history of diamond cuts

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When you hear the word "diamond", chances are you immediately think of today's sparkly, modern brilliant cut diamonds.  However, the art and science behind diamond cutting has come a long way since the first table-cut diamonds of the 1400s.

Scroll below for a timeline on the history of diamond cuts.

point cut
(pre-13th century)

Photo courtesy of Lang Antiques

Diamonds have been cherished by man for thousands of years, being considered sacred objects as far back as the Roman Empire, B.C.

Diamonds naturally form in octahedral-shaped crystals (picture 2 pyramids connected at their base).  Although diamond cutting techniques hadn't been invented yet, the mere thought of cutting a diamond crystal was considered taboo.

These rough diamonds weren't cut, but rather crudely polished.

table cut
(13th century)

Photo courtesy of 1stdibs

The first cut and polished diamonds date back to the 1200s.

Notable jewelry historian, Jack Ogden, reports to have seen Medieval Islamic jewelry dating back to the 13th century containing table cut diamonds.

​These "table cut" diamonds were very primitive, simply sawing one of the points off of the octahedral crystal, leaving a "table" that would be crudely polished.

step cut
(13th century)

The step cut

rose cut
(16th century)

In the 16th century, faceting techniques were developed and the rose cut was invented.

Belgian and Dutch diamond cutters were cutting thinner pieces of rough into rose cuts:  a flat-bottomed stone with a domed top covered in diamond-shaped facets.

Rose cuts became even more popular throughout the 17th century.  Their shapes became bulkier and their domes became higher as their popularity grew.

old mine cushion cut
(17th century)

Early brilliant cut diamonds were being cut and polished as far back as the 17th century.

Square diamonds with rounded corners, now known as cushion cuts, were now beginning to be fashioned.  These asymmetrical, lumpy diamonds were used in jewelry through the 19th century, Victorian Era.

marquise cut
​(18th century)

Photo courtesy of Scott Papper, GIA GG, AJP, CM (NAJA), Global Gemology & Appraisals

During the Georgian Era, King Louis XV of France commissioned his jeweler to cut a diamond in the shape of the mouth of his mistress, Madame de Pompadour.

This birthed an early variation of the marquise cut, or navette cut.

european cut
​(18th century)

Photo courtesy of Scott Papper, GIA GG, AJP, CM (NAJA), Global Gemology & Appraisals

While old European cut diamonds can be traced back to the 1700s, they weren't frequently seen in jewelry until the 1920s, Art Deco Era.

​European cut diamonds were a compromise between the lumpy, old mine cut diamonds that came before it and the modern, round brilliant cut diamonds that would later be developed.

Like old mine cuts, European cut diamonds have an open culet.  However, European cuts are round and don't share the same squarish shape as mine cuts.

asscher cut
​(20th century)

Photo courtesy of Scott Papper, GIA GG, AJP, CM (NAJA), Global Gemology & Appraisals

The asscher cut is one of the very first patented diamond cuts.

The Royal Asscher Diamond Company invented the asscher cut in 1902, but it didn't gain popularity until the Art Deco Era, circa 1920s.

Asscher cuts are octagonally-shaped step cuts, with large steps and a high crown.

emerald cut
​(20th century)

During the 1930s, the emerald cut diamondwas developed.

Emerald cuts are an evolution of early table cut and step cut diamonds.

Emerald cuts are usually cut from long, slender rough, which dictates their shape.  Like asscher cuts, emerald cuts also have cut corners, but are usually rectangularly shaped and have smaller steps.

The emerald cut is a very revealing cut, so clarity is important.

Fine quality emerald cut diamonds can display a "house of mirrors" effect.

 Modern brilliant cut
​(20th century)

Photo courtesy of Scott Papper, GIA GG, AJP, CM (NAJA), Global Gemology & Appraisals

Diamond cutters were constantly experimenting with different angles and proportions, trying to create the most brilliant diamonds possible.

After the Art Deco Era, we saw the emergence of transitional cut diamonds, which lasted for several decades before being slowly replaced by modern round brilliant cuts in the '40s.

Today, GIA has developed a Diamond Cut Grading Scale for round diamonds.