Vintage Jewelry

Vintage jewelry is becoming increasingly popular. Considering the quality of stones used, extensive time involved, and history imbued in vintage jewelry, one can easily say that vintage jewelry may reign supreme over mall chain store jewelry and accessories.

Vintage jewelry diamond cuts were cut to maximize the diamonds weight versus diamonds cut today are meant to maximize "fire." Vintage diamond proportions are different from their modern diamond counterparts. Generally, antique diamonds have smaller tables, higher crowns, deeper pavilions and thicker girdles than modern-cut diamonds. A quick way to distinguish old cuts from moderns is to look at the cutlet. In modern cuts, the cutlet forms a perfect point. Old mine cuts are considerably flat at the cutlet, (known as an "open cut") forming a dot when looked down from the top of the stone.

Rose Diamond Cuts (Dutch Rose)- First widely used in the early 16th Century, the rose cut continued into the 1900s. The cut earned it's name, "rose" because the soft, romantic facets resemble the petals of a rose bud. Carved by hand, rose cut diamonds appear very smooth and are often backed with a thin layer of foil designed to create a stunning play of light. Rose cuts are available in simple 4 or 6 facet cuts and can even run as high as 24 facets. Due to the intense popularity, the supply cannot keep up with demand. This is partly because amny of the old style cuts were re-cut into modern forms during the last part of this century.

Full Cut Brilliant- Devised in the 17th Century, the full-cut brillant is composed of 58 facets. The modern diamond cut originates from this old tradition.

• Old Mine Cut- Jokingly called the "Old Mine Cut" because the crude appearance suggestions the stone may have been cut at mines by unskilled laborers. Appearing squarish in shape, this cut is the earliest version of the full cut brilliant. Also called the "cusion cut" because the of the cushion shaped girdle, the old mine cut is characterized by a high crown, deep pavilion, and small table.
• Old European Cut- More similar to the modern cut than the old mine cut, the old European is circular in shape and is characterized by a small table and great depth.