GCAL by Sarine Launches 8X Cushion Cut Grade, Enhancing Fancy Shape Analysis

GCAL by Sarine has expanded its proprietary 8X Ultimate Cut Grade program to include cushion-cut diamonds, aiming to bring greater consistency, transparency, and light performance analysis to this popular and commercially important fancy shape. The new 8X Cushion Cut Grade is designed to address the challenges in standardizing cushion cuts, which have tremendous consumer appeal but have historically been difficult for retailers and consumers to compare confidently.

Addressing the Challenges of Cushion Cuts

Cushion diamonds are known for their beauty, but their standardization presents unique difficulties. Achieving an optimal cushion cut requires a precise balance of outline, rounded corners, facet structure, contrast pattern, light return, and the effective minimization of the bowtie effect—a common issue in elongated diamonds where a dark shadow appears across the center. Traditional grading for fancy-shaped diamonds has often focused primarily on polish and symmetry, providing limited insights into crucial aspects like light performance, visual appeal, and overall cut precision.

GCAL by Sarine’s 8X program evaluates eight critical factors: Polish, External Symmetry, Proportions, Optical Brilliance, Fire, Scintillation, Optical Symmetry, and Shape Aesthetics. This comprehensive approach was developed through extensive technical research, advanced measurement, optical imaging, and direct light performance analysis. Instead of relying solely on traditional proportion measurements, GCAL by Sarine assesses the interplay between craftsmanship, shape aesthetics, and visible performance.

Increased Demand for Fancy Shapes

The introduction of the 8X Cushion Cut Grade reflects a growing trend in the diamond market. GCAL by Sarine has observed a significant increase in the submission of fancy-shaped diamonds, mirroring a rising consumer demand for non-round shapes, particularly elongated cuts. The 8X program already offers grading for oval, princess, pear, marquise, and radiant cuts, with the cushion cut being the latest addition.

A New Benchmark for Confidence

Angelo Palmieri, President of GCAL by Sarine, emphasized the importance of this new grading standard. “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,” Palmieri stated. “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.”

He further added, “Our 8X program continues to set the benchmark for excellence in fancy shapes. With cushion, we are bringing greater clarity and confidence to a shape that consumers love, but that has historically been difficult to evaluate consistently.”

Comprehensive Certification

Each diamond graded under the GCAL 8X Cushion standard will receive a certificate detailing its cut quality analysis, light performance documentation, and imaging. The program is available for qualifying natural and laboratory-grown cushion brilliant diamonds. GCAL by Sarine is an ISO/IEC 17025 accredited gemological laboratory recognized for its accuracy, transparency, and consumer protection initiatives, including its money-backed grading guarantee.