What Diamond Cuts Tell You About the Age of Antique Jewelry

The way a diamond is cut is one of the best clues to when a piece of jewelry was made. Cutting technology changed slowly over five centuries, and each era has its signature cuts: rose cuts in Georgian pieces, old mine cuts in Victorian rings, old European cuts in Edwardian and Art Deco platinum, and step cuts such as the Asscher in the 1920s and 1930s. Here is the short history.

Point cut

The earliest diamonds in European jewelry, from the late Middle Ages, were point cuts: natural octahedral crystals, shaped like two pyramids joined at the base, polished but barely cut. They are found only in very early jewelry.

Table cut

Once cutters learned to grind diamond with diamond dust, they could polish off the top point of the octahedron to make a flat table. Table cuts appear in Renaissance jewelry. One of the most famous early diamond engagement rings, given by Archduke Maximilian of Austria to Mary of Burgundy in 1477, is said to have been set with thin, flat diamonds forming the letter M.

Rose cut

By the 1500s, cutters were making rose cuts: a flat base with a domed top covered in triangular facets, named for its resemblance to a rosebud. Rose cuts have no table and no pavilion, so they glow softly rather than sparkle. They remained popular for centuries and are common in Georgian and Victorian jewelry.

Old mine cut

In the 1700s cutters developed the old mine cut, a cushion-shaped early brilliant with a small table, a high crown, a deep pavilion and an open culet. It is the signature diamond of Georgian and Victorian jewelry. Shop old mine cut diamonds.

Old European cut

In the late 1800s, machines made it practical to round diamonds, and the old European cut was born: round, with the same high crown, small table and open culet. It dominated late Victorian, Edwardian and Art Deco jewelry. Shop old European cut diamonds.

Asscher, emerald and other step cuts

Step cuts, with long rectangular facets in rows, have a long history, but they came into fashion in the 1920s and 1930s. The Asscher cut, a square step cut with cut corners, was introduced by the Asscher company of Amsterdam in 1902 and became an Art Deco favorite, along with emerald cuts, baguettes and French cuts. An antique Asscher has a higher crown and smaller table than a modern one. Shop Asscher cuts.

Transitional and modern cuts

In the 1930s and 1940s, transitional cuts bridged the gap between the old European cut and the modern round brilliant, with a larger table and smaller culet. The modern round brilliant, with its large table and pointed culet, became standard after the mid 20th century.

Putting it together

A diamond's cut is a strong clue to age, but not the whole story. Stones were sometimes replaced over the years, so the cut, the metal, the hallmarks and the construction should all agree. For more, see what old cut diamonds are and old mine vs. old European cut, or ask us about any piece.

Written by Shawn Eshaghian, appraiser and co-owner of The Antique Parlour in Great Neck, New York, which he runs with Natasha. He writes and signs The Antique Parlour's certificates of appraisal.