The historic "Old Mine" cut, also called an antique cushion, has centuries long tradition being the most popular and elegant diamond shape until it faded into obscurity. Today, it is seeing a resurgence due to it's character and subtle beauty. Below we'll discuss the history of this shape, how it looks, and maybe you'll have a new favorite diamond shape by the end!
Source: Sotheby's
Old Mine Cushions - A Quick History
The name "Old Mine" actually refers to the diamond mines of Brazil. At the time, Brazil was the largest source of diamonds found. Most diamonds from these mines were cut in this shape and style as it worked the best with the rough from the area. When diamond mines were located later in South Africa, these Brazil mines were referred to as the "Old Mines". This style of cutting cushions originated in the 1700s and remained the most common diamond cut until the late 1800's.
An Old Mine cut is notable for these features;
- A square-ish shape with soft, rounded corners.
- A high crown, or the upper portion of the diamond above the middle girdle.
- A deep pavilion, the portion of the diamond below the middle girdle.
- A noticeably smaller table, the top most flat portion of the diamond.
- 58 facets, same as a round brilliant diamond, but organized in a more spread out fashion to make them appear larger/chunkier.
- A cut culet, the bottommost point of the diamond cut flat.
These all had their historic needs. The diamond was often cut in this shape and depth to get the most weight out of the rough being mined, the rough diamond led itself to being cut in this way. Moreover, this faceting style reflected well in candlelight and releases more fire (rainbow light) than brilliance (white light reflection). Finally, the pointed tip at the bottom of the stone, call the culet, was the area at risk of chipping the most when being cut or worn daily, so it was cut flat to protect the stone.
All of these features combine together to give Old Mine cushions their iconic look.
Source: Carat Heritage
Old Mine Cushion vs. Cushion Brilliant vs. Cushion Modified Brilliant
Cushion diamonds have changed a lot since the Old Mine days, each has it's own special features that some may prefer.
Cushion Brilliant became the next popular cutting style. More modern than the Old Mine, it removed the cut culet and evened out the crown and pavilion depths to better reflect light. It also widened the table, giving the diamond a larger appearance.
Cushion Modified Brilliant is the newest addition, building on the classic Brilliant but with the addition of extra facets and sometimes special facet shapes. These often cause so much light to reflect that it makes the center of the diamond very sparkly, often called "crushed ice". The Hybrid variant elongates some of these facets to make them more subtle for those who want sparkle but not as much as some Modified Brilliants give.
Elongated cushions are now the most popular variety. While traditional Old Mines were square, the popularity of the elongated Old Mine variant makes for competition due to limited availability.
Beyond the Antique Cushion
Today, the Old Mine cut goes beyond the classic cushion. Due to it's popularity and subtle brilliance, the Old Mine faceting style is seen in many other shapes.
Old Mine styles can now be found in emerald cuts, asschers, ovals, pear shape, heart, marquise and more! Each has it's own special features to make it original but all build off of the historic original cushion.
Each shape is a fun way to get a diamond with more character as well as a stone with more subtle sparkle and with a story to tell!
Old Mine Cushion Low-Set Engagement Ring
Old Mines x Shahla Karimi
Shahla Karimi specializes in stones with a story to tell. We've created many bespoke pieces featuring Old Mine Cut stones and we're always looking to create something new and special for everyone!
Visit our pages below to see our Old Mine diamond collection as well as our Bespoke process to see examples of our previous projects and to get in contact with us so we can create something special for you!
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