There’s something comforting and captivating about antiques. It’s as if there’s a whole world living inside vintage pieces—stories of the life (or lives!) your antique item lived before you purchased it. Like vintage vinyl records, typewriters and travel trunks, antique and vintage diamond cuts are rich in history and brimming with character. Take a look back in time and discover why vintage and antique diamond cuts are still popular today.
Parts of a diamond refresher
You might need a refresher on a few diamond-related terms before reading further.
Cut. How the diamond has been shaped and faceted, influencing its proportions, symmetry and the way it reflects light.
Facet. A diamond’s flat, polished surface that is carefully angled and positioned to reflect light.
Table. The flat, top surface of a gemstone, typically the largest facet, plays a key role in the diamond's overall brilliance by allowing light to enter and reflect throughout the stone.
Pavilion. The diamond's lower section or "bottom" beneath the girdle extends down to the tip of the diamond's bottom point.
Brilliant cut. A gemstone cut that has facets on both the crown (top) and pavilion (bottom) of the stone.
Vintage diamond cuts
Point cut diamond: The point diamond cut emerged in the 14th century. These early point cut diamonds were the first attempts at cutting raw (rough) gemstones to improve their beauty. With limited tools at the time, this process primarily involved polishing and evening out the diamond’s naturally existing eight-faced (octahedral) crystal surfaces. The finished stone resembles two pyramids connected at their bases—one pointing up, one pointing down.
Table cut diamond: The point cut evolved to the table cut in the 15th century, achieved by sawing off less than half of the octahedron. This flattening of the top created a square table with four step-down edges, allowing light to enter and exit the diamond more easily, creating much more sparkle.
Heart cut diamond: Heart-shaped diamonds might seem modern, but they date back to the mid-1400s. This romantic cut, typically containing 56 to 58 facets, was beloved by many royals. Mary Queen of Scots once sent a heart-shaped diamond to England's Queen Elizabeth I.
Pear cut diamond: The pear cut combines elements of the marquise and round brilliant cuts. Typically containing 58 facets, it was created in 1475 by Flemish diamond cutter Lodewyk van Bercken shortly after he invented a diamond-polishing wheel. This advancement in diamond cutting opened the door for the intricate diamond cuts we know today.
Rose cut diamond: Though less popular today, rose cut diamonds are significant in the history of gem cutting. This diamond cut, dating back to the 16th century, features a circular face-up shape, a flat bottom, and a mound-shaped faceted top, typically with 58 facets. Think of this cut as an early precursor to the round brilliant cut.
Briolette cut diamond: Lodwyk van Bercken engineered another gorgeous diamond cut in 1476 when he created the Briolette cut with 48 to 88 cuts. The entire surface of Briolette cut diamonds contains triangular or diamond-shaped facets. This intricate cutting technique maximizes the diamond's brilliance and light dispersion, creating a mesmerizing play of light and color. Briolette cut diamonds have no table, crown or pavilion, meaning they are fully faceted on all sides, creating a three-dimensional, teardrop shape.
Single cut diamond: A single cut diamond is essentially the same as a table cut (listed above) but with 17 rounded and faceted edges in total. In terms of brilliance, single cut diamonds can’t compete with modern diamonds with higher facet counts. However, they still offer a charming, timeless appeal.
Mazarin cut diamond: This cushion-shaped cut, invented by Cardinal Jules Mazarin in the mid-1600s, features 34 facets—17 on the crown and 17 on the pavilion. The Mazarin cut evolved from the single cut and was the first true brilliant cut, with facets on both the crown and pavilion. Pieces of Mazarin's diamond collection became part of the French crown jewels.
If you haven’t noticed the trend yet, it’s this: Since the 1400s, diamond cutters have been exploring new designs, tools and techniques to improve the diamond cuts that came before them. Building on the previous breakthroughs has allowed cutters to reach new heights of fire and brilliance within diamonds. Let’s continue.
Peruzzi cut: The Peruzzi cut is a historic diamond cut named after Giovanni Peruzzi, an Italian diamond cutter who pioneered it in the early 1700s. Improving upon the aforementioned Mazarin cut, the Peruzzi cut is one of the earliest attempts to enhance a diamond’s brilliance by using a larger number of facets. This cut, featuring a round shape with 58 facets, is another early precursor to the modern round brilliant cut and was a significant step in the evolution of diamond-cutting techniques.
Old Mine cut diamonds: Old Mine cut diamonds date from the 18th century and are square, with slightly rounded corners. Their large, deep, hand-cut facets give the stone an overall "chunkier" appearance than modern cuts. A smaller table, which lets in less light and produces a warm, soft sparkle, is a signature element of Old Mine cut diamonds.
Old European cut diamonds: Another cut similar to today’s round brilliant cut, the Old European cut was developed in Europe and was popular from 1890 to 1930—so popular that if you have a diamond ring from this era, it’s probably an Old European cut. This cut, again, doesn’t quite achieve the shimmer and sparkle of today's round brilliant cut. Not only did this cut have a smaller table, higher crown and larger culet, but hand-cutting facets at the time still resulted in mis-sized facets or facets with imperfections such as bumps or bulges.
Transition cut diamonds: The transition cut was invented in the U.S. in the 1870s by master diamond cutter Henry Morse, who prioritized the diamond's beauty—even if that meant sacrificing larger-than-normal percentages of rough diamonds. Quality over quantity! This cut is considered a "transition" between the Old European diamond cut and the round brilliant cut; however, transitional cut diamonds have a higher crown and a deeper pavilion than round brilliant cuts.
Asscher cut diamonds: If you like rectangular, step-cut diamonds, take a look at the Asscher cut. First developed in 1902 by Joseph Asscher, the cut gained significant popularity in the post-World War I era. Asscher cuts showcase 58 facets and are similar to emerald cuts; however, Asscher cuts are typically square, while emerald cuts are usually rectangular. Both cuts have cropped/beveled corners, but Asscher cuts tend to have a more pronounced crop, giving them a"rounded-off square" appearance. Joseph Asscher was such a talented diamond cutter that he was entrusted with cutting the Cullinan Diamond - the largest gem-quality diamond ever found.
Baguette cut diamonds: Baguette cut diamonds are long, rectangular stones with straight, parallel facets, similar to emerald and Asscher cut diamonds. However, baguettes are usually longer and narrower and don’t typically have cropped corners. Baguette diamonds originated in the early 20th century. They contain 14 facets and are often used as side stones in engagement rings. Unlike brilliant-cut diamonds designed to maximize sparkle, the baguette cuts have a softer, more vintage look due to having fewer, larger facets.
Emerald cut diamonds: Speaking of step cut diamonds, emerald cut diamonds are the most popular type. Rectangular in shape, emerald cut diamond facets appear as tiny, stepped edges on all sides of the stone. Emerald cuts can have 49 facets or more. The emerald cut originated in the 1920s and was used initially for emerald gemstones. Valued for its clean lines, elegance and understated brilliance, the vintage appeal of emerald cut diamonds evokes the Roaring Twenties and mid-century vibes.
Cushion cut diamonds: The cushion cut dates back to the earliest diamond cutting styles and is often known as “the old new classic.” Cut into a puffy sofa pillow-like shape, cushions are square or rectangular with smooth, curved edges. The cut was inspired by older cuts, including the Old Mine cut. However, the Old Mine cut had 58 facets. In comparison, the modern cushion cut typically has 64 facets, which gives these diamonds an eye-catching sparkle.
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