February 28, 2011
“Old Mine” River
At the Oscar’s last night, did you see the necklace on Nicole Kidman? It’s called a diamond Rivière – French for river. And it was like a river of diamonds – 150 carats around her neck and trickling down her back! Those pebbles are known as old mine-cut diamonds – fashioned in a squarish shape rather than round. (Take a close look – each is surrounded by a round setting).
There is also an older cut of diamond called the old European cut; however, these have a round outline – introduced after the invention of the bruting machine – an electric device which rounds the rough before the cutter polishes the facets.
The Rivière necklace is a series of diamonds – usually with the largest set in the middle and then graduating smaller in size as they encircle the neck. Even by today’s fashion it’s Ooh Lah Lah! …Dii
