Ring with a table-cut diamond, anonymous, c. 1580 - c. 1620

gold (metal), d 2.2cm × h 3.2cm More details

Diamonds are octahedral crystals with a regular eightsided shape. In the early 16th century it was discovered how to cleave a crystal on its broadest side, which resulted in two joined pyramids. The shape most | commonly used in jewellery was the table-cut stone. This is an octahedron of which a little less than half of the top pyramid is sawn off.