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"Antique cushion" and "Old Mine Cut" get used interchangeably in retail marketing, but they're not the same claim. Old Mine Cut is a specific historical faceting standard — high crown, large open culet, chunky hand-cut-style facets. "Antique cushion" is a looser modern marketing term that sometimes means true Old Mine faceting and sometimes just means a standard cushion brilliant set in a vintage-style mounting. Guru Diam stocks both as part of a 382-piece cushion inventory, CVD-grown and IGI-certified.
If you've quoted a client "antique cushion" and had a stone come back that reads more crisp and brilliant than they expected, this is why: the term isn't standardized in the trade the way a lab-grading term is, and two dealers can mean two different stones when they use it.
What "antique cushion" actually means when a buyer says it
Direct answer: it depends who's saying it, and that's the core problem. In consumer-facing marketing, "antique cushion" is frequently used as a style descriptor — a cushion-shaped diamond, cut with standard modern brilliant faceting, sold or set to evoke a vintage look. In trade and gemological use, "antique cushion" more often signals actual antique faceting character: higher crown, larger and sometimes visible culet, fewer and larger facets that throw broad, warm flashes instead of tight brilliant fire. Both usages are common enough that the term alone doesn't tell you which stone you're getting — you have to ask for the faceting spec, not just the name.
What Old Mine Cut specifically means
Old Mine Cut is not a style adjective — it's a defined historical cut with a consistent faceting profile: a high crown, a small table, a large open culet (often visible as a small flat facet at the point, rather than coming to a sharp bottom), and irregular, chunky, hand-cut-style facets that produce a soft, candlelit glow rather than crisp modern brilliance. The classic Old Mine outline is a squarish cushion with rounded corners — which is exactly why the two terms get conflated. For the full technical definition, history, and comparison against Old European Cut, see our Old Mine Cut vs. Old European Cut guide — that page is the canonical deep reference for the cut itself; this page exists specifically to clarify where it does and doesn't overlap with "antique cushion" as a category label.
Antique cushion vs. Old Mine Cut, side by side
| Attribute | "Antique cushion" (as commonly marketed) | Old Mine Cut (specific historical cut) |
|---|---|---|
| What it refers to | A style/marketing label — often just a cushion in a vintage-style setting | A defined historical faceting standard |
| Facet pattern | Frequently standard modern brilliant | High crown, open culet, chunky hand-cut-style facets |
| Consistency of the term | Not standardized — varies by dealer | Consistent, gemologically defined |
| Light behavior | Can be crisp modern brilliance, despite the "antique" label | Soft, warm, low-contrast glow |
| Outline | Cushion (square-to-rectangular, rounded corners) | Squarish cushion, rounded corners — same family |
| How to verify | Ask for the specific facet spec, not just the name | Confirm crown height, culet size, and facet count/pattern |
How to spec the right stone
The fix is simple and worth building into every quote request: don't order "antique cushion" on the name alone. If the client wants true antique faceting character — the high crown, open culet, warm-glow look — order Old Mine Cut specifically, or confirm the antique-cushion stone you're being offered actually carries that faceting, not just a cushion outline in a vintage setting. If the client actually wants a standard brilliant cushion styled into a vintage-inspired mounting, a cushion brilliant is the correct and cheaper order — see our full cushion cut types guide for how cushion brilliant, modified brilliant, antique, and elongated cushion differ.
Sourcing both, correctly labeled
Guru Diam stocks both true Old Mine Cut inventory and standard cushion brilliant/modified brilliant cushions within our 382-piece cushion category, CVD-grown and IGI-certified as standard, GIA available on request, from our New York Diamond District desk. Because we label by actual facet spec rather than marketing shorthand, what you order is what you get.
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FAQ
Is antique cushion the same thing as Old Mine Cut? Not necessarily. "Antique cushion" is a loosely used marketing term that can mean true Old Mine faceting (high crown, open culet, hand-cut-style facets) or simply a standard modern cushion brilliant styled in a vintage-inspired setting. Old Mine Cut is a specific, gemologically consistent historical cut. Always confirm the facet spec, not just the name.
Why do these two terms get confused so often? Because the classic Old Mine Cut outline is a squarish cushion with rounded corners — the same broad shape family as a modern cushion. Retail marketing borrowed "antique" as a style descriptor for that outline without necessarily meaning the historical faceting, which is where the two terms blurred together.
How do I know if a stone labeled "antique cushion" has true Old Mine faceting? Check the crown height, culet size, and facet count. True Old Mine faceting has a noticeably high crown, a large often-visible culet, and fewer, larger, hand-cut-style facets. A standard cushion brilliant will have a lower crown, closed or minimal culet, and a standard ~58-facet brilliant pattern.
Should I order "antique cushion" or "Old Mine Cut" for a client who wants the true vintage look? Order Old Mine Cut specifically. It's the gemologically defined term and guarantees the faceting character. "Antique cushion" alone is too ambiguous to guarantee the same result across dealers.
Are Old Mine Cut and antique cushion diamonds available lab-grown and certified? Yes. Guru Diam's inventory across both is CVD-grown and IGI-certified as standard, with GIA certification available on request.
