We have all heard sayings such as “what goes around comes around” and “don’t throw it away because it will eventually come back into style”, and such words are more true now than ever, especially with vintage “pin up” styles and classic Hollywood looks appearing almost everywhere, especially in fashion and jewelry. Diamonds and glamour have long gone hand in hand. It is little wonder then that celebrity choices in diamonds and diamond jewelry should set trends and bring about great changes in the way people choose a diamond of their own.
For example, since the beginning of the 2007 season of Hollywood and film industry awards shows and ceremonies, with their famous “red carpet” parades of celebrity style, vintage or “glam” looks of the early 1930s and 1940s began to make stronger and stronger appearances.
This means romantic and soft hairstyles, elegant and classic evening gowns, less garish or dramatic makeup and a return to older styles of jewelry. From the extraordinarily famous, such as Angelina Jolie, to the up and coming, such as Sienna Miller, jewelry was used to express this very distinct fashion statement. Both Jolie and Miller chose to wear pieces of larger carat size, but cut in the rose, mine and other classic styles.
These older jewelry styles and more antiquated styles of cutting have continued to be predominantly the rose cut stones. Stylists prefer the softer light from these stones, which is directly in line with the hair, makeup and fashion styles of the older eras. Though the old-fashioned method - which does not require more advanced or sophisticated tools - downplays the glitter that a diamond is capable of gaining, it brings a depth and weight to the light reflected, giving a stone what many feel is a sense of mystery and allure that traditional glittery “bling” never seems to have.
One of the most notable appearances of rose and old-fashioned cut diamonds during the 2007 season was actress Cate Blanchet’s dramatic necklace and earrings worn at the Screen Actor’s Guild Awards. The necklace was an enormous strand, extending to her waist line, and paired with two-carat earrings in another older cutting style, the mine cut.
Unfortunately, both the rose and mine cutting methods tend to waste large pieces of a stone, and have lost favor with jewelry professionals because of the overall cost of cutting a diamond in one of these methods. In fact, even vintage rose and mine cut stones are becoming more difficult to find since they have been taken by their earlier owners to be re-cut into more glittering and reflective stones.
Currently, both the estate and vintage jewelry industries are enjoying a huge amount of activity due to the popularity of the older styles of cutting and setting diamonds. While some are taking their vintage rose cut stones and having them reset into contemporary settings, others are leaving the stones in their original settings to allow them to retain their vintage look and appeal.
Many original rose cut diamond pieces will have unusual characteristics and features, such as foil backing to help reflect more light. Some pieces were even given an artificial color that was produced by a tinted foil lining. Because of the current popularity of colored diamonds, this artificial coloration in the vintage settings actually increases their market value.
Increases in the value of such unique cuts and their re-emerging popularity are continuing to make headlines, such as in a recent episode of the tremendously popular “Antiques Roadshow”. A guest brought a family heirloom set of pearl and diamond necklace and earrings to find their current value from the show’s expert appraisers. While the set had garnered a value of around ten thousand dollars only twenty years earlier, the current demand had driven the woman’s jewelry into a price range of well over two hundred and fifty thousand dollars. This was all due to the current desire for the rose cut stones that filled the necklace and earrings of the set.
Another developing trend in diamond cutting relies on lasers to inscribe a diamond for permanent identification or even with a customized message. Diamond industry experts and analysts all think the new “cutting” technology is a great way of eliminating fraud, permanently marking a stone for ownership, permitting jewelers to trademark their designs and add a whole new dimension to the diamond gifting industry.
For example, a diamond can now be inscribed, or cut, with a specific message to the recipient such as “happy birthday”, “I love you”, or any other message that is desired. They can also be given permanent identification numbers or special identifications such as logos and trademarks. While this cutting is indeed a permanent marking, it could be removed through professional polishing.
Many diamond vendors are enthusiastically using the method of inscription to add a huge measure of security to their diamond inventories and many hope that quality assurance marks will soon be added as a way of guaranteeing the established value of a stone in the marketplace.
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