Mine Cut Diamonds

Hi, I am new to this list and have little experience with jewels. I
was shopping for an engagement ring this afternoon and came across a
beautiful antique ring from an estate sale. The jeweler told me the
diamond (set in a platnum band) was a mine cut diamond. It is a
little over one carat, VS1 and the color is I. I just wanted to know
the difference between the mine cut and the modern brilliant cut. I
have only looked at modern cut rings thus far, but loved the look of
this mine cut. Are there any drawbacks or advantages to having a mine
cut or a modern brilliant diamond?

Hchoran

adavntages= more unusual, suited for an lover of things antique ;

disadvantages = probably less brilliant than a modern cut diamond ;
tend to be “deep” , i.e. diameter is smaller, depth is larger than
modern diamond.

As a rule the old mine cuts are faceted prior to the 1920’s, with a
higher crown (the top half of the stone), smaller table (the large
center facet) and larger culet (the point), and is usually out of
round. However, I am partial to these stones for two reasons. 1)
Each one is unique. 2) They don’t look like CZ.

If I were in the market for a new engagement ring, finding a great
old one would be my very first choice. If you do make the decision
to get an antique mine cut engagement ring; take some time and shop
around. 47th Street (NYC) and Ebay (of all places) will show you the
wide selection available. Without pushing one Ebay seller over
another, there is a seller who will give you all the pertinent points
(clarity, color, size, per carat price, etc.). They are a prolific
seller and I suspect, are a regional jewelry store who has found
their niche on Ebay.

Best of luck!

CteDesigns

Hi. I am a fourth-generation jeweler in Los Angeles, and my Dad,
Grandfather, and Great-Grandfather were all diamond cutters. The best
advice that I can give to a non-professional, when buying a diamond,
is to NOT take the word of the seller Re: quality. If you are not
qualified (i.e. gemologist OR lots of experience) to judge it yourself,
find someone you can trust to give you an honest evaluation.
Preferably, NOT someone who sells diamonds (hard to find, but there’s
a conflict of interest.)

I will put in a plug here for my friend, Charles Carmona, at Guild
Labs in L.A. He will give you the you need, and that is
his only business. He’s VERY good at it. Standard disclaimer–I have
no financial connection, etc.

With regards to the difference between old mine, old European, etc.
and modern brilliant cut, it is a really a matter of personal taste.
The demand today is for the modern cut, but that is not to say it is
"better." More important is whether the stone pleases YOU, and whether
it is priced fairly. AS important as that, is to educate yourself
about the proportions to which diamonds are cut, since it makes a huge
difference in the ‘look’ of the stone. I would NEVER buy a 'spread’
cut, because I think they’re ugly. I absolutely refuse to sell them
in my business, even if that’s what a customer THINKS they want. (One
of the joys of owning one’s own business is the right to make rules
that are counter-productive, but feel good!) If you decide to go with
the modern cut, I would caution you to find one with good proportions,
as it will make all the difference over the many years that you will
wear it.

Feel free to contact me offline if you have further questions. David
Barzilay, Lord of the Rings (213) 488 5100. In So Cal, where the “Santa
Ana Conditions” have the temp. up to 90 degrees F.

Old mine cut stones are stones that were cut before the technology
was developed to cut stones to modern proportions, which are generally
accepted to be more brilliant than old mine or old European cut
stones. If you like the look, and many people do, there are no
drawbacks to owning one. However you should be paying at least 20 %
less than a modern cut stone with similar color and clarity.

Daniel R. Spirer, G.G.
Spirer Somes Jewelers
1794 Massachusetts Ave
Cambridge, MA 02140
617-491-6000
@spirersomes
www.spirersomes.com

Hello, hchoran

	Being a bench jeweler, the only draw back is when you have to have

your prong tips …well retipped. Mine cut diamonds do not have a
very good polish as compared to ideal cut diamonds. If the diamond is
not removed before retipping the intense heat will give your diamond a
glazed over look. A mine cut diamonds polish has raised areas or bumps
that will (for the lack of a better word) burn when being tipped. As
with an ideal cut the polish is much finer…do to modern technologies.
But do not be discouraged …buy the mine cut if you like it …it is
not an inferior diamond …you just have to have a trusted jeweler
who knows what he or she is doing.

guy