The Dark History Behind the Old Mine Cut Diamond

You probably know exactly where you were when you heard the news on Tuesday, August 26. Pop icon Taylor Swift, the woman who gave us some of her biggest hits because of breakups, had found true love at last. Her engagement announcement on Instagram racked up tens of millions of likes within hours. But, of course, the discourse soon became about the ring, a vintage old mine cut that jewelry designer Kindred Lubeck had hand-engraved. The proposal and the visuals have since become, well, legendary. 

But before anyone moves on from this earth-shattering event, let’s reassess. “Old mine cut” is now one of the most Googled terms. Lest we think that now you need to get your hands on the same kind of “vintage” ring, these terms were created for a reason. If Taylor Swift’s diamond is truly an old mine cut, it likely came from either India or Brazil. And it’s on her finger because of a quite unsavory history.