We’re nearing one of the most exciting times of the year– proposal season! And boy, we’ve been busy in our showroom crafting custom designed engagement rings like never before.
There’s one trend we’ve seen pick up this year that we’re highlighting today. That’s the rose cut diamond, vintage style engagement ring. Though not as popular as the top trends we covered earlier this year, it’s gaining traction.
So what is this rose cut diamond? Here are all the details on this spectacular vintage cut.
What is a Rose Cut Diamond?
A rose cut diamond has a flat bottom with no pavilion, and a domed top containing only 24 facets. In contrast, most diamond cuts have a deep, pointed pavilion hidden under the ring setting. The pavilion contains additional facets that help light bounce, enter, and reflect through the diamond, giving it brilliance and fire.
This cut features a series of facets that rise off the base of the diamond to produce a dome shape. Think big top circus tent. This is how the rose cut diamond looks from the front.
From the back, the diamond is polished flat. When staring directly into the diamond, the facets give the illusion of an opening rose bud. This is where the name rose cut was born.
To go even further, it’s helpful to understand the diamond cutting process.
Let’s begin with the concept of a diamond “cut”. When a diamond is mined, it looks like a translucent rock. This of course depends on the color of the diamond mined, but for the sake of this blog, let’s just keep it simple and say it’s a “D” or colorless stone).
The diamond “cut” refers to how this diamond rock is then shaved down to form a specific shape. The purpose of this is to maximize the diamond brilliance by controlling the way the light filters through it. This can only be done through the way the diamond is cut (or shaved) and polished.
The most common diamond cuts are: Marquise, Princess, Oval, Round, Heart, Asscher, Emerald, and Pear. Click here to learn more about these cuts from our website
The History of the Rose Cut Diamond
The rose cut was first developed in the 1400s. Diamond cutters cut every single gemstone by hand in those days.
True vintage rose cuts tend to have inclusions and varying shapes. Because each stone was hand cut, symmetry wasn’t nearly as important. Each vintage rose cut is truly one-of a kind.
Today’s laser cutting machines can produce perfectly symmetrical stones. Although beautiful, modern stones lack the enticing history of a vintage cut.
Height of Popularity
The rose cut diamond was most commonly worn during the Georgian (1754-1768) and Victorian Eras (1840-1900). When admiring jewelry from these periods, you will notice that the rose diamond is often encased in a circle of precious metal and set with the facets facing outward.
This is a much different look from modern day jewelry where the facets are usually facing the back.
Ladies of those days wore these diamonds in necklaces, rings, and earrings, with rose cut diamonds draping the whole pieces. It is very rare to see a rose cut diamond on its own, unless of course on an engagement ring.
The rose cut diamond preference faded away in the early 1900’s, after brilliant cut diamonds and other cuts were introduced. True, vintage rose cut diamonds are difficult to find, but more are reappearing with the increased market for buying and selling vintage gemstones.
Rose Cut Diamonds are Making a Comeback
Antique and vintage jewelry are back in a big way. Whether you blame in on Downton Abbey, Peaky Blinders or even Game of Thrones, antiques jewelry is big.
You may remember Jennifer Aniston receiving a rose cut diamond engagement ring from ex, Justin Theroux back in 2012.
More recently, consumers are focusing on ethical purchases that are better for the planet. There’s no superior option than recycled or upcycled jewelry.
Finally, brides and brides-to-be crave styles that speak to their unique and individualized tastes. Vintage and antique style rings are one-of-a-kind, unlike other big box, cookie cutter engagement ring styles.
As a jeweler, we have seen the trend pendulum swing back in favor of the rose cut diamond. Even Tiffany’s has released a Cobblestone Line, which incorporates many rose cut and brilliance cut diamonds in bracelets, earrings, rings and necklaces.
In summary, this is a rising trend that will continue to increase over the next few years, if not much longer!
In the market for a ring this engagement ring season?
Let us help you choose the perfect ring for your proposal. We have styles and shapes to fit any budget, or we’ll happily design a ring to meet your needs.
Are you interested in creating a custom engagement ring with a loose diamond from our inventory? We also have a large selection of unique antique and vintage rings to choose from. Contact Sergio@jfjco.com to schedule an appointment and find the perfect engagement ring today.
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