An Interview with “Diamond Wizard” Maarten de Witte: Part 4

A New Design

Diamond Foundry had rough diamonds for cheap and were looking for new ideas. You know these Silicon Valley guys — they wanted to do something disruptive. I said, ‘Let’s do it.’ Then I made a couple of hundred American Rose cuts and sold them all.

But reaching that point was a long, tough road.

It started more than 20 years ago when de Witte stumbled upon a rare 20th Century Cut, also known as the Jubilee Cut. This design honored Queen Victoria’s diamond jubilee, the 60th year of her reign.

He played with the diamond and added his own styling over the years. Eventually, he began playing with round and brilliant cuts to develop his creation, the American Rose Brilliant Cut©. Combining the best design features of the antique rose cut with the best optical performance of modern rounds, de Witte’s cut is a rose on top with a brilliant bottom.

Certifying the American Rose Brilliant Cut©

Getting his cut GIA-certified was a tough road, though. The GIA designated