Welcome back to theDiamonds Hatton Garden Blog where we showcase the very best of our Hatton Garden jewellerylers. This week we look into the history of the many gorgeous shapes and cuts of diamonds. In the long storied history of diamonds many styles and shapes have evolved alongside the technology needed to cut and process these precious stones.
The history of diamonds as objects for ornamentation begins in India. Diamonds set in jewellery have been found in India and have been dated back to the year 400 AD. Back then diamonds were not mined as the technology would not be available for almost 1500 years and would have been sifted from the bottom of rivers by hand. Crudely cut, these stones were set in crowns, bracelets and necklaces. Diamonds in Europe were known of but were incredibly rare with the ancient Roman naturalist Pliny the Elder noting that ‘ Diamond is the most valuable, not only of precious stones, but of all things in this world’
It wouldn’t be until a thousand years later that diamonds made their way to the markets of medieval Europe. Venetian traders would bring back the stones and diamonds literally married to the European custom of ring giving.
Since Roman times rings have been given as a part of a couples engagement ceremony symbolising love and eternal fidelity. However it wasn’t until diamonds made their way to Europe that they were incorporated into engagement rings. The first recorded giving of a diamond engagement was Maxmillian of Austria was back in 1477 where he created an insatiable appetite amongst Europe’s elites for diamonds and was a major force in driving European colonialism.
As diamonds came back from far flung parts of the globe – Southern Africa, India and South America – European diamond cutting techniques evolved to keep up with the growing demand and add even more value to these precious stones.
One of the earliest known shapes that developed in the west is the Emerald cut which is still widely popular and sought after today. Emerald cut diamonds were cut in such a way as it was believed the rectangular lines would help maintain the strength and integrity of the stone.
The point cut was also highly popular. However at this time diamond cutters were experimenting with making softer lines and increasing light refraction, leading to the invention of the pear shaped diamond in the famous diamond market of Antwerp by diamond cutter Lodewyk van Berquem.
In Italy a heart shaped ring was cut that set a precedent across the continent. In 1562 Mary Queen of Scots sent a heart shaped diamond ring to her sister Elizabeth 1st of England. This cemented the heart shaped ring as a sign of love and loyalty and came into vogue for European royalty. Centuries later the heart shaped diamond came back into the public consciousness through Hollywood royalty when Elizabeth Taylor was given one by Richard Burton to commemorate their engagement.
Throughout the 1700s European colonialism brought more diamonds back into Europe and as they became more widespread it wasn’t just European royalty that could afford them. A small selection of European high society wanted a more exclusive shape that better refracted light than the traditional Emerald cut. The cushion cut filled this need with its brilliant light refraction (which made the diamond truly sparkle) and was very different to the hard edges of the point cut diamond.
Along with the cushion cut diamond another shape was developed in France on the behest of King Louis XV. The King charged his diamond cutter with the task of cutting a diamond in the shape of his favourite mistresses lips. We perhaps have an idea of what these famous lips might have looked like from the long elongated lines of the Marquise cut. And so the Marquise cut was born. Not quite the symbol of fidelity and loyalty that diamond rings were envisaged to be but a beautiful shape was crafted.
In the later half of the 19th Century new diamond mines were discovered in Southern Africa. In 1888 Industrialist Cecil Rhodes founded De Beers, a corporation that revolutionised diamond extraction and the diamond market. With diamonds from Southern Africa flooding the market this again led to a revolution in the way in which diamonds were cut with styles such as the ‘Old Cut’.
Jewellery designs reflected Victorian tastes that were marked by heady and exotic symbolism. Queen Victoria’s engagement ring featured emeralds, yellow gold and diamonds fashioned into the shape of a snake. . At the time the snake was a symbol of love and like most Victorians the Queen was a fan of anything loaded with symbolism.
At the turn of the 20th Century diamond shapes reflected the Art Nouveau style that was being explored in many art forms including architecture and painting. The Art Nouveau style featured a rejection of symbolism in favour of a style influenced by nature and natural curvature. Rings from this period are still celebrated for their excellent craftsmanship flowing bows, garlands, loops and other Art Nouveau motifs.
As the century progressed diamonds became more accessible to the middle classes as more sustainable diamonds were mined. In 1947 DeBeers coined the now ubiquitous phrase ‘Diamonds are Forever’ and advertising history was made. With a post-war wealth boom and the rise of popular entertainment, diamond sellers began to mass market their product to an ever growing audience. Diamond sellers made sure that Hollywood stars were bedecked in diamond rings and necklaces on the red carpet. In 1949 Maryln Monroe sung ‘Diamonds Are a Girl’s Best Friend’ in the musical Gentlemen Prefer Blondes’, this film and the star’s association with diamonds cemented diamonds in the public’s imagination as a symbol of luxury and glamour.
For something with a more classic feel, we also have plenty of loose white diamonds in a range of different cuts that can be fashioned into an item of your choosing. Each diamond has been certified by the world’s leading gemmological associations and hand-selected by our team for its beauty and we are proud to assist you with any ideas you may have.
With diamonds being increasingly sourced from sustainable mines diamonds despite changes in style and fashion as the saying goes ‘ are indeed forever’. At Diamonds Hatton Garden we have a range of both classic and modern styles to fit most budgets and tastes and would be delighted to assist you to create your perfect diamond engagement ring. To book your virtual consultation, contact our team via inf@diamondshg.co.uk