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Salt and Pepper

What is a Salt and Pepper Diamond?

Salt and pepper diamonds achieve their unique look due to the natural occurrence of inclusions in their crystal structure. Inclusions play an important role in all diamonds. For salt and pepper diamonds, there isn’t one single inclusion that is responsible for their unique look. Instead, a myriad of different types of inclusions can be present, creating a countless variety of looks in a salt and pepper diamond.

Depending on these inclusions, salt and pepper diamonds will vary quite a bit from one to the other. Spanning the spectrum, they can be close to black, dark or light gray, milky, and even almost colorless. In some instances, they can even have green, yellow, orange, or red hues. But to be a salt and pepper diamond, inclusions must be a key, prominent feature.

The cut of a galaxy diamond is the other unique aspect. Gem cutters most often cut salt and pepper diamonds in a rose cut, which has a flat bottom, since retention of carat weight is not usually a concern. For galaxy diamonds, they are cut exactly like a traditional diamond, so the stone has a culet, the term for the bottom part of the diamond where the facets come together in a point. This type of culet allows for less light to escape, enhancing the diamond’s brilliance.

Salt & Pepper Colour Chart

Since all diamonds are made from carbon, the black spots are pieces of carbon that didn’t fully crystallize during the diamond’s formation. Salt n pepper diamonds just have more of them! Because Mother Nature is so unpredicable, some diamonds have a light speckling, and others have A LOT! Take the beauty mark diamonds for example, they tend to have a larger than average carbon spot surrounded by smaller inclusions. Others have an equal amount of white and black inclusions giving a more blanket grey hue, and we especially love the ones with mostly white inclusions that look like ice!

How are Salt and Pepper Diamonds Made?

Salt and pepper diamonds are a mesmerizing category of diamonds characterized by their intriguing blend of black, white and gray inclusions. Unlike traditional diamonds known for their crystal-clear appearance, salt and pepper diamonds showcase a picturesque, natural tapestry of inclusions that resemble salt and pepper sprinkled across a canvas. These inclusions, also known as “carbon spots,” lend each stone its distinctive personality, mak- ing it a truly one-of-a-kind gem.

Are Salt and Pepper Diamonds actual diamonds?

From a purely statistical view, salt and pepper diamonds are considered lower quality since they’re on the lowest end of the clarity scale. Having said that, these measures come from an outdated view that only clear, white diamonds are desirable. Beauty standards have evolved, and diamond-lovers are recognizing the magic in previously overlooked diamonds like salt and pepper diamonds and champagne diamonds. Anyone who’s seen a salt and pepper diamond up close can appreciate their cosmic, night sky magic – the patterns of inclusion created deep in the earth’s crust that tell the story of that stone’s history.

Salt & Pepper Diamond

White Diamond

Salt & Pepper diamond VS. White Diamond

A salt and pepper diamond is a natural diamond that contains a high number of inclusions—tiny bits of carbon (the “pepper”) and white feathery marks (the “salt”). Instead of being hidden, these inclusions are celebrated, giving the stone a speckled, galaxy-like appearance that ranges from icy white to dark charcoal.

Yes, 100%. They are natural diamonds formed deep within the earth over billions of years. The only difference is that they haven’t been “cleaned up” through heavy processing; they are kept in their raw, organic state to showcase their natural character.

Generally, yes. Because traditional diamond markets value “perfection” and clarity, these included stones are more accessible. This allows you to get a much larger, more striking stone for a fraction of the price of a traditional colorless diamond of the same carat weight.
Salt and pepper diamonds have a different kind of beauty. While they don’t have the same “white brilliance” as a clear diamond, they offer a mysterious, celestial shimmer. Because they are often cut into Rose Cuts (flat bottoms with faceted tops), they reflect light in a softer, more romantic way.

Even though they are a 10 on the Mohs scale of hardness, the high number of inclusions can sometimes make them slightly more “brittle” than a flawless stone.

  • Cleaning: Use warm soapy water and a soft toothbrush.
  • Protection: Avoid ultrasonic cleaners, as the intense vibrations can sometimes stress the internal inclusions.

Absolutely. No two salt and pepper diamonds are identical. Each stone has its own “fingerprint” of inclusions. When you choose one, you are truly getting a one-of-a-kind piece of jewelry that no one else in the world will ever own.

Browse our full selection of loose salt and pepper diamonds + our other favorite alternative stones from Misfit Diamonds here! Shop salt and pepper diamond rings & salt and pepper engagement rings here!