Abstract: A cushioned step-cut gemstone is disclosed. The gemstone may include a crown disposed above a girdle and a pavilion disposed below the girdle. The girdle may include twelve straight-edged facets defining four sides and four corners of the girdle, wherein the four sides each comprise one straight-edged facet and the four corners each comprise two straight-edged facets meeting at a corner midpoint. The crown may include a table and two or more rows of step-cut facets between the table and the girdle. The step-cut facets may include side step-cut facets shaped like elongated trapezoids and corner step-cut facets, and each step-cut row includes twelve step-cut facets.