Antique Cut Diamonds
Our curated diamond collection featured in our rings and jewellery were cut during the 19th and early 20th centuries. At this time, all stone cutting was done by hand and eye, unlike today when the majority are cut using computer technology and lasers.
It would take years for a cutter to become skilled and experienced enough to cut the finest stones, to be able to ‘see’ into a rough crystal and know just how to facet it to realise the full potential beauty of the gem. Like Michelangelo releasing David from the marble, these cutters worked to remove the unwanted parts of the rough material to reveal the inherent beauty of mother nature’s diamonds in all their glory. The stones we select are the best of the best and diamonds as lovely as these can only be the result of the most exceptionally skilled diamond cutters of the era.
During this period, these master craftsmen worked to a different set of ideals and for them, realising the maximum potential of a rough crystal was about creating the most beautiful polished gem possible, maintaining weight whilst making something with character, beauty, life and charm. There were no specific measurements or proportions that had to be adhered to, no tables of acceptable tolerances. They were afforded the time necessary to create something special, predating the pressures and diktats of modern stones which require uniformity for commercial mass production.
This means that our antique cut diamonds are all individuals and still show the hand and skill of the cutter. They are each unique in character and in their exact combinations of shape, cut and proportions. We use old mine cuts with their beautiful, rounded cushion shapes, old pear shape brilliants and old European cuts, vintage carré and Asscher cuts and we’re also very fond of a French cut.
Generally speaking, old cut diamonds tend to have a smaller table which is the flat facet at the top of the stone, a higher crown and an open or polished culet. This often means they have a deeper profile than modern diamonds, but this extra depth enables them to display a huge amount of coloured fire and life. This holds true even in dimly lit environments where the higher crown and the larger pavilion facets mean that the old cut diamonds pick up on even very low level of lighting; they were of course initially designed to look as magnificent by candlelight as they were in daylight. The evolution of diamond-cutting has benefited the diamond manufacturer as opposed to the consumer as the developments focus upon yield efficiency and not aesthetic result.
