The Rise of Salt and Pepper Diamond Engagement Rings

 

 

 

It used to be that diamond represented the most elite stone one could obtain.  Jewelers and collectors around the world worked diligently to create the most ideal cut which would reflect the most brilliance. The stones were graded accordingly and at a high price.

It is now known that a large percentage of the world's jewelry-grade diamonds were mined on the backs of horribly treated and poorly compensated laborers or even slaves. These workers are often required to work under inhumane and unsafe working conditions. Over time, as many people have been made aware of the inhumane and unethical realities of the diamond world, more and more people have required an ethically sourced stone. 

For decades, diamonds with carbon have been frowned upon. They were viewed as flawed and even disposed of in many cases. Even now you will find many old school jewelers who will dismiss their beauty. These stones get their unique characteristics from the inclusions they contain - salt for the lighter character and pepper for the dark. Often the inclusions can make it appear as if an entire galaxy is trapped inside this one stone. This has become something that many look for specifically, as those inclusions are uniquely yours.

At Staghead Designs we have always taken pride in finding the beauty in natural materials, and instead of hiding a natural flaw, we choose to embrace it. While clear diamonds have little or no unique qualities, each salt and pepper diamond has unique and individual traits. For this reason, you can be sure that your stone is one of a kind! 

Shapes & Cuts

 

 

Fortunately, those who work to continue the effort to share ethically sourced stones, have also worked to demonstrate their value by learning new methods of cutting them in ways that show their beauty. When we first fell in love with the salt and pepper diamonds we were drawn to their unique shapes! For the first time, we were finding cuts in shapes that we had never seen before, such as the shield cut above.

 As the popularity has grown for geometric shaped stones, we have been fortunate to obtain hexagon stones, kite shaped stones, and the lovely shield cut we feature in the Artemis design above. Rose cuts, like the hexagon-shaped rose-cut below, are increasingly popular. The flat bottom on these stones allows for a lower profile design and provides the option for the stones to be cut into these complex shapes. 

 

 

We also love working with a double cut stone, which has both a faceted side and a flat side, such as in the design below. This unique design shown features our gorgeous cushion cut salt and pepper diamond in our "Ophelia".  

It is undeniable, however, that you will get more radiance from the much-desired brilliant cut stone! These will often be more of a grey tone and have more luster than the more dark-colored stones. This brilliant cut stone can be seen in our "Cleopatra" design below!

Below is a list of shapes we are able to get in a salt and pepper diamond that are often not available in most other stones:

• Classic Round Cut
• Princess Cut
• Oval Cut
• Emerald Cut
• Marquise Cut
• Cushion Cut
• Pear Cut
• Kite Cut
• Shield Cut
• Hexagon Cut
• Triangle Cut
• Crescent Cut
• Half Moon Cut

Coloring

The coloring can range from a deep moody tone to a lovely peppered grey. Where it used to be the trend to seek out a flawless colorless diamond, it has now become quite the opposite! Often you will find other color tones which are in relation to the element it has taken in from the earth! To many, this makes it all the more special. We are passionate about working with Earthy materials and this one is one of our favorites!  

How To Shop For These Stones

We can place salt and pepper diamonds in nearly every one of our engagement rings.

You can also shop our selection of hand-selected, once in a lifetime stones in our Staghead Mine found here.

We enjoy working with our customers to create something that meets their needs.  Annually, we attend a specialty show that brings people together from all over the world who are only interested in Ethically sourced stones. We are very pleased to have added a nice selection of salt and pepper diamonds to our Staghead Mine, displaying both a variety of shades and cuts. If you are wanting something with a rare and unique style, we are sure to have something that will catch your eye!