Antique Diamonds & Diamond Cuts
♫ Wednesday, June 29th, 2011
Cuts and settings for gems and diamonds have changed as much in the history of antique jewelry as the political and social landscape of the centuries has. Well into the early 19th century all antique diamonds were hand cut and polished. Technology and the machines capable of near perfection were not yet available. Thus, antique diamonds are known for the fact that each one is slightly different in shape and, often, facet size and shape. Only in recent generations have we sought out diamonds with perfect facet structures and shapes possible only by means of our modern equipment and technology. Yet, antique diamonds often possess brilliance, life and character with which no modern diamond can compare.
Antique diamond cuts, like the vagaries of fashion, have gone through periods of great change. Different centuries and eras favored different cuts of diamonds and of gems. Also, as tools and knowledge evolved, so too did the cuts of diamonds. Diamonds and gems are polished or faceted to bring out the natural color and refraction within each stone. Minimizing flaws or reducing the less than ideal qualities of a stone is also an important factor in shaping a gem. Prior to colored gemstones being faceted, most were cut en cabochon (a rounded convex top and flat bottom). We see cabochons in antiquity well through the Renaissance and many gemstones today are still cut in this fashion.
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