At left, a close-up of Taylor Swift’s engagement ring, and at right, “The Grand Engagement Ring” by G.St Ceremony featuring a natural old mine-cut diamond. Greenwich St. Jewelers said the ring sold while this story was in progress.
New York—While engagement ring shopping is about selecting something personal and meaningful, there are always a few styles each season that rule the category.
The vintage look has been emerging as a coveted aesthetic, the trend further fueled by celebrities leaning into the look, such as Zendaya, who flashed her antique diamond engagement ring on the Golden Globes red carpet back in January, and more recently, Taylor Swift, whose engagement ring has obvious vintage elements.
“Any time a cultural icon like Taylor wears something distinctive—especially an engagement ring—it sparks a wave of interest,” said Stephanie Gottlieb, owner of her namesake fine jewelry brand based in New York.
“What’s exciting is that many of our clients had recently requested unique antique diamonds that are full of character, and Taylor’s ring just validated that instinct for them.”
Swift’s ring reportedly contains an old mine-cut diamond.
The antique cut, which dates to the 1700s, is identifiable by a flat facet at the bottom of the diamond known as an open culet—often a marker of a stone hand-cut long before the development of the tools that allow for the sharp, knifelike point seen in diamonds today, according to the Gemological Institute of America’s Old Mine Cut Diamond Guide.
The fact that these diamonds were cut by hand gives them character, according to Gottlieb.
“[They have] this beautiful irregularity—chunkier facets, higher crowns, smaller tables, and a softer, candlelit sparkle,” she said.
It’s a classic choice for a consumer who wants a storied, one-of-a-kind natural diamond.
The “Grand Engagement Ring” by G.St Ceremony featuring a 2.03-carat old mine-cut diamond with M color, VS1 clarity
Though once very popular, particularly in Georgian (1714-1837) and Victorian-era (1837-1901) jewelry, original old mine-cut diamonds can be difficult to come by, especially in variations like Swift’s, which is elongated versus square and pillowy.
“These stones were cut by hand centuries ago, often to maximize carat weight from the rough, and elongated shapes were less common in that era,” Gottlieb said.
“Finding one today in a larger size, with beautiful proportions and facet patterning, is extremely challenging.”
Due to their scarcity, elongated variations may also command a premium.
New York-based retailer Greenwich St. Jeweler has been selling antique (meaning more than 100 years old) diamonds for more than a decade.
“Diamond manufacturers obviously wanted to sell what was selling, and they would buy back [antique] diamonds from consumers and re-cut them [into modern shapes].” — Jennifer Gandia, Greenwich St. Jewelers
Co-owner Jennifer Gandia said another reason these stones can be tricky to source overall is because of a change in trends over the years.
“We lost a bunch at some point, probably in the ‘70s ‘80s and ‘90s, where there was no interest really in antique diamonds,” she said.
“Diamond manufacturers obviously wanted to sell what was selling, and they would buy back [antique] diamonds from consumers and re-cut them [into modern shapes], so there are less of them, and it’s a finite resource.”
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The old mine cut is regarded as the precursor to the cushion cut, a variation that emerged amid notable technological advances in diamond cutting around the late 19th century, according to a buyer’s guide from Sotheby’s.
The cushion cut retains the old mine’s squarish shape but has evolved over time to feature more uniform facets, and sometimes additional facets, which, according to a GIA explainer on the cut, would make it a “modified cushion cut brilliant.”
Both antique and modern cushion-cut diamonds provide a similar look to the old mine cut while being more readily available, Gottlieb said.
An antique solitaire cushion-cut diamond on a gold band by Stephanie Gottlieb
“There are some really beautiful modern cushion cuts that are designed with antique sensibilities—chunkier facets, softer outlines, higher crowns,” she added.
Cutters today also can mimic the original old mine cut in natural or lab-grown diamonds, a service offered by companies like Roen, a jewelry brand based in New York.
Modern diamonds cut in antique styles offer the same look but with added benefits, such as thicker, more durable girdles, as well as greater symmetry and consistency due to improved cutting precision, according to GIA.
Another way to channel the vintage vibe is to opt for an off-white or warmer-tone diamond, which is a separate trend that appears to be naturally intersecting with antique cuts’ rise in popularity.
The “Cori” ring from Single Stone featuring a 3.18-carat antique cushion brilliant-cut diamond of O-P color, VS2 clarity
“Antique cuts often naturally have warmer color tones, and part of their charm is how the cut and color play together to create this soft, romantic glow,” Gottlieb said.
“The aesthetic appeal of warm tones is leading people toward antique cuts, and the resurgence of antique cuts is helping people appreciate the beauty of those warmer hues.”
A diamond of any kind could be set in a vintage-inspired mount, like Swift’s bezel prong setting or a milgrain band.
A Stephanie Gottlieb engagement ring with an M color, oval-shaped diamond in a bezel prong vintage-inspired setting
A 4-carat elongated antique cushion-cut diamond set in a platinum ring, from Lauren DeYoung Jewelry
Gandia, of Greenwich St. Jewelers, said she has seen a notable uptick in interest in hand-engraved bands among the store’s clients.
Soon after Swift announced her engagement, Stuller put out a shop-the-look guide featuring several similar style suggestions.
In addition to showcasing diamonds of various cuts in elongated shapes like ovals and cushions, the guide features bezel prong settings and vintage-inspired bands.
“It’s all about capturing the essence of what you love about Taylor’s ring, whether that’s the shape, the warmth, the sparkle, or the history,” Gottlieb said.
“Consumers may need to evaluate [antique diamonds] on different criteria than their modern counterparts, focusing on the personality and charm of each stone.”— Lauren DeYoung, Lauren DeYoung Jewelry
For a consumer who has their heart set on any kind of original antique diamond, it’s best to work with someone who has the resources to source these types of stones, like Gottlieb, Gandia, or Lauren DeYoung, a sixth-generation jeweler known for curating antique and vintage jewels.
“When shopping for an antique diamond, the average consumer should expect a different experience than [when they are] buying a modern stone,” DeYoung said.
“They come with a host of characteristics that don’t come up when shopping for a modern diamond … consumers may need to evaluate them on different criteria than their modern counterparts, focusing on the personality and charm of each stone.”
Gandia echoed this sentiment: “You can’t be like, ‘I want a D color, internally flawless, antique old mine cut.’”
While the retailer said Greenwich St. Jewelers ultimately will make whatever a custom client wants, the store’s associates always will provide education about antique diamonds and try to source an original before suggesting an alternative.
For some, the sourcing process may prove to be worthwhile.
“I think most people who want an antique [diamond] or are truly interested in something that has a history like that are very open to hearing and learning more about that time,” Gandia said.
