Trade names of diamonds

Lovers of diamonds, looking into jewellery stores, are likely to come across similar curious names for the stone:

• Icy
• salt and pepper
• autumn
• you can also find rustic

Let’s talk in more detail about cut diamonds with unusual descriptions that arouse genuine interest.

To begin with, it is customary to use several systems to assess the quality of diamonds: for example, the international (Gemological Institute of America GIA). But none of them contain the terms mentioned above. Why? The answer is simple. They are purely commercial and were created to promote sales.

What is behind the names?

First. These are really cut diamonds (in other words, diamonds). And, as a rule, natural unrefined stones are presented on the market.

Second. If such a diamond is submitted for examination to an independent laboratory, then it will be assigned very low color and clarity categories.

In conclusion: the seller really sells diamonds, there is no deception. At the same time, he describes their quality in other, more beautiful and romantic words.

Diamonds familiar to most people are transparent, colorless stones that play well in the light. However, not all diamonds mined are perfect. Most of them, on the contrary, are imperfect, and do not have a high degree of transparency or ideal color.

According to the Russian grading system, diamonds up to clarity group 7a inclusive (for stones over 0.30 carats) and up to 5th clarity group inclusive (for those less than 0.29 carats) are considered interesting for sale. According to the international system, this corresponds to estimates up to and including SI2. With the increase in the number of defects, it becomes more difficult for stones to find an owner: their “inner life” will be visible to the naked eye, even to a non-expert.

If we are talking about icy / salt and pepper / autumn / rustic and other similar cut diamonds, then inclusions clearly visible to the eye (their size, color, location) will affect a particular commercial name.

Parsing trade terms

Icy diamonds

What are “icy” diamonds? They are also called “milky”, “creamy” … These are stones that are full of internal characteristics, namely, light defects: clouds, cracks and other inclusions that make the stone opaque, whitish. The appearance of such diamonds really resembles water mixed with milk, or, for example, pieces of ice or snow. In this case, it all depends on the imagination of the seller and the buyer.

Salt and pepper diamonds

Salt and pepper is one of the most popular varieties today. These are stones in which there is a large number of light and dark, black characteristics, which create the visual effect of mixed salt and pepper. Such stones are often cut not in our usual round shape with 57 facets, but make a simpler cut “rose”, flat on one side and convex with drawing on the other.

Autumn and rustic diamonds

“Autumn” diamonds are stones that look like fallen leaves. In addition to a set of various cracks and inclusions, they are characterized by a yellow, greenish or brownish color visible from the top.

Rustic is a collective term often referred to as opaque diamonds. They can be of different colors with different pronounced inclusions. The main thing is that all these “guests” seriously affect the transparency and color of the stone.

What interferes with transparency

What are the main types of internal inclusions found in such natural diamonds? These are solid mineral inclusions of various colors: black – sulfides or ilmenite, green – olivine or diopside, red – garnet, colorless – diamond in diamond. Various cracks, structural features, and more are also possible.

Where is the border when a stone from one trade category falls into another? Are these names correct?

We can say for sure: there are no strict laws in the use of terms, since they are created from the point of view of marketing, not science or strict classifications. In other words, any name – “milky”, “icy”, “creamy”, “matte”, “rustic”, “galactic” and so on – can be used to denote the appearance as a subjective opinion of the seller.

Are these stones of bad quality? – I am often asked. If we give a quality assessment in an independent laboratory, then yes, these stones will be assigned extremely low characteristics.

However, to someone just such a special diamond will seem much more interesting. First, the owner will be able to feel different from everyone else. A product with unusual designs will attract attention and raise a lot of questions. Secondly, the buyer will pay much less for his “best friend”.

New popular stones are fresh ideas and opportunities for creativity and design. Especially where an unusual palette is needed, a subdued shine, a mesmerizing inner life of stones, and affordable prices. Therefore, such diamonds have a right to exist.

Take or not to take?

It should be understood that a diamond that the seller describes as a stone with “special charm” will not have high transparency. His stormy “inner life” interferes with the full inner reflection of the rays of light in him. Reflections that create the very play of the diamond for which he became famous. However, in such stones, the surface can often be well polished, and the shine emanating from the edges will increase.

We draw a conclusion. If the issue of play and sparkle is a matter of principle for you, such amusing stones are hardly your story.

And a small detail to finish. Any diamonds require careful treatment, and such stones in particular. The presence of a considerable number of the same cracks can affect the integrity of the “best friend”, ruining your mood.