DATE: Victorian, c.1900

The perfect old cut diamond solitaire engagement ring... set with an exquisite, chunky, old mine cut diamond (1.16 carats, G-VS1) in a simple eight claw rose gold ring mount. The principal stone is bright and lively, the large pavilion facets flashing brightly as they catch and disperse the light into its spectral colours (aka fire). The main stone is flanked by two further old mine cuts in the shoulders, and the band is elegantly detailed with a grooved ridge tapering away from the head. 

Old mine cut diamonds were fashioned by hand and measured by eye before the invention of electric light, making each one unique - full of character on account of their slight imperfections. The name has had different meaning over the age... coming into common use towards the end of the 19th century when global production began to shift from the "old mines" in Brazil and India, to newly discovered mines in South Africa. Used at first to refer to any cushion shaped "brilliant" cut diamond mined in India or Brazil (literally the old mines), it eventually evolved to include stones coming out of the African mines and cut in the old style cushion shape.

Technically, the cut falls into the "brilliant" category (as opposed to rose, table, step, etc.) and many people interested in antiques prize them above the precision-cut modern brilliants... mainly on account of their handmade imperfection which brings character and charm to the stones - particularly, I think, when presented as a solitaire such as this. The cut was perfected during the 17th century, and rose to prominence thought the 18th and 19th centuries; its key features include the squarish "cushion" shape and 58 facets with a relatively small table, high crown, and large open culet. The latter features result in these stones often being described as "chunky" compared with their modern brilliant counterparts. Visual characteristics displayed by old miners include a unique contrast pattern (the pattern of light and dark areas caused by reflections within the stone) and strong fire (the presence of rainbow colours) on account of the relatively large facets and naturally high dispersion of diamonds.

STONES 

1.16ct Old Mine Cut Diamonds - G colour, VS1 clarity

MEASUREMENTS 

Head: 6.6 x 6.9mm

Width of band: 1.4mm

WEIGHT 

2.7g

MARKS 

French control marks (partially obscured) 18k gold

CONDITION 

Excellent