So, What Is a Rustic Diamond?

In previous blogs, I’ve talked about white diamonds. But, did you know that diamonds come in all shapes and colors? In this instance, they are often called “rustic diamonds.” We hear the term rustic diamond all the time in jewelry but what exactly is it? If you’ve heard the term before, you probably have an image of a salt and pepper diamond in your mind. Guess what? There are so many different kinds!

Rustic diamonds are diamonds that have an abundance of inclusions. Inclusions are small imperfections inside the diamond. These impurities are caused by extreme heat and pressure while deep within the earth. Rustic diamonds come in a wide range of colors such as grey, warm toffee, coral, green, yellow, and black to name but a few. The speckled grey ones you’re most likely used to are the ‘salt and pepper’ diamonds. The different colors are a by-product of various minerals that grew inside the diamond, within the earth’s crust billions of years ago.

It used to be that these precious beauties were discarded during the diamond mining process as people only wanted the clear white brilliant cut diamonds that we see every day. However, today people are looking for a unique engagement ring that is individual to them. In the same way, each of these rustic diamonds is just as unique. So where did they come from? What do they look like? Many rustic diamond rings are set with diamonds that are heavily included. Perfect in their imperfections, the look is a kind of cloudy, smoky stone touched with streaks of contrasting color.

Rustic diamond rings usually have a rose-cut diamond. Rose-cut diamonds date back to the 16th century and were popular before the classical round shape came into fashion. A rose-cut diamond has a flat bottom, with no pavilion, and a domed top containing only 24 facets. This lack of a pavilion means the cut also lacks the optical properties of a more complex cut which incorporates more than twice the facets and a deep pavilion. Put simply, they have a flat bottom and a crown which is made up of tiny triangle facets that imitate the petals of a rose.