---
title: "Cushion Cut Spessartine: Pros, Cons and Scores"
description: "Cushion Cut in spessartine: brilliance 89, fire 57, leakage 10%, 2 pros and 4 cons against the T73, from our ray-traced light census."
url: https://digitalgemology.com/gemstones/spessartine/cushion
image: https://digitalgemology.com/img/stone-cuts/cushion-spessartine-og.jpg?v=27d623ef
---

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# Cushion Cut Spessartine: brighter in spessartine than in diamond

**Buy (instant download, personal-use license):** [Cushion Cut 3D files, €9.99 · Personal use](https://digitalgemology.lemonsqueezy.com/checkout/buy/0ab6b522-6f5e-4103-9be4-aa806b5cfb2b) · [Cushion Cut cutting files, €6.99 · Personal use](https://digitalgemology.lemonsqueezy.com/checkout/buy/5a6cedf6-d038-467c-a964-3cbfa3ad9e4e) · [Buy the bundle](https://digitalgemology.lemonsqueezy.com/checkout/buy/e5c79ed5-97ce-4c62-8dbe-3a172c6245ba?checkout%5Bdiscount_code%5D=BUNDLE25) · [Buy the bundle](https://digitalgemology.lemonsqueezy.com/checkout/buy/9170b0c0-5357-490e-b6ef-3ce4f7fcd282?checkout%5Bdiscount_code%5D=BUNDLE25) · [Get the cube free](https://digitalgemology.lemonsqueezy.com/checkout/buy/2d1ab55f-2bd6-4897-a4cd-f3320f54e99e)

Brilliance 89 · Fire 57 · Scintillation 85 · in our census, where the T73 scores 95 · 53 · 80 in spessartine

How the Cushion Cut handles light in spessartine, measured: brilliance 89, fire 57 and 10% leakage, set against the T73 in the same stone and against the same cut in diamond.

[Get the files](https://digitalgemology.com/gemstones/spessartine/cushion#buy) [Open it in the Simulator](https://digitalgemology.com/tools/3d_gemstone_simulator?cut=cushion&stone=spessartine&ct=1.00&view=angle&lighting=studio&turn=0) [All cuts in spessartine](https://digitalgemology.com/gemstones/spessartine)

Light Return map of the Cushion Cut in spessartine, face-up, from our own tracer at refractive index 1.79. Red, green and blue return light to the eye; gray leaks.

## Cushion Cut Spessartine

Spessartine has a refractive index of 1.790 to 1.830 and a dispersion of 0.027. Its critical angle, from the low end of that range, is 34.0°, so a round design needs a pavilion of at least 36.5° for head-on light to reflect off both sides of the pavilion and leave through the table. We trace it with one index, 1.810, the midpoint of the published range, and a fire spread of 0.023, 0.86 of the published dispersion. Every picture here is our Light Return tracer at 1.790, and every figure is from the same light census that scores the other gemstones; the 3D Gemstone Simulator shows the Cushion Cut in spessartine live.

The Cushion Cut has 85 facets and a total depth of 65.0% of its width; its pavilion mains sit at 39.6°. In spessartine, the census returns 89 of 100 for brilliance and 57 for fire, against 95 and 53 for the T73, our benchmark, in the same stone; the same Cushion Cut in diamond reads 80 and 73.

## Is spessartine good in a Cushion? Pros and cons, measured

### Pros

- [Brighter in spessartine than in diamond](https://digitalgemology.com/gemstones/spessartine/cushion#pro-brilliance) 89 vs 80
- [More facets, more sparkle](https://digitalgemology.com/gemstones/spessartine/cushion#pro-scint) 85 vs 80

### Cons

- [Loses more light when tilted than in diamond](https://digitalgemology.com/gemstones/spessartine/cushion#con-tiltStab) 73 vs 92
- [Heavier than the same cut in diamond](https://digitalgemology.com/gemstones/spessartine/cushion#con-weight) 1.50 vs 1.27 ct
- [Less fire in spessartine than in diamond](https://digitalgemology.com/gemstones/spessartine/cushion#con-fire) 57 vs 73
- [Leaks more light than the T73 in spessartine](https://digitalgemology.com/gemstones/spessartine/cushion#con-leak) 10 vs 4

Compared with the T73 Round Brilliant in spessartine and with the Cushion Cut in diamond. A difference counts from 3 points (Brilliance, Fire, Tilt, Leakage), 5 (Scintillation, Symmetry), 4% (face-up size per carat) or 5% (weight); Tilt counts as a pro only for a stone within 5 points of the brilliance it is compared with. [How we measure](https://digitalgemology.com/about/how-we-measure).

## All eight scores against the T73

At a glance: the Cushion Cut in spessartine (white) against the T73 Round Brilliant in spessartine (dashed): solid white where it reaches further, hatched where it falls short. Each pro and con is explained, with pictures, below.

Against the T73 Round Brilliant in spessartine: ahead on 3, behind on 5.

- Global 81, the comparison 83, difference −2
- Brilliance 89, the comparison 95, difference −6
- Fire 57, the comparison 53, difference +4
- Scintillation 85, the comparison 80, difference +5
- Spread 98, the comparison 100, difference −2
- Symmetry 97, the comparison 100, difference −3
- Shape-norm 104, the comparison 103, difference +1
- Tilt 73, the comparison 77, difference −4

Face-up light census, a different measure from the Cut Grading Tool; Spread and Shape-norm above 100 sit on the ring. Spread is the census's estimate from depth alone; the face-up size in the pros and cons is measured from each model's outline. [Open it in the Cut Performance Wheel](https://digitalgemology.com/tools/cut-performance-wheel?cut=cushion&stone=spessartine); these are the same census figures as our [Cut Performance Index](https://digitalgemology.com/learn/cut-performance-index).

## What the Cushion Cut gains in spessartine

### Brighter in spessartine than in diamond

**Brilliance 89** against 80 for the Cushion Cut in diamond: 9 points higher

The same cut in diamond returns 80. Spessartine bends light less than diamond: its critical angle is 34.0°, diamond's 24.4°, so a pavilion facet has to be steeper before light reflects off it rather than passing out. The Cushion Cut's pavilion returns more of spessartine's light than of diamond's, as the two maps show.

Cushion Cut in spessartine · Brilliance 89

Cushion Cut in diamond · Brilliance 80

Red, green and blue = light returning to the eye; gray = leakage, light that leaves heading down or stays inside. This is the head-on view; the Brilliance score averages a wider cone of light, so the score can differ from what one picture shows.

[Try it yourself: Open this Light Return map in the simulator](https://digitalgemology.com/tools/3d_gemstone_simulator?cut=cushion&stone=spessartine&ct=1.00&view=up&map=1&turn=0)

### More facets, more sparkle

**Scintillation 85** against 80 for the T73 Round Brilliant in spessartine: 5 points higher

Scintillation follows the number of facets the stone shows: 100 × (1 − e^(−facets / 45)). The Cushion Cut has 85 facets and the T73 73, so 85 against 80. It depends on the geometry alone, so it is the same in every stone.

*Facet diagram of the Cushion Cut: its crown, seen face-up, 85 facets in all*

Cushion Cut · 85 facets · Scintillation 85

*Facet diagram of the T73 Round Brilliant: its crown, seen face-up, 73 facets in all*

T73 Round Brilliant · 73 facets · Scintillation 80

Scintillation follows the number of facets: more facets, more and smaller flashes as the stone moves. Compare the facet counts under the drawings; each drawing shows only the crown. Drawn from each cut's own model.

[Try it yourself: Compare the Scintillation spoke in the Cut Performance Wheel](https://digitalgemology.com/tools/cut-performance-wheel?cut=cushion&stone=spessartine)

## What the Cushion Cut gives up in spessartine

### Loses more light when tilted than in diamond

**Tilt 73** against 92 for the Cushion Cut in diamond: 19 points lower

Tilt is how much of its face-up brilliance a stone keeps when the census tilts it 20° about its long axis, with 2,200 rays. The Cushion Cut keeps 73 against 92 for the same cut in diamond. The tilt strips below show the maps at 0°, 10°, 20° and 30°, with each picture's own leak share under it.

Cushion Cut in spessartine · Tilt 73

0° · 7% leak

10° · 13% leak

20° · 32% leak

30° · 35% leak

Cushion Cut in diamond · Tilt 92

0° · 16% leak

10° · 8% leak

20° · 14% leak

30° · 22% leak

Tilt is how much of its own face-up light a stone keeps when tilted. Each frame is the Light Return map with the stone tilted away from you by the angle shown; gray is leakage. The share under each frame is that picture's own.

**What helps:** [the DG-Miliano](https://digitalgemology.com/gemstones/spessartine/dg-miliano) reads 84 for tilt in spessartine, the best of the cuts we score there.

[Try it yourself: Compare the Tilt spoke in the Cut Performance Wheel](https://digitalgemology.com/tools/cut-performance-wheel?cut=cushion&stone=spessartine&vs=cushion&vsstone=diamond)

### Heavier than the same cut in diamond

**1.50 ct** at 6.5 mm, against 1.27 ct for the same cut in diamond (+18%)

Weight follows specific gravity: 4.16 for spessartine against 3.52 for diamond, so the same model at the same size weighs 1.50 ct here and 1.27 ct in diamond, 6.5 mm across. Nothing about the light changes with it.

*Weight of a 6.5 mm Cushion Cut: 1.50 ct in spessartine, 1.27 ct in diamond*

A Cushion Cut 6.5 mm across, weighed from the model's measured volume and each stone's specific gravity.

[Try it yourself: Weights in every gemstone on the Cushion Cut page](https://digitalgemology.com/cuts/cushion#stones)

### Less fire in spessartine than in diamond

**Fire 57** against 73 for the Cushion Cut in diamond: 16 points lower

Fire is the share of the returned light that splits into color at the exit facet: the census traces each exit again at the refractive index minus and plus the fire spread (0.023 in spessartine) and counts a ray as fire when the two directions differ by more than 0.6°. The Cushion Cut reads 57 against 73 for the same cut in diamond. The figure is the census's; the 3D Gemstone Simulator renders spessartine's fire live.

The fire figure is the census's, traced at the refractive index minus and plus the fire spread. [See the fire in the 3D Gemstone Simulator](https://digitalgemology.com/tools/3d_gemstone_simulator?cut=cushion&stone=spessartine&ct=1.00&view=up&lighting=sun&turn=0): the Cushion Cut in spessartine under the sunny-day lighting.

**What helps:** [the DG-Elongated Hexagon](https://digitalgemology.com/gemstones/spessartine/dg-elongated-hexagon) reads 91 for fire in spessartine, the best of the cuts we score there.

[Try it yourself: See the fire in the 3D Gemstone Simulator](https://digitalgemology.com/tools/3d_gemstone_simulator?cut=cushion&stone=spessartine&ct=1.00&view=up&lighting=sun&turn=0)

### Leaks more light than the T73 in spessartine

**Leakage 10** against 4 for the T73 Round Brilliant in spessartine: 6 points higher

Leakage is the share of the census rays that enter the stone and leave through the pavilion, or through the crown heading down. The Cushion Cut leaks 10% in spessartine against 4% for the T73 in spessartine. Grey in the maps below is leaking light; the share under each picture is that picture's own.

Cushion Cut in spessartine · Leakage 10

0° · 7% leak

10° · 13% leak

20° · 32% leak

30° · 35% leak

T73 Round Brilliant in spessartine · Leakage 4

0° · 1% leak

10° · 7% leak

20° · 30% leak

30° · 29% leak

Each frame is the Light Return map with the stone tilted away from you by the angle shown; gray is leakage. The share under each frame is that picture's own.

**What helps:** [the DG-M5](https://digitalgemology.com/gemstones/spessartine/dg-m5) reads 1% for leakage in spessartine, the best of the cuts we score there.

[Try it yourself: Tilt it yourself in the simulator's light map](https://digitalgemology.com/tools/3d_gemstone_simulator?cut=cushion&stone=spessartine&ct=1.00&view=up&map=1&turn=0)

## Our verdict on the Cushion Cut in spessartine

Pick the Cushion Cut in spessartine for this: it returns more light than in diamond and has more facets to sparkle with. The catch: it loses more light when tilted than in diamond, weighs more than in diamond, shows less fire than in diamond and leaks more light than the T73.

If that catch matters more to you, [the DG-Miliano](https://digitalgemology.com/gemstones/spessartine/dg-miliano) reads 84 for tilt in spessartine, the best of the cuts we score there.

Every figure on this page is from our light census, traced at one refractive index: a simulation of the geometry, not a grading report. The 3D files and cutting files below are the same Cushion Cut model we traced.

## Cushion Cut Spessartine: questions

### Is the Cushion a good cut for spessartine?

In our census the Cushion Cut returns 89 of 100 for brilliance and 57 for fire in spessartine, against 95 and 53 for the T73 in the same stone. Against that round and against the same cut in diamond it has 2 pros and 4 cons by our thresholds; the summary above names them.

### What pavilion angle does spessartine need?

At least 36.5° for a round design: spessartine's critical angle is 34.0°, from the low end of its refractive index range, and head-on light has to reflect off both sides of the pavilion and leave through the table. The Cushion Cut's pavilion mains sit at 39.6°.

### How much does a Cushion weigh in spessartine?

At 6.5 mm across, 1.50 ct in spessartine, against 1.27 ct for the same cut in diamond (+18%): spessartine's specific gravity is 4.16, diamond's 3.52.

### Can I see the Cushion in spessartine in 3D?

Yes: the 3D Gemstone Simulator renders it live, with spessartine's own refractive index and dispersion. Spessartine is traced by the same light census as the other gemstones, with its refractive index and fire spread derived from published values, so its scores are on the same scale; the pictures here are our Light Return tracer, and the Cut Performance Wheel sets it against any other cut and stone.

## Get the Cushion Cut files

*6 formats* *Millimeters* *Watertight*

### Cushion Cut 3D files

The Cushion Cut as exact geometry: 85 planar facets, real-world scale, ready for CAD, rendering, printing and casting.

- **STEP** Exact faceted solid for CAD
- **3DM** Rhino, closed mesh on its own layer
- **STL** Watertight mesh for printing and casting
- **OBJ** Mesh for modeling and rendering
- **FBX** Blender, 3ds Max, Maya, Cinema 4D, Unity, Unreal
- **GLB** Web, AR and quick previews

€9.99 · [Personal use](https://digitalgemology.com/licence) [Buy the 3D files](https://digitalgemology.lemonsqueezy.com/checkout/buy/0ab6b522-6f5e-4103-9be4-aa806b5cfb2b)

*GemCad* *96 index*

### Cushion Cut cutting files

The Cushion Cut as a faceting design: 69 + 16 girdles = 85 facets, 96 index, 2-fold mirror-image symmetry, ready for the machine.

- **.asc** GemCad design file, 96 index gear
- **.csv** Tier table: angles, indices and cutting order
- **Diagram** Printable faceting diagram

€6.99 · [Personal use](https://digitalgemology.com/licence) [Buy the cutting files](https://digitalgemology.lemonsqueezy.com/checkout/buy/5a6cedf6-d038-467c-a964-3cbfa3ad9e4e)

Save with a bundle: the Cushion Cut 3D files are also in [Jewelry Essentials 3D](https://digitalgemology.com/cuts/#bundles), 10 cuts for €29.99 until 1 December, then €39.99 (€99.90 as single files). [Buy the bundle](https://digitalgemology.lemonsqueezy.com/checkout/buy/e5c79ed5-97ce-4c62-8dbe-3a172c6245ba?checkout%5Bdiscount_code%5D=BUNDLE25).

Save with a bundle: the Cushion Cut cutting files are also in [Faceter's Classics](https://digitalgemology.com/cuts/#bundles), 10 cuts for €22.49 until 1 December, then €29.99 (€69.90 as single files). [Buy the bundle](https://digitalgemology.lemonsqueezy.com/checkout/buy/9170b0c0-5357-490e-b6ef-3ce4f7fcd282?checkout%5Bdiscount_code%5D=BUNDLE25).

Not sure the files open in your software? [Get the cube free](https://digitalgemology.lemonsqueezy.com/checkout/buy/2d1ab55f-2bd6-4897-a4cd-f3320f54e99e): the same six formats, for your email address, used only to send them ([privacy](https://digitalgemology.com/privacy#free-sample)).

Questions before you buy? [Email us](mailto:support@digitalgemology.com).

## More gemstones and cuts

[Spessartine: optical properties and the top ten cuts](https://digitalgemology.com/gemstones/spessartine) · [The Cushion Cut: specifications, model and files](https://digitalgemology.com/cuts/cushion)

### Other cuts in spessartine

- [T73 Round Brilliant](https://digitalgemology.com/gemstones/spessartine/t73-round-brilliant)
- [T105 Round Brilliant](https://digitalgemology.com/gemstones/spessartine/t105-round-brilliant)
- [DG-Vitruvio](https://digitalgemology.com/gemstones/spessartine/dg-vitruvio)
- [DG-Anteros](https://digitalgemology.com/gemstones/spessartine/dg-anteros)
- [DG-Broken Hearts and Arrows](https://digitalgemology.com/gemstones/spessartine/dg-broken-hearts-and-arrows)
- [Baguette Cut](https://digitalgemology.com/gemstones/spessartine/baguette)
- [Emerald Cut](https://digitalgemology.com/gemstones/spessartine/emerald-cut)
- [Marquise Cut](https://digitalgemology.com/gemstones/spessartine/marquise)
- [Oval Cut](https://digitalgemology.com/gemstones/spessartine/oval)
- [Pear Cut](https://digitalgemology.com/gemstones/spessartine/pear)
- [Radiant Cut](https://digitalgemology.com/gemstones/spessartine/radiant)
- [Rectangle Cut](https://digitalgemology.com/gemstones/spessartine/rectangle)
- [Teardrop Cut](https://digitalgemology.com/gemstones/spessartine/teardrop)
- [Asscher Cut](https://digitalgemology.com/gemstones/spessartine/asscher)
- [Emerald Square Cut](https://digitalgemology.com/gemstones/spessartine/emerald-square)
- [Princess Cut](https://digitalgemology.com/gemstones/spessartine/princess)
- [Radiant Square Cut](https://digitalgemology.com/gemstones/spessartine/radiant-square)
- [Square Cut](https://digitalgemology.com/gemstones/spessartine/square)
- [Triangle Cut](https://digitalgemology.com/gemstones/spessartine/triangle)
- [Trilliant Cut](https://digitalgemology.com/gemstones/spessartine/trilliant)
- [Trillion Cut](https://digitalgemology.com/gemstones/spessartine/trillion)
- [Hexagon Cut](https://digitalgemology.com/gemstones/spessartine/hexagon)
- [Octagon Cut](https://digitalgemology.com/gemstones/spessartine/octagon)
- [Portuguese Bird's Nest Cut](https://digitalgemology.com/gemstones/spessartine/portuguese-birds-nest)
- [Old Single Cut](https://digitalgemology.com/gemstones/spessartine/old-single)
- [Mazarin Cut](https://digitalgemology.com/gemstones/spessartine/mazarin)
- [Peruzzi Cut](https://digitalgemology.com/gemstones/spessartine/peruzzi)
- [Old Mine Cut](https://digitalgemology.com/gemstones/spessartine/old-mine)
- [Old European Cut](https://digitalgemology.com/gemstones/spessartine/old-european)
- [T57 Round Brilliant](https://digitalgemology.com/gemstones/spessartine/t57-round-brilliant)
- [DG-M5](https://digitalgemology.com/gemstones/spessartine/dg-m5)
- [DG-Miliano](https://digitalgemology.com/gemstones/spessartine/dg-miliano)
- [DG-Rafaello](https://digitalgemology.com/gemstones/spessartine/dg-rafaello)
- [DG-Bowtie](https://digitalgemology.com/gemstones/spessartine/dg-bowtie)
- [DG-Elongated Hexagon](https://digitalgemology.com/gemstones/spessartine/dg-elongated-hexagon)
- [DG-Octagonal Kite](https://digitalgemology.com/gemstones/spessartine/dg-octagonal-kite)

### The Cushion Cut in other gemstones

- [Diamond](https://digitalgemology.com/gemstones/diamond/cushion)
- [Moissanite](https://digitalgemology.com/gemstones/moissanite/cushion)
- [Cubic Zirconia](https://digitalgemology.com/gemstones/cubic-zirconia/cushion)
- [Ruby](https://digitalgemology.com/gemstones/ruby/cushion)
- [Sapphire](https://digitalgemology.com/gemstones/sapphire/cushion)
- [Emerald](https://digitalgemology.com/gemstones/emerald/cushion)
- [Amethyst](https://digitalgemology.com/gemstones/amethyst/cushion)
- [Topaz](https://digitalgemology.com/gemstones/topaz/cushion)
- [Spinel](https://digitalgemology.com/gemstones/spinel/cushion)
- [Demantoid](https://digitalgemology.com/gemstones/demantoid/cushion)
- [Zircon](https://digitalgemology.com/gemstones/zircon/cushion)
- [Tourmaline](https://digitalgemology.com/gemstones/tourmaline/cushion)
- [Peridot](https://digitalgemology.com/gemstones/peridot/cushion)
- [Tanzanite](https://digitalgemology.com/gemstones/tanzanite/cushion)
- [YAG](https://digitalgemology.com/gemstones/yag/cushion)
- [Pyrope](https://digitalgemology.com/gemstones/pyrope/cushion)
- [Almandine](https://digitalgemology.com/gemstones/almandine/cushion)
- [Grossular](https://digitalgemology.com/gemstones/grossular/cushion)
- [Chrysoberyl](https://digitalgemology.com/gemstones/chrysoberyl/cushion)
- [Kunzite](https://digitalgemology.com/gemstones/kunzite/cushion)
- [Iolite](https://digitalgemology.com/gemstones/iolite/cushion)
- [Morganite](https://digitalgemology.com/gemstones/morganite/cushion)
- [GGG](https://digitalgemology.com/gemstones/ggg/cushion)
- [Strontium titanate](https://digitalgemology.com/gemstones/strontium-titanate/cushion)
- [Synthetic rutile](https://digitalgemology.com/gemstones/synthetic-rutile/cushion)