Single Cut

Single Cut is a simple style of diamond cutting with a small number of facets, traditionally used for smaller diamonds and diamond accents in antique and vintage jewellery.

A traditional single-cut diamond typically has 17 facets: a table, eight crown facets and eight pavilion facets. The simplicity of the cut produces less intense brilliance than a modern brilliant cut, but it can create attractive, small flashes of light that complement larger stones.

Single cuts were particularly useful before modern diamond-cutting techniques made it practical to produce large numbers of precisely calibrated small brilliant-cut diamonds. They are frequently encountered in antique, Edwardian and Art Deco jewellery, especially in pavé and millegrain settings where numerous small diamonds are set closely together.

Single Cut should not be confused with Old European Cut or Brilliant Cut. Old European and modern brilliant cuts use substantially more facets and are designed to create greater brilliance and scintillation. Single cuts have a much simpler facet arrangement and are generally associated with smaller accent stones.

The appearance of a single-cut diamond can vary according to its proportions and the quality of the individual stone. In antique jewellery, slight irregularities are often characteristic of hand cutting and contribute to the historical character of the piece.

At Weldons, single-cut diamonds are particularly relevant when assessing antique and vintage jewellery, where they may form part of intricate pavé, millegrain or other detailed settings.

Typical facets: 17
Common use: Small accent diamonds and pavé settings
Period: Particularly antique, Edwardian and Art Deco jewellery
Characteristic appearance: Small, subtle flashes of light rather than the intense brilliance of a modern brilliant cut