Salt and pepper diamonds! This interesting name ignites curiosity, right? What is a salt and pepper diamond? It is an exceptional alternative to the traditional white diamonds. The salt and pepper diamonds are a unique, outstanding and affordable variant of the diamonds. An important point to know about diamonds is that they have “inclusions” present. The inclusions exist in different colors and combinations in the diamonds
What is a salt and pepper diamond?
It is the one which has a black and white combination of inclusion present in it. There are some large to little black and white inclusions. This brings a salt and pepper grain touch to it. Thereby, the name, “salt and pepper diamonds”.
Though these inclusions or imperfections might make the diamonds look rough. Still the “Salt and pepper diamonds” are desirable for their “flawless” natural flaw. These diamonds carry their own real and stand out image. Moreover, no two salt and pepper diamonds ever look the same. There are different textures of imperfection in each gem, which makes them even more unique in their own way. This is a feature to admire in these diamonds.
Salt Pepper Diamond
A big bang revelation is that this gem is ethical and eco-friendly. Yes, unlike the traditional diamond business, salt and pepper diamonds are less linked with the unethical practices and negative impact on mother nature. Traditional diamonds are rare, so a huge part of the crust has to mine in the process, while the salt and pepper diamond is much more available, so does not have a heavy toll on the environment.
With the increasing push towards natural, green and eco-friendly consumption. The mining process of the traditional white diamonds might not serve justice to the trend. The “Salt and pepper” gem becomes even more attractive to the awaken buyers. So, what is a salt and pepper diamond? It is a saviour of the earth.
The Looks
A salt and pepper diamond has its own unique appearance. The black and white inclusions in the gem make it less refractive towards the light. A salt and pepper diamond is surely not as lustrous as the traditional colourless diamond. Rather has a still and modest shining quality.
Almost all diamonds are imperfect but the flaws in white diamonds are so tiny that they are invisible to the naked eye. Whereas in a salt and pepper diamond the inclusions are clear and large enough to be seen with the naked eyes. This changes the diamond appearance. These gems come in a variety of shades and colours. Colours can range from dark, light, almost grey, grey/blue, silky grey, to even white with obviously a sprinkle of imperfections in it. But yes, they are embraced as elegant!
Loose Salt and Pepper diamonds
The final cut and ready to sell diamonds are loose diamonds. Loose Salt and pepper diamonds do not have the same properties as the regular white diamonds do. They differ a lot in shiny appearances as mentioned above. Although, unlike the traditional diamonds, there is a demand of raw salt and pepper diamonds too. Why?
Continue to read this article and you’ll understand, what is a salt and pepper diamond?
Is the salt and pepper diamond durable?
The longevity and strength depend on a few main factors.
- The position of the gem
- The size of the gem
- The inclusions in the gem: The position of imperfections and depending on what their size is, it can affect the strength of the diamond
Salt and pepper diamonds too are the hardest gemstone used in jewellery. They rank 10 on the Mohs scale of hardness similar to the traditional diamonds. Still, the imperfections in the diamond make it more fragile than the traditional diamond. They just demand extra care and attentive handling from the bearer and they will long last. (source)
As the imperfections in the stone hinder the bind and hold of the diamond. So, as precautionary measures, it is suggested to wear the jewellery consciously.
Why the salt and pepper diamond is desirable?
Initially, when launched in the market, the salt and pepper diamond were not welcomed heartedly. The obvious reason must be the imperfect variation in the appearance than that of the regular white diamonds with glorious sparkle. It was nowhere able to compare in front of those premium look regular diamonds.
But as time changed, especially, the millennial found it to be a way to stand apart from the crowd. The growing trend of valuing yourself and being different carved the way out to give the salt and pepper diamonds their value.
The new brides are choosing it not just for the one in a million look and that every stone is unique. The salt and pepper diamonds are preferred as they epitomize that “Natural imperfection is still better than refined perfection”.
The Nature’s Diamond
Along with this, the salt and pepper diamonds are eco-friendly and sustainable too. This makes them even more attractive for the ones who are sensitive towards the environment.
Also, these diamonds are way more affordable than the traditional perfect and polished white diamonds. A salt and pepper diamond may cost just 50% or even less of what a regular diamond of the same carat size will be. More about the price later.
So, now, what is a salt and pepper diamond? It is a piece of nature and an element to make you stand apart. Embrace it. It is nature’s own diamond.
The Four C’s of the salt and pepper diamonds
The white diamonds and the salt and pepper diamonds are formed in the same way. Still, the quality of both differs a lot. The standard way of assessing the quality of a diamond is counting on the 4Cs that are Cut, Color, Clarity and Carat. The perfection and then the price is evaluated using the 4Cs scores of a diamond. However, salt and pepper diamond is not assessed according to this traditional method and they are not graded according to the 4Cs.
But for the comparison between traditional and salt and pepper diamonds, let’s take a look at 4Cs.
Clarity
Among all the 4Cs, Clarity is what majorly differs a regular diamond from a salt and pepper diamond. Still, all diamonds have some level of imperfection. Even the one with perfect clarity has minor inclusions present in it. It is one of the distinguishing factors between natural and synthetic diamonds. The inclusion of “inclusions” itself defines the salt and pepper diamonds. There is a neat dispersion of black and white flaws that give each gem its own unique look.
Color
The color of a salt and pepper diamond can range from colorless to milky and gray. The more the black inclusions present the grayer and darker the diamond becomes. Also, the number and type of the imperfections decide the overall look of the salt and pepper diamond.
Cut
The salt and pepper diamonds are cut to bring out the unique inclusions and patterns in the stone, unlike the traditional diamonds which are cut to enhance their brilliance. The imperfections in the salt and pepper diamond decrease the glare of the stone significantly which is why cutters often choose fancy cuts for the stones.
The fancy cuts include step cuts and rose cuts and shapes like hexagons, kites, round, oval, pear, triangles and even coffin. Despite these fancy cuts, raw salt and pepper diamonds are also highly popular, typically used in bohemian and rustic settings. These bring out the natural look of the stone with minimal human interference.
Carat
The salt and pepper diamonds are affordable and available, they’re easy to find in larger sizes. You could find a 4-carat salt and pepper diamond for around $10,000 (sounds expensive?) but compare it to a 4-carat colorless diamond that costs around $40,000. It’s 1/4th the price of a colorless diamond.
So, now, what is a salt and pepper diamond? It is the one which is not to be evaluated by the same old method of 4Cs.
Salt and pepper diamond ring
The salt and pepper diamonds, similar to the traditional white diamonds are highly versatile. And, these fit a range of ring styles with different colors. The ring gets a vintage and sophisticated touch if paired with rose gold and yellow settings as it brings out the color and pattern of the stone perfectly. White gold settings with salt and pepper diamonds have a cooler, icier look.
Salt and pepper diamond wedding band
Bezel settings are also popular for salt and pepper diamond rings, as the metal provides a perfect frame to highlight the look of the stone.
Salt and Pepper Diamond Necklace
The Salt and pepper diamond necklace comes with many variants and is also more affordable as compared to the colorless diamonds.
One could buy these ornaments including a Salt and pepper diamond ring, wedding bands and Salt and pepper diamond necklace online. Finding these at local jewellers might get you a failure because these are not the regular stones. A popular online platform to buy them is Etsy.
Salt and pepper diamond Price
As of now, we know what is a salt and pepper diamond. But what does the salt and pepper diamond cost?
The price of the diamond obviously depends on the size of the stone and the rarity of the cut shape. The price range could be anywhere around $150-$1500 per carat. As discussed before, salt and pepper stones are considerably less expensive than the higher 4 C’s diamonds. A salt and pepper diamond will be lesser expensive than a white diamond of the same size.
The price of salt and pepper diamonds don’t increase exponentially with the increase in carat weight. On Etsy, salt and pepper engagement rings range from as low at $500 for a rose cut salt and pepper diamond set on a 14k yellow gold band, to $5,000. If compared to what an average person spends on an engagement ring, salt and pepper diamonds are by far more affordable.
So, would you too prefer buying salt and pepper diamonds? Share your thoughts with us. For more interesting reads, visit Fabulously.
