongated diamonds.
The GCAL 8X Cushion standard was developed through technical research, advanced measurement, optical imaging, and direct light performance analysis.
The lab looked at traditional proportion measurements, as well as the relationship between craftsmanship, shape aesthetics, and visible performance.
“Cushion cuts have tremendous consumer appeal, but they have also been one of the most difficult fancy shapes for retailers and consumers to compare confidently,” said Angelo Palmieri, president of GCAL by Sarine.
Two cushion diamonds can have the same carat weight, color, and clarity, yet look “dramatically different” because of cut quality and optical performance, the lab said.
Palmieri continued, “The GCAL 8X Cushion Cut Grade gives the market a precise, transparent, and independently verified way to identify cushion diamonds that truly perform at the highest level.”
The lab said it has seen an increase in fancy-shaped diamond submissions, reflecting demand for elongated shapes.
In addition to the new cushion cut offering, the 8X program is available for oval, princess, radiant, pear, and marquise cuts.
“Our 8X program continues to set the benchmark for excellence in fancy shapes,” Palmieri added. “With cushion, we are bringing greater clarity and confidence to a shape that consumers love, but that has historically been difficult to evaluate consistently.”
Each GCAL 8X cushion-cut diamond is accompanied by a certificate with detailed cut quality analysis, light performance documentation, imaging, and the lab’s money back guarantee.
The grade is available for qualifying natural and lab-grown cushion brilliant diamonds.
For more information about GCAL 8X Cushion, visit its website or contact sales@gcalusa.com.
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