Taylor Swift’s Engagement Ring Designer Unveils an Antique Diamond Collection at Sotheby’s
After creating Taylor Swift’s distinctive Old Mine-cut engagement ring, New York jeweler Kindred Lubeck is bringing her signature craftsmanship and passion for antique diamonds to Sotheby’s.
When Taylor Swift revealed her engagement to Travis Kelce on August 26, 2025, her vintage-inspired ring immediately captured attention. Featuring an Old Mine-cut diamond set in a substantial, intricately engraved gold mounting, the design offered a striking departure from the traditional modern engagement ring.
The ring was crafted by Lubeck, founder of Artifex Fine Jewelry, whose work is rooted in the art of handcraft and traditional goldsmithing. Now, Lubeck is collaborating with gem dealer Anup Jogani on a series of bespoke rings featuring antique-cut diamonds and colored gemstones, offered through Sotheby’s.
“If I’m not inspired by the stone, I cannot make the piece of jewelry. It won’t happen.”
Kindred Lubeck
The Art of the Antique Diamond
Lubeck was trained in hand engraving by her father, a goldsmith, and has built her reputation around jewelry that celebrates the individuality of each gemstone. Rather than imposing a design on a stone, she allows the character and proportions of each gem to guide the finished piece.
“I really just let the stone do the talking. If the stone is more of a geometric cut, you’ll see more geometric engraving.” - Kindred Lubeck
That philosophy is especially suited to antique diamonds, whose distinctive proportions and hand-cut facets give each stone a character of its own. Unlike the precision of modern diamond cuts, antique stones often feature larger facets and open culets, creating a softer, more romantic quality of light.
Many date to the Georgian, Victorian and Edwardian eras, when diamonds were cut by hand and without the precision of contemporary techniques. The result is a subtle, candlelit sparkle that feels inherently historic.
Kathleen Smith Craig, Associate Specialist and Head of Sale, Fine Jewelry at Sotheby’s, notes that antique diamonds possess a character that is difficult to reproduce today.
A New Appreciation for Old Mine Cuts
Swift’s engagement ring has brought renewed attention to the appeal of antique-cut diamonds, particularly Old Mine and antique cushion cuts. Their larger facets, distinctive silhouettes and often elongated proportions offer a look that feels both historic and remarkably contemporary.
For collectors, their individuality is part of the appeal. Antique diamonds can contain inclusions that would traditionally be considered imperfections, yet these characteristics can also serve as a kind of fingerprint, making each stone entirely unique.
“People are looking for something that’s a little bit different, more special than your typical modern cuts, which tend to look alike.” - Kathleen Smith Craig, Sotheby’s
The limited supply of exceptional antique diamonds has only heightened their desirability. Sotheby’s regularly offers antique stones through its jewelry auctions and The Gem Drop, providing collectors with opportunities to discover distinctive stones that can be appreciated in their original settings or incorporated into new designs.
Preserving the Art of Handcraft
For Lubeck, working with antique stones is about more than creating beautiful jewelry. It is an opportunity to preserve traditional craftsmanship while giving historic gems a new life.
“My role in the jewelry world is to keep handcraft alive.” - Kindred Lubeck
Her new series with Jogani reflects that philosophy, pairing carefully selected antique and exceptional modern-cut stones with bespoke designs inspired by each gem. Among the offerings are antique diamonds, a blue sapphire, a 2.02-carat cut-cornered rectangular step-cut diamond and a 5.14-carat cushion-cut diamond.
For collectors drawn to jewelry with history, character and individuality, the appeal is clear. Antique diamonds offer something increasingly rare in a world of precision and uniformity: no two are quite alike.
With Taylor Swift’s Old Mine-cut engagement ring bringing renewed attention to the style, the romantic mystique of antique diamonds is poised for a new generation of collectors.
