hand cut diamonds

At Berganza we specialise in the rare and unusual - appealing to consumers who are in search of something truly individual and one-of-a-kind. Candlelight diamonds can be compared to snowflakes in that no two are identical and therefore each has their own unique character and old-world charm.

Old cut diamonds and cushion shape old mine diamonds can also be referred to as candlelight diamonds. This name signifies an extraordinary part of the history of these diamonds which are an incredibly rare find today and are highly sought after both for their unique history, individuality and their exquisite beauty. These diamonds are instantly recognisable by their deep proportions, large angular facets and flat culet to the bottom, which required immense hand-eye coordination for the diamond cutter. These diamonds would have been cut in the light sources available at the time such as daylight, candlelight, gaslight or equivalent. The distinctive characteristics of the cut allow for a superior scintillation in daylight and other low light settings.

Post circa 1970, new technologies such as lasers and programmes which maximise the yield from a single diamond crystal have led to the mass-production of jewellery. Modern brilliant cut diamonds today therefore each have the exact same number of facets and are cut with the intention to maximise efficiency not beauty. The skill of cutting a diamond by hand has since been lost as it is not time or cost effective to facet diamonds in this manner.

However, candlelight diamonds were cut by hand over 100 years ago by using the first pioneering techniques of a craftsman at his workbench in candlelight or equivalent giving them an additional historic value attributed to their formation. In this era only the finest quality crystals were chosen to cleave and polish as this was an arduous process for the diamond cutter which would have taken several months.

Visit Berganza to find your very own diamond piece to be worn at your candlelit occasions.