Rose Cut Gems

The increasing popularity of using antique cut diamonds in modern jewelry is no surprise.  Antique diamonds offer a different visual experience to how they play with light, and vintage jewelry enthusiasts are inspired by simply their warmth and sparkle.  Today, let's get acquainted with the wound that is undergoing a massive revival in modern jewelry: Rose Cut Diamonds.

 Rose Cut Diamonds

 The most prominent features of the rose cut diamond are the flat back and the dome-shaped top covered in triangles.  The number of these facets can vary, be at least 3 and at most 24 facets, which have the top as the apex.  This is where the term "rose" comes from the name;  The sides are said to resemble flower petals stretching out in a rose bud.

 The flat back of the cut rose has two noticeable effects.  First, without a side at the bottom of the gem to reflect light, it was transparent enough.  They have a calm and subtle look compared to the sparkle of full diamond disco balls.

 Second, without being "junk in the trunk", rose pieces lift all their rust weight on them.  This means that a rose cut diamond will appear to be a visually larger stone when viewed from above, rather than a full cut diamond of the same carat weight.  This gives the rose cut diamond a larger surface area because none of its carat weight is stored under the corset.

 The rose cut is most commonly seen in round shape, but can also be adapted into oval, pear, marquise and freeform shapes.

 History of Rose Cut Diamonds

 The rose flower originated in the 1500's and was commonly used through the Georgian and Victorian eras.  Like other antique diamond cuts, they are handcrafted by hand and intended to dazzle by candlelight.  Its large, wide facet looks great in low light conditions.

 The rough diamond crystal shape affects the shape of the diamond to be cut.  Diamond cutters strive to maintain as much as possible the carat weight of the original diamond.  In fact, if you get a vintage rose cut, you'll often see that the perimeter follows the crystal shape of a diamond instead of being perfectly round.  The shallow height of a rose cut diamond utilizes insufficient thin crystals when made for other shapes.

 Color & Clarity

 When diamond cutting was modern, the whitest colors were usually cut into brilliant shapes which usually fetched a higher price.  But the icy sparkle we associate with modern diamonds today is not necessary for rose cut diamonds.  Their cutting style is suitable for gems with warmer body tones.

 The clarity of your rose cut diamond is important because of the transparency of the cut.  They have several aspects to avoid internal defects, small inclusions, and the hair in the crystal will be more visible.  Choosing a diamond with a pleasing clarity rather than a higher color grade will have a more pronounced impact on its beauty.

 Rose Cut Colored Diamonds

 As white rose diamonds grew in popularity, colored diamonds followed suit.  Cut roses are now very common in black, champagne and even opaque and rustic colors.  But these rustic colored diamonds should not be confused with "raw" diamonds because they have been cut and polished.

 Diamond cutters often take a lot of freedom when cutting opaque and rustic colored diamonds.  Again, they prefer to follow the crystal shape of the diamond to maintain the carat weight.  You can find them in traditional rounds and ovals, but also in more creative shapes like kites, hexagons and more.

 Rose Cut Gems

 Colored gems in rose cut form have also been popular.  Rubies and sapphires are also common as well as tourmaline, moonstones, and various other semiprecious gems.

 A more saturated (and therefore more valuable) rough gemstone is usually preserved for a slanted cut which will result in a higher price.  Similar to diamonds, rough gemstones of the most desired color are usually reserved for fully cut gemstones.  This means that our rose gemstones are often cut from lighter colored gems or more.  The result?  There will be stunning pastel rainbow colors.