What is a Grey Diamond?
ReadGrey diamond engagement rings have boomed in popularity in recent years and they are a beautiful option for anyone looking for a less conventional engagement ring. But what are grey diamonds exactly? Find out in our essential guide below.
THE TWO TYPES
Grey diamonds fall in to two categories: Fancy Grey Diamonds (left) and Salt and Pepper (also known as Included Grey Diamonds, right). They’re distinctively different in appearance, clarity and rarity – which also impacts the varying costs between the two.
FANCY GREY DIAMONDS
Natural Fancy Grey diamonds are extremely rare and can have high clarity (absence of imperfections/inclusions). The colours vary in intensity and they come in the following intensity levels: Faint Grey, Very Light Grey, Light Grey, Fancy Light Grey, Fancy Grey and Fancy Dark Grey.
Most of the fancy grey coloured diamonds get their colour due to high concentration of hydrogen (or occasionally boron). Like traditional diamonds, high clarity is sought after and fancy grey diamonds are graded on the same scale, with Flawless being the highest quality.
SALT & PEPPER DIAMONDS
‘Included Grey’, ‘Salt and Pepper’, ‘Rustic’ and ‘Raw’ are just some of the names you may have heard when people talk about these diamonds. The name Salt and Pepper diamonds refer to the visible flecks of white and black within the stone. These are known as inclusions.
Diamonds are formed deep within the earth, under extreme heat and pressure so virtually all diamonds (apart from Flawless and Internally Flawless) have small ‘birthmarks’ called inclusions. Inclusions come in all colours, shapes and sizes and these are what affects the diamond’s clarity.
EMBRACING IMPERFECTION
While they are generally considered ‘imperfections’ in white diamonds, these inclusions are celebrated in Salt and Pepper diamonds as they’re what gives the diamond its unique colour and character. No two diamonds will have the same patters of inclusions so they are totally unique.
Rachel loves the visible flecks within the diamonds as they create a beautiful haze of light to dark grey which show off the gorgeous natural state of the stone, and she even has one in her own engagement ring (pictured).
AFFORDABILITY
As Salt and Pepper diamonds are less rare than high clarity stones, they tend to be more affordable than both Fancy Grey diamonds and the traditional White diamonds. What this means is that you can you can get a larger stone for within the same budget, but still with the durability of a diamond that we would recommend for an engagement ring.
By contrast, the rarity of a Fancy Grey diamond - and especially the darker grey tones - means they tend to be comparatively more expensive than their white diamond counterparts.
Pictured: A bespoke engagement ring featuring a large Salt & Pepper Grey Diamond centre stone.
HOW CAN I USE THEM IN AN ENGAGEMENT RING?
We also love both Fancy Grey and Salt & Pepper Diamonds set alongside White Diamonds in an engagement ring, for variation and a little extra sparkle. They also work incredibly on their own, or can provide beautiful accents in the form of side stones or halos.
Shop our selection of Ready to Ship Grey Diamond Engagement Rings, designed by Rachel and our team using hand-selected Salt & Pepper Diamonds.
Pictured: Ready-to-Ship Engagement Rings, featuring one-of-a-kind Salt & Pepper Grey Diamonds.
BESPOKE
Choose your own grey diamond from our Curated Diamonds selection, or one of our team will assist you in sourcing the perfect stone for your bespoke ring.
BOOK AN APPOINTMENT
You can also book a virtual or in-person appointment with team to discuss your options.
