A new trend in the jewellery + fashion world today is the usage of "sliced" a.k.a. "ice" diamonds. These are diamonds that exhibit a natural looking appeal with hints of warm color and the presence of inclusions. Their reception is quite divided in the market. To some, they represent diamond qualities that don't belong in traditional grading scales. They are often just below the fancy colored diamond scale's saturation level requirement, or sometimes just too included to consider making a grade in the clarity scale used by the classic diamond trade.
Others however, believe that they show a charming and rustic appeal- exemplifying the earthy colors of a natural environment. Some jewellery houses and fashion labels market these diamonds as fashion-forward and "true to their origin".
Many stones are often left uncut or partially cut. A certain percentage of them might also be faceted in many older or non-classical styles such as the rose-cut or the freeform cut.
Heavily Included Diamonds are Often Fashioned Into Designer Cuts and Termed as Sliced Stones.
Debates about the investment potential of these diamonds are a hot topic in today's gem trade. Many "purists" believe that these stones just classify as I3 graded low-color stones by the current grade level standards set by gemological institutions. The opposition believes that they should be seen and evaluated using a different set of criteria, similar to how raw uncut minerals are often valued for their unique inclusions or contours.
In the end, a diamond's value is both concrete and perceived to be honest, just like most items of luxury. The world considers it concrete because a large portion of the global jewellery trade would pay a certain specific amount for availability of possession, but logic also considers it as a perceived value due to the fact that diamonds do not really serve a true utility-based purpose.
So all in all, if you are looking to purchase these 'sliced' or 'ice' diamonds, our own personal opinion would be to do so with the purpose of taste over value. Buy them if you connect with what they represent visually, rather than for any long-term investment chance. Most investment mechanisms in the diamond trade tend to follow the GIA grading scale for color and clarity, and these stones seem to exist in a world apart from the traditional views.
