Antique Diamond Cuts Are Gaining Popularity

Every year more and more people become interested in antique diamond cuts as well as in period or vintage jewelry. As this is happening, the diamonds adorning those jewels are gaining close attention and renewed respect. Often, the main clue to the age of the piece is the way the diamond is cut. As older stones can be recut to modern shapes or even replaced, recutting or replacing diamonds mounted in period or antique jewelry could have an adverse effect on the price of the jewels. In order to protect the uniqueness of the vintage piece, period and antique jewelry experts are looking for the original old stones, or, in case the stones have been substituted, for stones executed in the typical manner of that period. Therefore, the jewelry market has recently become very strong for vintage cuts, and prices are also getting momentum.

As these vintage pieces are getting more attention, the number of fans appreciating the stones for the romance accompanying them, and their personality and beauty is also growing. They are also becoming an increasingly popular choice for engagement rings because of the romantic and cost elements as they are more compelling than those of the new diamonds.

Here are the antique diamond cuts that are gaining popularity: old-European cut, old-mine cut, rose cut, and table cut.

The old-mine cut is a predecessor to the modern-day round cut. This cut has a “cushion” shape, which means a rounded square. Proportions in this cut are following the diamond crystal, and, as a result, the pavilion is deeper and the crown is higher than in modern-day stones. With a very small table, it has a very large culet that could be seen without any problem from the top. Because of these two factors, it lacks the brilliance of contemporary stones, although it manages to exhibit incredible fire.

The old-European cut has appeared in the middle of the 1800s, and is very comparable to the old-mine with the exception that it is round in shape rather than square, and has fifty eight facets. The pavilion is also not as deep as it is in the old-mine cut and has a smaller culet, and the crown is higher than in modern cuts.

The 16th century rose cut typically has a flat base and facet radiating from the center in multiples of six, which creates the illusion of an opening rosebud. The rose cut could be found in oval, pear, and round shapes.

The table cut represents the earliest cutting effort. The cutters would place the point of a diamond crystal against a turning wheel that would be holding another diamond, and would wear down the point creating a flat square surface that resembled a tabletop.

Antique diamond cuts could be strikingly beautiful. The earlier cutting styles may exhibit intense fire and have tremendous appeal, particularly among collectors and those of you who appreciate authentic jewelry from these earlier periods. However, by to-day’s standards, they are short of brilliance, plus a bulky culet may overshadow the stone’s beauty.