I love diamonds. What girl doesn't?! What jewelry addict doesn't?! And recently, I have been completely taken with older cut diamonds. Granted, in these older cuts, it's hard to find the color and clarity that I would typically want in my diamonds (D,E,F in color and VVS2 or better in clarity). But the inherent character and history that they have is just so lovely!
Imagine my excitement when I happened upon this Stunning Delivery from Jeweled Rose...A sparkling .61ct Old Mine Cut (sometimes called 'Old Miners') diamond that is incredibly clean and bright. The stone itself measures 5.3mm x 4.6mm and under the 10x loupe I can't see any inclusions or carbon. But, while I am only a well-educated amateur, and not qualified to grade diamonds, I would venture a guess that this one could be a VS stone. What gives the diamond its warmth (which I hope you can see in the photos) is its color. I suspect it is most likely a J or K in color. I have grown to love these slightly warmer stones that have such an interesting and beautiful light dispersion!
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| It's hard to see, but the warm tone of this stone & the excellent clarity give it a beautiful overall appeal! The stone faces up white & doesn't show it's true, warm color - especially in natural light. |
This type of cut - Old Mine Cut - is the earliest form of the modern brilliant cut (what you see in most jewelry stores nowadays). It is also called the "cushion cut" because it has a cushioned shaped girdle with a high crown, small table, deep pavilion and large cutlet. And, you can tell by looking at this stone that it has a slightly irregular shape, thereby giving it even more character!
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| This photo shows the warm color a bit better & shows off the slightly irregular cushion shape of the stone. |
Old Miners were typically cut by candlelight or gas light, so they tend to have larger facets and more light leakage through the stone in contrast to today's stones. As a result, stones from this time period tend to have a warmer color and more depth. It's part of why I am fascinated by them. But, for the time period in which they were cut, they were (pun intended) at the cutting edge of diamond fashion.
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| You can really tell in this photo, which was taken in the evening by indoor table lamp light, that this stone has a lot of color to it. In natural light or bright indoor light, the color is a lighter, less rich yellow. What I love about this stone is how the depth of the color changes based on the light source. |
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| The stone looks a little lighter in this light & is closer to how its color appears in real life. You can also tell the difference in how the stone "faces up" in color from the previous photos. When looking at the stone "face up" or straight down / head-on, it appears 'whiter' than when viewed at an angle. |
Even though this stone came to me mounted in a simple basket setting, I've removed it from its setting and am excited to make it the centerpiece of a completely new, modern design that will (I hope) accentuate the unique cut, and color, of this stone and allow me to add to its already long history!
Stay turned to see the finished product in a future post!
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