Antique Cuts
Old European Cut Diamonds
Dozens of old European cut diamonds in stock and shown in 360°, the round antique cut of the Victorian and Art Deco eras, ready to set in any Hitched design or view in person in Philadelphia, Washington D.C. or Chicago.
The round diamond, before the machine age
The old European cut is the direct ancestor of the modern round brilliant, cut roughly from the 1860s through the 1930s, the diamond of Victorian, Edwardian and Art Deco rings. It is round like a modern brilliant, but the proportions are entirely different: a small table, a tall crown, a deep pavilion, and a small open culet at the center.
Those proportions change how the stone behaves. An old European cut returns light in bold, distinct flashes with strong fire, the rainbow component of sparkle, rather than the uniform white glitter of a modern round. Under dinner-table light it does something a modern cut simply does not: it flickers.
Because the facets were placed by hand and the girdle finished by eye, each stone is slightly its own. That individuality is the point. An old European cut is a round diamond with a fingerprint.
How our collection works
Old European cuts are genuinely scarce, so our inventory blends antique-era stones with newly faceted old European style diamonds cut to the historical proportions, including certified lab-grown examples that deliver the antique face at a modern price. Every stone is filmed in 360° so you can read the culet, the crown height and the character before you shortlist it.
If you love the antique look but want to compare it against its squarer cousin, our old mine cut collection sits one page over, and a showroom viewing can put both cuts on the tray in front of you.
Questions, answered
What is an old European cut diamond?
An old European cut is the round antique diamond cut of roughly 1860 to 1930, the predecessor of the modern round brilliant. It has a small table, high crown, deep pavilion and a small open culet, and it returns light in bold flashes with strong fire rather than uniform modern glitter.
Old European cut vs modern round brilliant, what changes?
Shape stays round; everything else differs. The old European cut trades table size and calculated symmetry for a taller crown and open culet, so it shows broader flashes, more rainbow fire, and a softer, warmer face. A modern round brilliant is brighter and icier. Side by side, the antique reads romantic and the modern reads crisp.
Are old European cut diamonds rare?
True antique-era stones are, since no new ones have been cut that way at scale for ninety years and many were recut into modern rounds. That is why our collection also includes newly cut old European style diamonds, faceted to the original proportions with modern certificates, so the look is available without an antique-market hunt.
Is an open culet a defect?
No. The open culet, the small flat facet at the stone’s point, is a defining feature of antique cuts. Face up it reads as a subtle circle at the heart of the stone. It was cut deliberately, both to protect the tip and because the cutters of the era prized the effect. Modern reproductions include it on purpose.
What does an old European cut diamond cost?
Our in-stock old European cuts start around $3,000 for stones over a carat, with antique-era and larger stones ranging higher. Newly cut and lab-grown examples deliver the same proportions for less. Every price on this page is the full stone price, and pairing it with a setting shows the complete ring total before checkout.
Can I compare old European and old mine cuts in person?
Yes. Shortlist from both collections and book a viewing in Philadelphia, Washington D.C. or Chicago. We will have your stones on one tray with a gemologist to walk you through the differences, and the viewing deposit applies to your purchase.