TL;DR: Point cuts (the natural octahedral crystal, barely touched) and table cuts (one flat face ground on top) are the two earliest diamond cutting styles, predating faceting entirely. The Peruzzi cut, developed in 17th-century Venice, was the first major step toward the modern round brilliant, roughly doubling the facet count of earlier styles. Together they trace the actual lineage from raw crystal to today's standard cut.
The Point Cut: Barely a Cut at All
The earliest diamonds worn as jewellery weren't faceted in any real sense — a point cut simply polished the natural octahedral crystal faces of a rough diamond without significantly reshaping them. The stone kept its natural pointed, pyramid-like form. This was less a design choice than a reflection of the cutting technology available at the time; early lapidaries had no reliable way to cleave or facet diamond, the hardest natural material there is, beyond basic polishing.
The Table Cut: The First Real Faceting Step
The table cut followed the point cut as the next meaningful development — cutters ground a single flat face onto the top of the pointed crystal, creating the first true "table" facet in the sense we still use the term today. This flat top made the stone noticeably more reflective from above than the raw point cut, and represents the first deliberate attempt to shape a diamond for appearance rather than simply polishing what nature provided.
The Peruzzi Cut: The First Real Brilliance
Developed in Venice in the latter half of the 17th century and traditionally attributed to the Venetian polisher Vincenzo Peruzzi, this cut roughly doubled the facet count of earlier styles, arranging triangular and kite-shaped facets around a central table in a way that meaningfully increased the stone's brilliance for the first time. The Peruzzi cut is widely regarded as the direct ancestor of the old mine cut and, eventually, the modern round brilliant — see our Old Mine and Old European cut guide for the next stages in that lineage.
Why This Lineage Matters
Each of these historical cuts represents a genuine technological and aesthetic step, not just a stylistic variation — point cut to table cut to Peruzzi cut to old mine cut to old European cut to the modern round brilliant is a continuous, traceable line of increasing facet sophistication stretching back centuries. Understanding this lineage gives real context to why antique cuts look the way they do, rather than treating them as simply "less good" versions of a modern stone.
Sourcing Historical Cuts at À Vie Diamonds
Genuine point cut, table cut, or Peruzzi cut diamonds are exceptionally rare and specialist — typically found only in genuine antique or estate pieces rather than cut to order today. Get in touch if you're researching or restoring a piece featuring one of these historical cuts.
Related Reading
- Old Mine and Old European Cut Diamonds Explained
- Rose Cut Diamonds Explained
- Single Cut and Portrait Cut Diamonds
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a point cut diamond? The earliest diamond cutting style, which barely alters the natural octahedral crystal shape of the rough stone beyond basic polishing.
What is the Peruzzi cut? A 17th-century Venetian diamond cut that roughly doubled the facet count of earlier styles, widely regarded as the direct ancestor of the old mine cut and, eventually, the modern round brilliant.
Are these historical cuts available to buy today? Genuine examples are exceptionally rare, typically found only in antique or estate jewellery rather than cut new. They aren't a practical choice for a new commission but are significant for understanding diamond cutting history.
Last reviewed: July 2026 · À Vie Diamonds