7.08ct Old Mine Cushion Cut Diamond Solitaire Ring

Director’s Notes

Old mine brilliant cut diamonds are sometimes referred to as old miners or OMBs and are either square or rectangular diamonds with obviously rounded corners and sides. This softened profile is called a cushion shape as the convex edges and curved corners are said to resemble an actual cushion. The style developed during the 18th century after the discovery of diamonds in Brazil in about 1725. This facilitated experiments in cutting due to the large increase in available stones. Eager as ever to retain as much weight as possible, cutters still followed the overall shape of the rough crystals but now corners became more rounded and the number of facets was increased. The profile proportions of the stones also echoed the rough with the crowns being relatively high and the top table facet generally fairly small. Another typical feature of these stones is the point at the bottom of the stone, known as the culet, which was usually polished flat.