What is the Rose Cut Diamond?

The rose cut has been around for about 500 years but hasn’t been in high demand for about a century. In the last seven years or so, though, rose cut diamond rings have been gaining popularity.

Learn more about the rose-cut diamond in this article.

The starting point, really, should be what makes a rose cut so different. The key is in the origins of the cut. Because the first rose cuts were made in the 1500s, cutting techniques were much more basic, and the cut reflects this.

• What is a Rose Cut Diamond?
• Different Types of Rose Cut Diamond Shapes
• Rose Cut Diamond Popularity
• The Rise of Antique Jewelry
• Insider Tips for Buying a Rose Cut Diamond
• Shop Rose Cut Diamond Jewelry
• Talk to a Diamond Expert

What is a Rose Cut Diamond?

A rose cut diamond is just a regular diamond that has a flat bottom instead of a pavilion, and a domed top that contains only 24 facets. This lack of a pavilion means the cut also lacks the optical properties of a more complex cut which incorporates more than twice the facets and a deep pavilion.

Put simply, the rose cut is only the top section of a typical diamond, without the (pointed) bottom part.

An easy way to identify a rose cut (in contrast to other diamond cuts) is to see the internal pattern of the diamond. If all that you see are large triangles, then it’s a rose cut, but if you see multiple sets of converging thinner triangles it’s another cut.

The rose cut diamond, like any diamond, ranks on the Mohs Scale, according to GIA, as a 10 on the hardness scale. The fact that it’s shaped without a bottom, doesn’t impact the hardness of the molecules.

Different Types of Rose Cut Diamond Shapes

Although the overall premise of the rose cut diamond is fairly straightforward, there are still many types of rose cut diamonds.

All of the types of rose cuts have only the top section, but the circumference can vary rather drastically. There are many types, but below are the most popular shapes on the market.

• Round Shaped Rose Cut. If the roundness is perfect, it will usually be cut more recently. If the roundness is less perfect, it will usually be called an old mine rose cut.
• Cushion Shape Rose Cut. A rose cut diamond but with a more “pillowy” and lengthier shape.
• Oval Shaped Rose Cut. A rose cut diamond that is shaped as an oval.
• Old Mine Rose Cut. An antique “uneven” rose cut diamond. Usually something between a round and a cushion.

Rose Cut Diamond Popularity

The rose cut, like the old mine cut, harkens back to gentler times when the shock-factor in design was still several decades – or centuries – away. It may be this, which allows the cut to live on.

It is also helped, like so many things, by an effective endorsement by a sports star or celebrity.

In 2012, Justin Theroux proposed to Jennifer Aniston using an 8-carat antique rose-cut engagement ring. The publicity surrounding the engagement was enormous and opened people’s eyes to this “olde worlde” diamond cut.

Aniston’s ring is actually not quite round. Instead, it has a slightly elongated shape, but this is quite common with rose cuts.

In fact, the rose cut is one of the most varied in the shapes produced. This could be because the cutters were less concerned with the absolute symmetry today’s laser cutting machines can produce.

The Rise of Antique Jewelry

But can a single celebrity cause such an upturn in popularity as we’ve seen? Probably not, but it undoubtedly helps.

The last 30 years have seen a huge rise in the popularity of antique diamond rings. This includes rings displaying rose-cut stones. Add to that, the fact that high-quality rose-cut diamonds are actually quite rare. This combination drives demand ever higher.

This is also why we see so many rose cuts with inclusions. Most antique rose cuts were cut before high power magnification was available, and many flaws were simply not seen with the naked eye. However, these inclusions don’t diminish the appeal of the cut.

It’s possible that the rose cut is just about different enough from more modern cuts that further differences simply don’t matter.

Whatever the reasons, the rose cut will be with us for a while yet.

Insider Tips for Buying a Rose Cut Diamond

We’ve been in the industry for over 40 years. Here are our top tips for what you need to know before buying a rose cut diamond.

1. Educate yourself on diamonds and jewelry. Education = leverage. Reading our jewelry and diamond blog and order our book on engagement rings to learn more.
2. Buy your diamond online. Commercial “brick and mortar” stores have a very high overhead that they’ll pass over to you.
3. Wait for online promo discounts. Lots of vendors have periodic discounts.
4. Lower your expectations for the rose cut color and clarity. The cost difference between a D color and a G color is hardly noticeable, but the price of a D color will be far higher. The same principle applies to F Clarity vs. VS2 Clarity diamond.
5. Purchase a diamond with a carat weight that’s just under a carat number (or a half carat number). For example, buy 1.49-carats instead of 1.50-carats or 1.99-carats instead of 2.00-carats.

Shop Rose Cut Diamond Jewelry

Here are some of the Rose-Cut Diamond jewelry from our collection. Feel free to shop our vintage jewelry page to view more examples.

Talk to a Diamond Expert

Do you have any questions about rose cut diamonds? Feel free to reach out to one of our diamond experts. We will respond as soon as possible.