What is a Rose Cut Diamond?

We receive so many questions about the mystical ‘rose cut’ diamond.  What is it and how is it different from a ‘regular’ diamond?

 ‘Rose cut’ refers the shape a diamond has been cut into; flat on the bottom, domed and faceted across the top.

Brilliant Cut Diamonds

A traditional ‘brilliant cut’ diamond has 58 facets (tiny faces), a pointed bottom and a flat top. This is how most modern diamonds are cut; to maximize the fire and sparkle refracted through the stone.  This style of cutting was invented in the early 1900s and became popular in the Art Deco era.  Today, most diamonds are brilliant cut. 

Rose Cut Diamonds

Rose cut diamonds are flat on the bottom, domed and faceted over the top.  They usually have between 4-29 facets.  The stone’s surface resembles a ‘rose bud’, the inspiration for its name.  Rose cut diamonds are more understated than brilliant cut diamonds.  They have an ephemeral kind of sparkle and translucence, much adored by non-traditional guys and gals.

Rose cut is an antique cutting style, invented in the 1500s.  They were all the rage during the Victorian and Georgian eras.  A nod to the past; rose cuts have that unmistakable unique, vintage allure.

Why do we use rose cut our grey and black diamonds?

We love rose cuts.  Especially for opaque or semi-translucent diamonds.  The brilliant cut was invented for clear diamonds. Light is refracted through the diamond’s point to create that prismatic, fiery sparkle.  But what happens when a diamond is grey, black or salt & pepper?  Nadda! Because light doesn’t enter the stone, the point is pretty… pointless. 

Instead, we maximize the number of facets sparkling across the stone’s surface.  As the hardest substance on earth, diamond facets are extremely reflective and shine beautifully in the light.

Rose cut diamonds are an excellent value.  The extra weight from the bottom half of the stone is distributed across the diameter of the stone.  That means that a 1.00ct rose cut diamond often looks larger than a 1.00ct brilliant cut diamond.  Grey, black and salt & pepper rose cut diamonds offer even more bang for your buck.  For the about the same cost as a .50ct brilliant cut white diamond, you can choose a 1.50ct grey, black or salt & pepper diamond.