A Love Letter to the Old Mine Cut Diamond

When Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce proposed to Taylor Swift in August 2025, the world’s eyes weren’t just on the couple, they were on her ring. Set in warm yellow gold, Swift’s engagement ring features a breathtaking old mine cut diamond, an antique style rarely seen in contemporary proposals. Almost instantly, jewelers across the globe reported a surge in interest for this storied cut. Vogue called it “a major resurgence,” while collectors and romantics alike began seeking out diamonds that offered not just sparkle, but soul.

Born in an age lit only by flickering candlelight, the old mine cut was shaped by hand to glimmer with a warmth that seemed almost alive. Once the jewel of candlelit parlors and royal courts, the old mine cut has returned to the spotlight. And no moment better encapsulates this resurgence than the recent engagement of Taylor Swift, whose ring has already inspired a global revival of antique diamond styles.

No Two Were Exactly Alike

The old mine cut emerged in the early 18th century, during a period when diamonds were admired for their fire rather than their brilliance, and since electricity had yet to be discovered, lapidaries (diamond cutters) worked under the glow of candles and oil lamps. Unlike modern diamonds, which are created by computer-guided lasers and precision machinery, lapidaries of the 18th century carved and shaped diamonds by hand, which resulted in softer finishes, warmer colors, and unique, asymmetrical facets that captured light with an almost painterly softness.

With their high crowns, deep pavilions, and visible culets, old mine-cut diamonds carried an imperfect, soulful sparkle created through the feel and intuition that can be captured only by human hands.

The Stone of Royals and Diplomats

It is no coincidence that many of history’s most storied diamonds were cut in this style. Yet it was during the reign of Queen Victoria that the old mine cut truly flourished. The 19th century, marked by sentimentality, saw jewelry become a language of love and memory: lockets held miniature portraits, mourning jewels preserved strands of hair, and engagement rings carried the weight of eternal matrimony. Queen Victoria’s deep affection for diamonds helped elevate them as symbols of devotion throughout Europe and America. Old mine-cut diamonds adorned rings, brooches, pendants, and tiaras.

Cardinal Jules Mazarin, France’s Chief Minister in the 17th century, collected diamonds with the dual perspective of a statesman and a romantic. Among his treasures was the Grand Mazarin, a pink-hued stone later fashioned into an old, brilliant mine cut. For centuries, it graced the French Crown Jewels, enduring revolutions and restorations, until its sale at auction in 2017.

Then there is the Beau Sancy, a nearly 35-carat diamond worn by Marie de’ Medici at her coronation in 1610, which also holds a significant place in history. While it predates the old mine cut, its influence is clear. The Beau Sancy reflects a lineage of diamond cutting that would eventually lead to the romantic squareness of the old mine.

The Modern Muse

Though the old mine cut eventually gave way to the old European cut in the late 19th century, its spirit never faded. Instead, it lingered in antique collections, passed down through families, waiting for a generation ready to fall in love with vintage-inspired craftsmanship once more.

That moment arrived not only in jewelry houses and auction rooms, but also in the hands of Hollywood’s icons. Natalie Portman’s glamorous engagement ring featured an estimated 4-carat old-mine cut diamond surrounded by a double halo of pavé diamonds in a sustainable, recycled platinum, epitomized modern elegance anchored in heritage. Designed by Jamie Wolf, it married ethical sourcing with antique craftsmanship.

And now, with pop sensation Taylor Swift’s romantic mine-cut diamond engagement ring, the antique-inspired old mine cut has captured a new generation’s imagination. Swift, known for her storytelling and love of symbolism and all things based in Literature and English, could not have chosen a more fitting stone. In fact, many experts are now weighing in and believe that Swift’s one-of-a-kind ring was crafted entirely by hand. Her choice has already ignited what Vogue has called a “major resurgence” in antique diamond styles. Jewelers are reporting increased interest in old mine and old European cuts, with collectors and couples alike seeking stones that feel personal, storied, and soulful.

An Everlasting Diamond

The imperfections of the old mine cut are precisely what make it extraordinary. Each asymmetrical facet, each softened edge, glimmers with a warmth more romantic than any calculated brilliance. Where modern cuts dazzle with precision, the old mine cut whispers with soul. Its large culet — that small window at the diamond’s heart — is not a flaw but an invitation to look deeper, a reminder that true beauty lies not only on the surface, but in depth and character.

In an age where perfection is often manufactured, the old mine cut stands as a quiet rebellion: a jewel that embraces individuality and celebrates the hand of the artisan. It is a cut that asks us to slow down, to savor history, to feel the fire of candlelight in its glow.

Taylor Swift’s ring may have brought this antique style back into the headlines, but its allure has never been dependent on trend. From the treasures of monarchs to the keepsakes of lovers, from the salons of Paris to the stages of Hollywood, the old mine cut endures because it carries within it something more than sparkle. It carries memory. It carries devotion. It carries the poetry of time itself.