How to Buy Salt and Pepper Diamonds

If you’re searching for the perfect engagement ring, you likely want one that is unique – one that reflects the uniqueness of your love and partnership. While some people are content with simpler engagement ring designs, others feel that the traditional ring design isn’t enough. If you’re looking to add a unique twist to your engagement ring, consider buying rings that feature salt and pepper stones.

What Is a Salt and Pepper Diamond?

Before we define it, you must know that most diamonds have inclusions in their structure. Some diamonds don’t – these have a “truly flawless” clarity level. As you may know, clarity (or the lack of inclusions and flaws) is one of the 4Cs of diamonds.

From its moniker, you can already guess what a salt and pepper diamond looks like. This kind of gemstone has many inclusions that seem black and white when light hits it. Remember: inclusions are flecks in the diamond that are sometimes visible to the naked eye.

A salt and pepper diamond can be a natural or lab-grown stone. Its structure is also like any natural white diamond. What makes it different is its inclusions and the moody appearance that these inclusions create.

Checking the Quality of the Salt and Pepper Diamond

As we mentioned, the diamond 4Cs are any diamond buyer’s priority. This focus on quality doesn’t change when you’re buying a salt and pepper diamond. When you’re in the market for a beautiful engagement ring, be sure to check the stone’s:

Clarity and Durability

Some people still have preferences over how clear they want their salt and pepper diamonds to be when buying jewelry. After all, a diamond’s clarity has direct ties to its structural integrity. Having too many inclusions and imperfections can signify a fragile stone. Look for a diamond rated 10 out of 10 on the Mohs Scale of Hardness.

Carat Weight

Because they’re more affordable, salt and pepper diamonds come in a wide range of carat sizes. You can easily find these stones in larger sizes. As the carat size increases, the cost will increase as well – but steadily rather than exponentially.

Cut

The salt and pepper diamond has a unique cut, which doesn’t focus on enhancing its brilliance. Instead, the stone gets cut to highlight its unique patterns and inclusions. The favoured cuts used in many salt and pepper diamond rings include:

• Step cut
• Rose cut
• Kite cut
• Triangle cut
• Pear cut

• Colour

Often, a salt and pepper diamond is considered a coloured diamond. However, actual diamond colours also range from colourless to milky, grey, yellowish, or green. Darker diamonds with more inclusions will have a darker overall appearance.

Know Your Budget

Like any diamond, salt and pepper diamonds still hold some value. However, the salt and pepper diamond price doesn’t go as high as the cost of colourless diamonds. Because they have more inclusions, they’re more affordable per carat.