Antique and vintage diamond gemstones are all the rage right now. Custom design a new and unique jewelry piece that features their sentimental beauty.
The difference is in the cut. As far back as the 1300’s, jewelers cut diamonds by hand to make jewelry, creating shapes and dimensions that give the gemstone a warm glow rather than the fiery brilliance of a modern-cut diamond. Hand faceted diamonds use a unique play of light to fool the eye, giving the stone that glow as well as enhancing its color. When set into a mounting, an antique or vintage diamond can take a bride-to-be’s breath away, especially is she adores the old-fashioned romance of bygone eras.
Hand-Cut Diamonds in Demand
People are falling love with the look of antique and vintage diamonds cut by hand. It’s worth it to open that old forgotten jewelry box you inherited! Here’s what you could find:
- Rose Cut Diamond – looks like a flat crystal, with facet patterns that resemble a honeycomb or the blooming petals of a rose. The single rose cut has a single layer of facets; the double rose cut has additional layers of faceting. About 500 years ago, the rose cut style is the standard design for round-cut diamonds.
- Antique Cut Diamond – is hand-cut by a diamond cutter who creates the most beautiful diamond from piece of diamond rough that his skill and knowledge can create, using a different shape than would typically be used in the era in which it is cut.
- Old Mine Cut Diamond – has a high crown with a small table. Its girdle is either rectangular or round, with a deep pavilion and a large, faceted culet. Dating to the 1830’s, old mine cuts are featured in many Georgian, Edwardian and Victorian style engagement rings.
- Old European Cut Diamond – is the most classic and common cut of antique and vintage diamonds. Often re-cut into a more modern facet to increase its value, old European cuts are now salvaged and reset in vintage-era style mountings, keeping their old-world beauty intact.
Designing with Older Cut Diamonds
Once you find an experienced jewelry designer like Indy Facets, keep these details in mind in when helping to choose a new design for your antique and vintage diamonds:
- Help older cut diamonds keep their natural sparkle by using them for earrings or pendants rather than rings, which tend to get dirty faster.
- Add filigree, decorative hand engraving and fancy detail around a center diamond as well as textured details like milgrain edging to accent the charm and beauty of antique and vintage diamonds.
- Setting antique and vintage diamonds in yellow or rose gold compliments their unique colors.
- Not mixing older cuts of vintage diamonds with modern cuts will feature their subtle sparkle.
Want to re-style estate jewelry pieces to look like new? Ask us about our Custom Jewelry Gift Experience.
Indy Facets – Everyone’s Private Jeweler
Indy Facets seamlessly blends the expertise and full service of a traditional jewelry store with the value and convenience of a personal jeweler experience. We give you the face-to-face interaction with an expert that you deserve, in a private setting where you can relax and feel comfortable. Owner/Designer Shaun Goodyear and his team have earned an excellent reputation as everyone’s private jeweler for engagement rings, custom design, investment grade diamonds, luxury Swiss timepieces, estate jewelry, jewelry repair and the highest level of customer service, available to you from an onsite, state-of-the-art Custom Design Studio and Gemological Laboratory by private appointment only. You are guaranteed a unique, fun and exciting experience without the hype, pressure, judgment or uncertainty associated with other jewelry shopping options. We schedule appointments at your convenience, and are usually available evenings and weekends, too. Call 317-810-1665 for your private appointment or schedule online, indyfacets.com/schedule.