Yes, absolutely salt and pepper diamonds are still diamonds, they just have more variety or depth of inclusions than you may be used to looking at classic white diamonds - but that's why we love them!
Grading System
Standard diamonds are graded on their 4 C's – Cut, Clarity, Color and Carat Weight. However, Salt and Pepper Diamonds are not graded and do not come with any certification.
salt and pepper diamonds are not as strong and durable as clear diamonds. Like clear diamonds, salt and pepper diamonds rank 10 on Mohs scale. That means salt and pepper diamonds don't scratch easily and are harder than your hardest gemstones. But since salt and pepper diamonds have inclusions, they can still chip.
Plus, since salt-and-pepper diamonds take fewer resources to mine than regular diamonds, they're perfect for eco-conscious couples. And because they're rarer than pure white diamonds due to their carbon inclusions, they're usually less expensive, making them a great choice for to-be-weds on a budget.
Many salt and pepper diamonds have very crisp inclusions, so they are very sparkly and clean looking. Other S&P diamonds wind up with finer or more inclusions, which make the stone seem moody and cloudy and grey. Neither is better than the other—it's all about what kind of sparkle you want.
Most synthetic diamonds look too good to be true all due to their extreme brilliance. Does your stone look really bright with lots of rainbow reflected colors? If so, it's most likely cubic zirconia.
If sparkle is your thing, Moissanite's higher refractive index, compared to diamond, means it flashes more and it is a hard stone too. Finally, white sapphire is a natural gemstone and while it has much less sparkle than a diamond it is hard enough for everyday wear.
Brown diamonds are generally the least expensive of natural fancy colors. As with colored stones in general, color is paramount for fancy colored diamond pricing. Other quality factors like clarity and cut do not affect prices as much as with colorless diamonds.
Radiant are square or rectangular brilliant-cut diamonds with cut corners. They are often the most affordable diamond shapes.
By contrast, although white (not clear, but diamonds with a milky-white tone) and black diamonds are quite rare, they have not managed to capture the favour and attention of the public and are considered to be the least valuable of all coloured diamonds.
Before shopping for a salt and pepper diamond engagement ring, it is important to note that the stones are less durable than white diamonds. “Their inclusions make them more vulnerable to chipping and cracking,” says Alexandrou.
Regarding durability: salt and pepper diamonds have the hardness of diamond, however, significant inclusions can weaken any stone. While your diamond won't scratch like a softer stone, if you hit it in just the right way and there are enough inclusions, you might find yourself with two diamonds instead of one.
Salt and pepper diamond engagement rings have become more popular over the years because they symbolise uniqueness. Brides and grooms appreciate the snowflake-like composition of salt and pepper diamonds, in that no two are the same.
A 1-carat salt and pepper diamond can cost up to $300 on aggregate. The cost of these diamonds could also vary based on their clarity. A Salt and Pepper diamond with around 80% milkiness can cost as little as $100 per carat, whereas stones with far more transparency can cost as much as $400-600 per carat.
We have been asked why our salt and pepper diamond rings are so “expensive” and it boils down to this: material, labor, and operating costs. Salt and pepper diamonds are natural gemstones and mined from the ground. The rough is expertly sorted, designed, formed and faceted into beautiful gemstones.
The bad news is they don't hold their value quite the same as natural diamonds. Depending on the current diamond industry market, a natural diamond typically holds around 25% to 50% of its value, while by some estimates, lab-grown diamonds may hold little to no resale value.
Simulated diamonds are also known as diamond simulants and include things like cubic zirconia (CZ), moissanite, and YAG. They can also include some natural clear gemstones like white sapphire, white zircon or even clear quartz.
I3 diamond clarity represents the lowest diamond clarity grade available.
The smallest brilliant cut diamond weighs 0.0000743 carats, hand cut by Pauline Willemse, at Coster Diamonds B.V. in Amsterdam, Netherlands, between 1991 and 1994. The stone is 0.16-0.17mm.
On average, diamond buyers can expect to pay anywhere from $5500 to $60000 AUD for a 2-carat diamond. This will vary greatly when taking into consideration the multiple factors discussed above.
Red diamonds are the rarest and some of the most expensive in the world. Also known as Fancy Reds, they come in a variety of shades ranging from orange-red to brownish red. Majority of the world's red diamonds come from the Argyle Diamond Mine in Australia.
D colour diamond is the highest grade and is extremely rare—the highest colour grade that money can buy.
Cubic Zirconia
They're so commonly used as a diamond look-a-like that many people will cite that all non-naturally occurring diamonds are fake diamonds are called cubic zirconias. Cubic zirconia is a lab-made synthetic substance composed of zirconium dioxide.
Currently, lab-made cubic zirconia (CZ) is the most popular diamond lookalike. At a fraction of the price, it can rival diamond in brilliance (the light it reflects) and dispersion or fire (the colorful flashes that seem to come from within the stone).
Genuine diamonds do not sparkle in rainbow colors inside of the stone. Instead, the inside of real diamonds sparkles in tones white and gray. The play on light in the diamond is brilliance. One factor that determines a diamond's level of brilliance is the cut.