Cut Library — Comparison
Old European Cut vs Transitional Cut
Old European Cut
An Old European Cut is an antique round brilliant with a small table, high crown, large visible culet and circular (rather than cushion-like) outline — the direct ancestor of the modern round brilliant.
Full Old European Cut guide →Transitional Cut
A transitional cut is a round diamond faceted somewhere between an Old European Cut and a modern round brilliant, reflecting the period — roughly the 1880s to the 1950s — when mechanised cutting was steadily refining proportions from one style toward the other.
Full Transitional Cut guide →| Attribute | Old European Cut | Transitional Cut |
|---|---|---|
| Era | Late Victorian–Edwardian–early Art Deco | c. 1880s-1950s |
| Crown | High | Lower than Old European Cut, higher than modern round brilliant |
| Culet | Usually visible, often large | Small to pointed — shrinking over the period toward a modern pointed culet |
| Table | Small | Larger than Old European Cut, smaller than a modern round brilliant (roughly 52-54%) |
| Outline | Round | Round |
| Faceting | Antique brilliant, circular | Antique-to-modern brilliant, transitional proportions |
| Typical use | Antique jewellery, period-style engagement rings | — |
| Availability | Uncommon | Uncommon |
| GIA grading term | — | Circular brilliant |
Next steps
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