If raw, uncooked, unprocessed and purely natural is your thing – our favorite is raw chocolate with nuts, in the morning, the afternoon, the evening and everything in between – then search no further, we’ve got just the thing for you.
Although the magic of perfectly polished diamonds makes them irresistible, diamonds don’t necessarily have to go through the process of meticulous polishing to be beautiful. In fact, you’d be surprised at what a nice chunk of rough can do to make that special jewelry piece more unique than ever. Rough diamonds are in every sense out of the ordinary, singular and unpredictable. (If those are the three words you use to describe yourself in a job interview, keep reading)
Rough diamonds come in a variety of colors, from clear to milky white, ruby red to bubblegum pink, over canary yellows, bright orange, dark, vibrant or pale greens, dark to cognac browns and, last but not least, black.
Do they sparkle? Obviously the light is more reflected in their tiny mirror-like, faceted counterparts, but nice, clear rough diamonds are, in their own stubborn way, as glitzy as can be.
Are they cheaper? The same 4C’s rules apply as for polished diamond – minus the C for cut evidently. Meaning that rare colors, such as vivid yellows, greens or pinks, higher clarities and bigger (carat) stones will be worth significantly more. In addition, compared to polished diamonds, extremely odd and rare shapes tend to be more pricy too.
The sleek lines of the most perfect shape of a rough diamond, the octahedron, for example, have something of a modernist sculptural feel to it. Like a Frank Gehry or Zaha Hadid building. In diamond form. Perfectly symmetrical little triangles - growth marks - that can sometimes be found on the surface of a rough diamond can even make it look like an intriguing, futuristic, almost outer-space object. Yes, they come in peace!
Not a fan of straight lines? Then take your pick in the irregular shapes, which come in, well, all kinds of forms; round, triangle, cube or just jagged shards, just to name a few. And of course, mother nature doesn’t do mass production, so there’s some pretty unexpected shapes too.
If uber-pure rough is just a tad too raw for you, then the stunning beauty of polki diamonds are definitely the way to go. No, polki diamonds are not a red and white dotted polka-dancing variety of the precious stones. This unconventional technique is one of the oldest forms of “cut” diamonds originating in India long before western cutting methods were introduced. Polki diamonds are rough diamonds, usually with one flat side, which are polished but not faceted, keeping their original rough shape. Although they have been used mainly in traditional Indian wedding jewelry for centuries, it shouldn’t come as a surprise that these hidden gems are becoming increasingly popular in contemporary jewelry design.
Whatever size, shape or color you fancy, one thing is for sure, using a rough stone requires perhaps even more creativity in the design department. Rough diamonds are a perfect match for those who are into offbeat designs, materials and unusual mounts to create a truly one-of-a-kind diamond jewelry piece. Nothing beats a purely natural rough diamond if you want to go for that bold statement.
