Seriously striking
Unlike brilliant cuts which were made to sparkle, portrait cuts are striking in their sleek subtlety. With clean, refined lines, it’s a contemporary, ultra-chic cool girl cut that’s as ancient as it is modern. Like a teeny tiny art installation, you notice the unique sophistication right away.
Ancient in the best way
Throughout history, portrait cut diamonds were used to encase, protect, and frame tiny portraits and paintings. The art would lay behind the diamond, which you could see perfectly thanks to the glass-like totally transparent surface of the diamond. Portrait cuts were a favorite of Emperor Shah Jahan (the original owner of the Taj Mahal). He loved his jewels and would have portrait cut diamonds placed in front of tiny wearable hand-painted portraits.
Why not use glass instead? Well, besides the obvious appeal of a diamond, glass could shatter with the smallest impact, whereas a portrait cut diamond is almost unbreakable, preserving the portrait beneath forever.
