Hunting For Diamonds In The Rough

Published on 06/11/09

When Sarah Taylor, a 27-year-old law graduate from London, received an engagement ring, she was more than a little shocked, and not only because her boyfriend proposed on a railway platform in northern Scotland on a rainy Monday morning in March.

"It was black -- a band of tiny black diamonds, set in black gold," Ms. Taylor said. "When I finally managed to compose myself and look at the ring, it was exquisite."

Her 30-year-old fiancé, Paul Williams, a teacher, wanted to buy something different, so he opted for a black diamond. "Why go for bog-standard solitaire?" he said. "I wanted something out of the ordinary."

Mr. Williams turned out to be remarkably in touch. Tired of the garish bling that has come to epitomize Champagne-popping yacht hoppers, many shoppers are seeking out more original types of diamonds, with rough cuts or alternative hues -- and black diamonds have become a particularly popular choice. Apart from their own distinctive qualities, alternative diamonds are also a better credit-crunch choice: Both rough diamonds and treated, colored diamonds are cheaper than their polished counterparts.

London-based jeweler Ming Lampson, who makes exquisite heirloom-quality pieces for her clients, has noticed a real surge in interest in black diamonds. "In the last three months alone I've made four or five black diamond engagement rings," she said, adding that there is a hunger for unusual stones at the moment. "In the '90s everything used to be white diamond and white metal. Now people are becoming more adventurous."

Ms. Lampson said she likes using black diamonds because they reflect the light in a special way, flashing in a bright white. "If you see someone wearing a black diamond necklace, it catches your eye from the other side of the room," she said. "Unlike a white diamond, there are no rainbows, no internal reflection. They possess this very special opaqueness."

Hollywood also has given black diamonds a boost. Sarah Jessica Parker donned a black diamond strand necklace by American jeweler Itay Malkin in the "Sex and the City" movie, and Adrian Grenier sported a similar one in this season's finale of the TV show "Entourage." At the Baselworld jewelery fair in March -- a barometer of what's going to be hot in the coming year -- the pairing of black and white diamonds was one of the strongest trends. According to its organizers, the show featured a lot of "unpretentious jewelery" -- pieces that didn't draw attention to the wearer and could be worn every day, such as those with dark or rough stones.

Cult Mayfair-based jeweler Stephen Webster, whose neo-gothic crab rings, poison-ivy necklaces and knuckle dusters are worn by gothic-inclined celebrities, fashionistas and socialites, sees the shift in trend as part of a cultural zeitgeist. "Black diamonds are about dark glamour, which is perfect for today," Mr. Webster says. "There is a huge craze for the romantic, grown-up goth, symbolized by interest in [vampire TV] programs like 'True Blood.' I think this look has become quite seductive." Mr. Websters says that one of his clients -- a Russian art collector -- has commissioned him to make a £20,000 vampire ring that will include black diamonds. Mr. Webster added that black diamonds have captured another, previously untapped audience: "Earlier this year I made a bespoke black diamond tie-bar for Mickey Rourke, and Russell Brand is a real fan of our black-diamond pieces. Men are going mad for them -- it's the acceptable non-bling way to wear jewelery."