During the end of the 90s and the beginning of the millennium, there was a change in the diamond industry—antique diamonds, with their subtle soulfulness, started to come on the market, upcycled from broken antique and vintage jewelry or taken out of original jewelry settings that weren’t being sold or worn. The authentic and rare pieces broken up for the diamonds were a shame as those still intact from the Georgian through early Art Deco periods are sought after by antique collectors, have become more challenging to find and have appreciated with time.
But let’s get back to the desirability of rose cuts, old mine cuts, old European cuts and briolettes set into modern designs. They have only gotten stronger and more alluring to the contemporary consumer with time.
There are also diamonds that are cut from the rough, fashioned after the original antiques or bearing similar faceting and character as the three mentioned as well as table, portrait and other styles of earlier cuts. Many designers created these as socially conscious exclusive cuts that can be traced from mine to design.
All this led up to what we now know as diamonds that whisper rather than shout—that seem to be handed down through generations and, most notably, are those diamonds you don’t have to think about. Instead, you wear them effortlessly every day, almost like a second skin. The subtle sparkle is alluring. And, traditionally, the self-purchasing woman is attracted to these type of diamonds rather than more blingy styles, either buying pieces for themselves or asking their significant other to buy for them.
Here are some that hit all the marks of the new antique cut diamond classics:
Jessica McCormack’s Signature Tilted Button Back ring, with one pear-shaped diamond in a Georgian cut-down setting, in 18K white and yellow gold.
Single Stone’s Paloma Double Drop Earrings with old European cut diamonds, bezel set in handcrafted 18K yellow gold.
Darius’ Diamond Signature Chain Bracelet of bezel set antique old mine cut diamonds set in 18K fairmined yellow gold.
Sethi Couture’s 18K gold Belle Necklace with center old mine cushion cut diamond.
Rebecca Overmann’s delicate rose cut diamond with a halo set east west in 14K yellow gold.
Megan Thorne’s antique rustic diamonds with balsam leaf, hand-carved design in 18K gold
Jenna Blake’s Victorian blackened diamond drop earrings set in sterling and gold.
Briony Raymond’s Sloane ring with old European cut diamond in 18K yellow gold.
Estate Diamond Jewelry’s Secord diamond drop earrings featuring old European cut diamonds, set in prongs in platinum on 18K yellow gold.
Jessica McCormack’s Ball n Chain collection oval-shaped diamond in an 18K blackened gold in a Georgian cut-down setting. The chain is handcrafted in 18K rose gold with blackened platinum links.
Mindi Mond’s ear climbers with antique cushion cut, pear shape and old mine cut diamonds, set in blackened sterling silver.