Antique Cuts vs. Modern Cuts
Hello diamond lovers!
If you have found yourself on this blog post, you are about to learn all about the differences between antique cut diamonds and modern cut diamonds. Antique cut diamonds are near and dear to my heart, so if you sense some over-enthusiasm in this writing, you’re not wrong! I am going to teach you the unique characteristics of antique cut diamonds, and how we got from there to where we are today. Here we go!
So, for a little background knowledge, polishing diamonds began in India in the 14th and 15th centuries. Being able to actually shape the diamond by a process called “cleaving” came around in about the 17th century, and then we started to see more refined diamond cuts in the 19th and 20th centuries. There are two kinds of antique cut diamonds that we still see circulating throughout the diamond market a lot today, and that is the Old European Cut, and the Old Mine Cut. These are the two antique cuts that we will be focusing on today, and you’ll learn the differences between the old versions and the new versions!
The Old European Cut is the antique version of today’s modern Round Brilliant Cut, and the Old Mine Cut is the antique version of today’s modern Cushion Cut. The Old Mine Cut came first, and was very popular during the Edwardian and Victorian eras; and then came the Old European Cut, which gained popularity during the Art Deco era. There was a little overlap of these two cutting styles coexisting at the same time in the early 20th century, and as cutting technology kept advancing, the cutting techniques began to change. There were some transitional style cuts as technology progressed, until ultimately the Modern Round Brilliant Cut was developed by Marcel Tolkowsky in 1919. After the Modern Round Brilliant was developed and recognized as the most ideal cut, the cutting industry began exclusively producing these- which is why the Old European and Old Mine cuts are now considered ‘antique’!
This photo features an Old Mine Cut Diamond on the left, and an Old European Cut Diamond on the right. Photo from Corey Egan.
Before we dive into the differences between these cuts, this diagram will give you all the tools you need to follow along with the ‘diamond anatomy’ terminology we’re about to use!
Check out this image to learn what the ‘table’, ‘crown angle’, and ‘girdle’ are…. because you’re about to read a bit more about them.
Diamond anatomy graphic. Photo from Yadav.
So… what is the difference between these antique cuts and today’s versions? Well, there are a few! The most notable difference is that because these diamonds were fashioned before our current advanced machinery was invented, the cut on Old European and Old Mine cuts is far less precise. These diamonds were cut by hand with instruments that we no longer use, so you can expect some ‘not-so-perfect’ symmetry!
There are a few main differences between the cut of an antique and a modern diamond:
Graphic of Antique Cuts vs. Modern Round Brilliant. Photo from Ritani.
Firstly, antique cuts have larger facets; this gives them a more ‘window-y’ look, and creates larger flashes of light than a modern cut.
Secondly, antique cuts usually have smaller tables. The table is the flat facet at the top of a diamond, and in a modern round brilliant cut, the table would be somewhere between 55-66% of the total diameter of a diamond; in an antique cut, it is often below this benchmark!
Antique cuts often have steeper crown angles. The crown angle is the angle created by the girdle (the perimeter edge of the diamond) and the table. In a modern round brilliant cut, this angle would be somewhere between 25-35%, but in an antique cut it would most often be higher! This steeper crown angle makes the antique diamond as whole ‘taller’ than a modern would be, which can make an antique cut look smaller than a modern cut of the same carat weight.
Lastly, antique cuts have large culets. A culet is the bottom-most part of a diamond, and in antique cuts this is an extra facet. In most modern cuts, the symmetry is so precise that everything comes to a perfect point at the bottom of the diamond, which makes it seem to disappear; but in an antique cut, the large facet at the bottom is visible from the top of the stone.
Aside from those differences in cut, there is also a difference in color between antiques and moderns. Antique cuts almost always have lower color grades, and they are most often found in the ‘K’ and below color range, This is because many of the high quality antique cut diamonds were re-cut to be modernized after the round brilliant cut was developed. The modern round brilliant cut is recognized industry-wide as the ‘ideal’ cut, so a lot of the very valuable antique cut diamonds in the market were adjusted to be modern. For this reason, the ‘leftover’ antique cuts tend to have lower color grades, but GOOD NEWS: their window-y facets do a great job of masking that color! Antique cuts can actually face up to the eye much whiter than a comparable modern cut!
Clarity works the same in both antique cuts and modern cuts, so the same rules apply! No inclusions visible to the naked eye is the best!
So now that you’ve learned the visible differences between them, how do you know if you want one? Well, if you’re someone seeking a little uniqueness in your engagement ring, an antique cut diamond could be the one for you. Because of all of these reasons I just mentioned, they are all so very different! My favorite part about antique cuts is how I have never seen two that look just the same. They truly are one-of-a-kind, and that makes them extra special in my eyes. Antique cut diamonds have a certain charm and romance to them… I just can’t get enough! Who’s with me?
If you want to start the search for your perfect antique cut, set up your initial phone consultation by clicking here! You can also submit a request by clicking “CONTACT” at the bottom of the website, or email samantha@requiemejewelry.com.
Thank you for dropping in to this #RequiemReport blog, I hope you come back for more!