Ah, rose cut diamonds! With a name like that what's not to love? We started a month long affair with rose cuts when we kicked off the Dream Diamond x Gem Hunt pop-up which features 10 rings made from rose cut diamonds.

Rose cuts are currently the Edison light bulb of the fine jewelry world. Soft, glowing, warm and yet functional - designers just can't seem to get enough. And we don't mind one bit. While this cut is all so en vogue at the moment, rose cuts are not new - they have a very rich history. This cut dates back to the 1500s.

Rose cuts were first seen in the Georgian and Victorian Eras, with many cuts coming out of the Dutch region of Europe. They faded in popularity, but as we entered the 20th Century and brilliant cuts became more popular for their firey sparkle. Rose cuts have re-surged in popularity in the last five years and many designers are finding inspiration in their glowing facets and flat bottoms - there are some seriously incredible designs featuring rose cuts. 
They are not as *flashy* as brilliant cuts and they can sit more flush to the finger and accommodate a different variety of setting types. Rose cuts a great alternative from someone looking for something more subdued or alternative. Even though they are having a moment, rose cuts have and always will be here to stay. 

​They were named rose cut because the cut resembles the petals in a spiraling rose bud. In general, they have a flat bottom and a domed crown coming to a subtle peak at the top. It's important to note they have no pavilion (basically, the triangular bottom part you see on a brilliant cut - rose cuts don't have that). This cut creates a more subtle look and won't have the same intense scintillation and light return you see in a brilliant cut diamond, instead you see a softer, glowing kind of sparkle. Rose cuts sort of beg for candle light and flowers (and champagne). And we're cool with that. 

Without that pavilion, they can be cut into many different shapes and tend to have more "spread" which means more of the carat weight faces up making the diamonds appear larger than a brilliant cut of the same carat weight. We're also cool with that. Rounds reign supreme in terms of popularity, but you'll also find elongated cushions, pear shapes, kites, ovals trillions... the list goes on. 

Unlike many modern cuts that have standardized facets and cut patterns (aka rules), rose cuts can have anywhere between 3 or 24 facets. The faceted top is what makes them different from other flat bottomed stones such as cabochons or sugar loafs. The most popular and classic ones you see today have 24 facets but many have less to make some very unique and beautiful shapes. Despite their specific flat bottomed fashioning, they look baller next to small brilliant cut accents, so don't be afraid to accent a killer rose cut with small traditionally cut stones with pavilions. Magic.  Another spectacular thing in the rose cut family is what is known as a double rose cut! It's essentially like you have two rose cuts put together. These stones are exceptionally beautiful because double the facets double the sparkle! ​

Before you leave and start creating your Rose Cut Diamond Engagement Ring *secret* Pinterest board, let's talk colour. We spelled it fancy there just now to match the allure of a rose cut gem with color. In the diamond category, you're going to find that opaque white, grey, champagne, light brown, salt and pepper, and black diamonds are increasingly common. The cool part about this is that each one is totally one of a kind. The hard part about this is that designing a custom ring and sourcing your ideal rose cut stone can present itself as a challenge. Take a deep breath and know your ideal rock is out there. It might just take some digging! It's a good idea to find an artist you love that already works with the stones and then have that artist help you source your perfect gem.

A note on sapphire rose cuts! Sapphires look amazing in rose cuts. So, go for it. Here are a couple of tips: turn the color saturation up a notch to maintain the color when worn over skin, or ask your ring designer to back the rose cut with metal in order to reflect light and maintain the color through the stones, esp if it's a lighter color. 

There's always one more thing: we don't 100% recommend a rose cut for an engagement ring that isn't diamond or sapphire. Because of the shallow depth of the stone, you especially need a hard mineral. So, diamond and sapphire are your go-to's for a rose cut ring.  

​This post was co-authored by Danielle Mainas of LITTLE BIRD & Catherine Cason of Gem Hunt and

So. Where do I start? I get like this when I have a crush on someone or something. Sort of embarrassingly speechless. Lamozine. OK, I'll get it together to introduce a design team I've had a major Instagram crush on for a while now: @gemsteady. Not only was I enraptured by Brittany's fantastically unique Instragram curation, but I was attracted to her voice. In her own words, they make "FINE JEWELS FOR FUN PEOPLE. Custom made just for you by an actual human person." Visit the GEM STEADY website and you're greeted with the this headline "TURNING THOUGHTS INTO RINGS SINCE 2012" underneath which you might find an image of a small plastic cat next to a small plastic parakeet both gazing at a wildly beautiful ring Brittany designed and her partner and husband Robert hand-crafted. I reached out to Brittany and when she emailed me back this was in her email signature:

Obviously, I wanted (needed) to know more, so hopped the phone to chat. We just clicked. Aside from loving the process of custom design, we both believe in astrology and think our own jokes are nothing short of side split-tingly hysterically funny. We slay us. So we decided to interview one another on the process of custom designing engagement rings. 

LITTLE BIRD: How can the you inject some personality into a 'basic' design (i.e. their partner asks for a non-flashy solitaire)?

GEM STEADY: With so many options available out there I do think it’s a little sad when folks go for ‘safe’ options. But hey! That’s just some peoples cup of tea. Do you, girl!  That being said; a good way for the buyer to inject some personality in that situation would be to go the handmade route. Having a ring handmade is really cool because you can dictate small details like the number of prongs you want to go with (or bezel perhaps?) or maybe play with the width or shape of the band. Even a ‘basic’ design will end up with defining quirks and characteristics when going the handmade route since the artist is creating it from the ground up.

LITTLE BIRD: How often do ladies contact you for help with their mans ring?

GEM STEADY: Not as often as they should. We do make men’s rings and love to do coordinating sets, but it’s funny bc in my experience the guys ring is kind of an afterthought. Sometimes a couple will contact me literally a week or even days before the wedding in a tizzy because they need a ring on the fly (Not recommended. Try hard not to do this.)

LITTLE BIRD: What is your favorite ring you helped someone design?

GEM STEADY: I have quite a few top favorites (all the images in this post are good examples of faves), but one that sticks out is a ring we created for a friend a couple of years ago. The center stone was a custom faceted marquise shape lodolite quartz and it had a diamond halo that went from black to gray to white diamonds. Everything about it is right up my alley. It was a mashup of classic, goth, and avant-garde glory.

LITTLE BIRD: Are there any gemstones you DO NOT recommend when designing a ring?

GEM STEADY: We get requests for so many different stones, and love making engagement rings with unexpected gems, but of course you have to be cautious since not all stones are hard enough to hold up to the everyday wear and tear of long term commitment.
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When someone comes to me asking for a stone that ranks low on the hardness scale I make sure they are enlightened on the risks associated. I never want to ‘talk someone out’ of getting a certain gem if there’s a sentimental reason why they want it in the first place, but I do keep it real on the possibilities of things breaking or chipping in the future so that they are fully aware of what they’re getting.

LITTLE BIRD: Final words of wisdom?

GEM STEADY: Designing and buying an engagement ring should be fun and shouldn’t cause you to wake up sweating from night terrors.  There are a million people and places you can purchase a ring from; go with what feels right not with who lays the pressure on thickest. If you want a ‘basic’ ring then by all means get that basic ring, lady. It will look great with your Michael Kors watch.  And if you want something bold and colorful then go on with your bad self. It will totally vibe with your combat boots. There are no rules. You’ll be wearing this thing for a long time (hopefully). Make sure it speaks to you.

Well, that was a ton of fun. I look forward to working with Brittany and Robert all of the tiz-ime!

xoxo, 
​Danielle