Old Gem House on Instagram: What @OldGemHouse Posts, What It Sells, and How to Shop the Collection

The Account, in Plain Terms

The Instagram account for Old Gem House is @oldgemhouse. As of mid-2026, the account has published 118 posts, has 319 followers, and describes itself as: “Artisans of the Old & Antique Cuts — Your Style, Our Craftsmanship — Shipped Worldwide.” Direct messages are the primary contact method for purchase inquiries.

Old Gem House is a family business that has been operating since at least 2012, specializing in a narrow category: hand-cut diamonds from the pre-industrial era, spanning roughly the 1300s through the 1950s. That date range is the actual sourcing constraint — the diamonds the account showcases are Old European cut, Old Mine cut, and Rose cut stones, all shaped by hand before mechanical bruting machines standardized the cutting process. The Instagram account is the most direct window into what’s currently available and how those stones are being set.

If you’ve seen the account referenced in a forum thread or recommendation list and are trying to confirm it’s the right one, it is: oldgemhouse.com is the linked website, and the bio routes inquiries through DM.

What the 118 Posts Actually Show

The content breaks down into three recurring categories, each with a distinct purpose for a shopper doing research.

Finished bespoke rings and jewelry. The majority of posts show completed pieces — engagement rings, eternity bands, and fine jewelry — set in solid gold or platinum. These aren’t stock photos of generic settings. The photography is close-up and stone-forward, showing the facet structure and light behavior of each individual diamond. Because hand-cut diamonds are each unique, this matters: an Old Mine cushion cut from the 1800s has larger, less symmetrical facets than a modern brilliant, and the way it throws light is visibly different from one stone to the next. The posts document that difference rather than flattening it.

Loose diamonds. A portion of the feed is dedicated to unmounted stones — loose Old European cuts, Old Mine cuts, and Rose cuts shown in isolation, often with measurements or carat weight noted in the caption. This is useful if you’re planning a custom piece and want to see the stone before committing to a setting. Old Mine cut diamonds, for example, follow the natural octahedral crystal shape of the rough, which means each one has a slightly different cushion-like outline — squarish with softly rounded corners, a high crown, a small table, and a visible open culet at the base. Seeing these differences in post photography is more informative than reading a spec sheet.

Custom process documentation. Some posts show the bespoke workflow: CAD renders, side-by-side comparisons of a design sketch versus the finished piece, or in-progress shots of a ring before final polishing. This is particularly relevant for shoppers considering a custom engagement ring, since it shows what the design-to-delivery process looks like in practice.

The account also ships worldwide, which the bio states explicitly — so the content isn’t geographically restricted to US buyers, though the store is US-based and most of the bridal content is oriented toward the American market.

Understanding What’s Being Sold (and Why It’s a Narrow Category)

The cuts Old Gem House specializes in are no longer in production. Old Mine and Old European cut diamonds were the dominant round and cushion-shaped cuts from roughly the early 1700s through the 1930s, when the modern round brilliant — standardized with 58 precisely angled facets — displaced them. What exists in the market today is what survived in estate jewelry, private collections, and antique pieces that were later broken down for their stones.

This supply constraint shapes what the Instagram account can actually show. Unlike a retailer selling modern brilliants, Old Gem House can’t simply reorder a 1.2ct G/VS2 Old European cut when it sells. Each stone in the feed is, to some degree, a one-time listing. That’s part of why the account documents individual pieces in detail rather than showing product categories in a catalog-style format.

The three main cuts appear frequently enough to understand the differences:

  • Old European cut: Round, with 58 facets, a high crown, small table, and a visible culet. Popular from the late Victorian era through the Art Deco period (roughly 1880s–1930s). The facets are wider than a modern brilliant’s, producing slower, deeper flashes of light rather than the rapid scintillation of contemporary cuts.
  • Old Mine cut: The predecessor to the Old European, common in Georgian and Victorian jewelry (1700s–1880s). Squarish with rounded corners — essentially the ancestor of today’s cushion cut — with a higher crown, deeper pavilion, and larger culet. Because cutters worked by eye under candlelight, no two are identical.
  • Rose cut: The oldest of the three, with a flat base, domed top, and anywhere from 3 to 24 facets depending on the stone. Popular from the 1500s through the early 1700s. It doesn’t produce the same brilliance as a faceted pavilion cut, but the large open facets give it a soft, glassy quality that reads very differently from modern stones.

Knowing which cut you’re drawn to before browsing the account saves time. The posts tend to cluster by cut type in bursts, so if you’re specifically looking for a loose Rose cut or an Old Mine set into a halo ring, it’s worth going back through the full grid rather than relying on recent posts alone.

How to Actually Shop from @OldGemHouse

The purchase path from Instagram runs through two channels: direct message on Instagram, or the website at oldgemhouse.com.

For pieces shown in posts, the caption or bio link routes to the relevant product page. The site carries loose vintage diamonds — including Old Mine cushion cuts, Rose cuts, and Old European rounds — alongside finished rings, bands, earrings, and pendants. Pieces are set in solid gold and platinum; there are no plated or vermeil options in the collection.

For custom work, the process starts with a DM or the contact form on the website. Old Gem House’s bespoke service works from sketches, reference photos, or a description of what you have in mind. The workflow involves a 3D CAD mockup for approval before production begins, and the store sends an HD video of the completed piece before it ships — a practical step for a category where the buyer often can’t examine the stone in person before purchase.

One thing worth knowing before you reach out: the custom path is genuinely suited to buyers who want a specific antique cut set into a new mounting — say, an Old Mine cushion in a bezel solitaire, or a Rose cut in a low-profile band that protects the flat base. Because the stones themselves are sourced individually, the design conversation typically starts with stone selection, then moves to setting style. Couples who come in with a fixed budget and a specific carat range get better results than those who start with a setting and work backward to a stone.

The account also lists vintage engagement rings as finished, ready-to-purchase pieces — useful if you want the antique diamond and setting as a matched unit rather than building from scratch. Inventory in this category turns over as pieces sell, so checking the website directly (rather than relying on Instagram posts that may be weeks old) gives you the most accurate availability picture.

Shipping is worldwide, and the store coordinates delivery timing with the buyer before dispatching — an adult signature is required on all shipments, which is standard for fine jewelry at this price point.

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