Antwerp...Diamond capital of the world for centuries - not just an empty phrase.
Of all cities, it was our hometown, Antwerp, where, in the mid-16th century, the table rose-cut diamond was introduced. This method of diamond polishing left both the top and bottom of the stone flat, with sloping facets and chamfered corners, creating a sort of trapezium. One can recognise the old 16th, 17th, and 18th-century rose cuts by these flat tops, known as the “table”. Later rose-cut diamonds were polished to a point at the top.
Imagine the ingenuity and patience people had in those days to polish the world's hardest material into the shape of their desire. The jewels depicted here are set with these so-called table rose cuts and are about 300 years old. Just imagine wearing jewellery that ancient...
