Salt&Pepper diamonds guide

The term “salt & pepper”, translated as “salt and pepper”, refers to the appearance of a diamond. The combination of precious and white inclusions creates a unique diamond with a smoky appearance and a seemingly marble-like texture. What was previously seen as an imperfection is now attracting the attention of many customers looking for an alternative approach to the traditional white diamond.

4C Salt&Pepper diamonds

When assessing the quality of a diamond, we also encounter the term 4C. As you may have read in previous articles, this term describes the characteristics by which the quality of a diamond is judged: clarity, colour, cut and carat. However, for salt & pepper diamonds, these four aspects are of a completely different importance in determining value.

Clarity

These diamonds are judged on the basis of their distinctive inclusions, which are a key element of their beauty. Traditionally, diamonds are evaluated based on their absence, but with these diamonds it is the opposite. These inclusions usually contain opaque minerals such as graphite, hematite and pyrite. The more black inclusions, the greyer or darker the overall appearance of the stone.

Colour (color)

Salt and Pepper diamonds can be found in a range of colours from almost black, to dark or light grey, to milky and even almost colourless. Occasionally they may show shades of red, orange, yellow or green. Thanks to the diverse range of shades, they can be combined not only with different metals and their colours, but also with different styles of jewellery.

Grind (cut)

Even the cut is different from traditional diamonds. The standard cut of a diamond is to enhance its beauty and brilliance. However, the high number of inclusions in Salt and Pepper diamonds means that brilliance is naturally low. To enhance the beauty of this diamond, the stones are cut to emphasize the inclusions and patterns they create. For this reason, otherwise unusual cuts are also common.

Carat (carat)

The size in carats of salt and pepper diamonds has an extensive range. These stones are affordable and more readily available in larger sizes. They differ from traditional diamonds in that the price does not decrease exponentially as the carat size increases. For salt and pepper diamonds, the price remains relatively stable as the carat weight increases.

Your jewellery with Salt&Pepper diamonds

If you are one of those who do not like to choose the classics and the unusual beauty of Salt and Pepper diamonds has caught your eye, I will be happy to create an individual piece of jewellery for you. Just contact me at ja@michalkadanik.cz.