What if inclusions became desirable?
In the world of diamonds, clarity is one of the famous 4Cs used to characterize a stone. Inclusions are observed, located and taken into account when assessing clarity.
Salt & Pepper diamonds offer a different perspective.
Dark specks, clouds, frosted effects, branching patterns or almost graphic concentrations: the inclusions become prominent enough to play a defining role in the diamond’s appearance.
And this aesthetic is not exclusive to natural diamonds.
A Salt & Pepper diamond can also be a lab-grown diamond.
In this case, its inclusions are no longer simply gemological characteristics to observe: they become the visual signature of the stone.
What is a Salt & Pepper diamond?
Let us begin with an important distinction: Salt & Pepper is neither a variety of diamond nor a clarity grade issued by a gemological laboratory.
The expression, literally referring to “salt and pepper”, is used to describe a particular diamond aesthetic characterized by the presence of visible light and dark inclusions.
Of course, there is no actual salt or pepper trapped inside the stone.
Depending on their nature, concentration and location, these inclusions may appear as tiny specks, clouds, dark areas or more diffuse patterns.
It is precisely their arrangement that gives each Salt & Pepper diamond its individual character.
Can a Salt & Pepper diamond be a lab-grown diamond?
Yes.
A lab-grown diamond can display visible internal characteristics and offer the distinctive aesthetic associated with a Salt & Pepper diamond.
A lab-grown diamond has the same carbon crystal structure as a natural diamond. Its growth, however, takes place under controlled conditions, primarily using two processes: HPHT (High Pressure High Temperature) or CVD (Chemical Vapor Deposition).
These growth processes can also result in a variety of internal characteristics.
The GIA has documented the possible presence of metallic inclusions in certain HPHT lab-grown diamonds. In some CVD lab-grown diamonds, dark inclusions composed of non-diamond carbon, including graphitic carbon, may also be observed.
This is particularly interesting because lab-grown diamonds are often perceived by the general public as stones that are necessarily free from inclusions.
In reality, they can display a wide variety of internal characteristics, qualities and appearances.
It is also the inclusions that give this lab-grown diamond its individual character.
Every Salt & Pepper lab-grown diamond is unique
This is perhaps what makes these stones so fascinating to observe.
In a Salt & Pepper lab-grown diamond, it is not simply the presence of inclusions that draws the eye. Their arrangement, density, contrast and the patterns they create within the stone are equally important.
Some appear as delicate specks.
Others form denser clouds, branching patterns or almost mineral-like areas.
Some are concentrated within one part of the lab-grown diamond, while others seem to spread throughout the stone.
This distribution creates a distinctive visual signature.
Two Salt & Pepper lab-grown diamonds may have the same shape and a similar carat weight while displaying entirely different expressions.
Each stone must therefore be considered on its own merits.
Every Salt & Pepper lab-grown diamond has its own signature.
When shape reveals the inclusions
Emerald cut, pear, oval, marquise, hexagon, kite…
The shape and cut of a lab-grown diamond also influence the way its inclusions are perceived.
An emerald cut, with its large facets and geometric architecture, will not reveal them in the same way as a pear or marquise cut.
More unusual shapes, such as kite or hexagonal cuts, can further emphasize the graphic character of a Salt & Pepper lab-grown diamond.
Selection therefore cannot rely solely on a list of characteristics written on paper.
The stone must be considered as a whole: its shape, proportions, transparency, inclusions, their arrangement and the visual balance they create.
One stone, one shape, one personality.
Salt & Pepper: when shape and inclusions come together to define the identity of a diamond.
Are all inclusions desirable?
No, and this distinction is essential.
Describing a lab-grown diamond as “Salt & Pepper” does not mean that a large number of inclusions alone makes a stone interesting.
An inclusion has a specific nature, size and position. Certain characteristics may also affect a diamond’s durability when they are significant or located in sensitive areas.
Selecting a Salt & Pepper lab-grown diamond therefore requires consideration of both its aesthetic appeal and its gemological characteristics.
The objective is not to seek inclusions for their own sake.
What matters is the harmony of the stone as a whole.
From a Salt & Pepper lab-grown diamond to bespoke jewelry
This individuality takes on another dimension when a Salt & Pepper lab-grown diamond becomes the starting point for a creation.
Traditionally, one might imagine a setting first and then look for the diamond to suit it. With a stone that has such a distinctive personality, reversing the process becomes particularly interesting: first select the lab-grown diamond, then design the jewelry around it.
The diamond’s shape, the arrangement of its inclusions and even its orientation can then become part of the design of the future piece.
A particularly graphic inclusion may call for a deliberately understated setting. An unusual shape can become the starting point for the entire creation.
This is where bespoke jewelry truly comes into its own.
The Maison Exquisite Lab Diamonds offers lab-grown diamonds in a wide variety of shapes, colors, carat weights and qualities. Upon request, a specific search for a Salt & Pepper lab-grown diamond can also be carried out.
The selected stone can then become the starting point for a bespoke piece of jewelry, crafted in our French workshop.
A unique stone as the starting point for a bespoke creation.
The luxury of uniqueness
Ultimately, the Salt & Pepper lab-grown diamond invites us to look at inclusions differently.
Not simply as gemological characteristics to identify, but also as elements capable of contributing to the visual identity of a stone.
A distinctive arrangement.
An internal pattern.
A signature unique to each lab-grown diamond.
And then, around that stone, a piece of jewelry designed specifically for it.
The luxury of uniqueness.
Can a Salt & Pepper diamond be a lab-grown diamond?
Yes. A lab-grown diamond can display visible inclusions that give it the characteristic aesthetic of a Salt & Pepper diamond.
Is Salt & Pepper a clarity grade?
No. Salt & Pepper is a descriptive term used for an aesthetic characterized by visible inclusions. It is not a gemological clarity grade.
Can a bespoke piece of jewelry be created with a Salt & Pepper lab-grown diamond?
Yes. Exquisite Lab Diamonds can source a Salt & Pepper lab-grown diamond upon request and then design a bespoke piece of jewelry around the stone, crafted in its French workshop.
