Before the 1700s, table and point cut diamonds were the most popular choice, but they had one major downfall. The sharp corners of these two styles were weak spots causing them to sometimes break. The Indian diamonds mines were running a little dry, so instead of continuing to buy new stones, people were having their existing ones recut. To avoid the sharp corner breakage factor, a new cut emerged, one with soft corners and slightly square shape. This cut was called the Old Mine Cut, and was extremely loved in 18th century Europe.