When choosing a gemstone for a design, we look for stones with character. Inclusions, variations in clarity and opacity, striations, and unusual markings. These are the details that make each stone unique.
We've always been drawn to rough-cut gemstones. In fact, approximately 85% of the Astrid and Ivy collection features them. It's a deliberate choice that has shaped our approach to jewelry design for many years.
Rough vs. Polished Gemstones: What's the Difference?
Rough gemstones retain more of their natural shape, texture, and crystal formations. Some are left almost entirely untouched, while others are lightly cut or polished to make them suitable for jewelry.
Traditional gemstone cutting is an art in itself. A skilled cutter studies the raw material to determine how best to reveal its color, clarity, and brilliance. Faceting creates precisely angled surfaces that interact with light, producing the sparkle we associate with many fine gemstones.
But not every rough gemstone can become a brilliantly faceted jewel. Inclusions, fractures, and limited transparency can make certain material unsuitable for conventional cutting.
That doesn't mean it lacks beauty. It simply offers different possibilities.
Why We Choose Rough Gemstones
For generations, the jewelry industry has established standards for what makes a gemstone desirable. Clarity, symmetry, brilliance, and perfection have traditionally commanded a premium. But beauty doesn't always follow those rules.
A rough gemstone may have inclusions, irregular surfaces, or unusual crystal formations that would be considered undesirable in a conventionally faceted stone. To us, those same characteristics can be the very reason to choose it.
We aren't looking for perfection. We're looking for character.
Highly polished, seemingly flawless gemstones can sometimes appear almost glasslike to us. Beautiful, certainly, but often missing the qualities that make us stop and look more closely.
Emeralds are an interesting exception. Their internal inclusions, often called jardin, are so characteristic that they can become part of what makes an individual emerald appealing.
We're also drawn to stones that have undergone less intervention. There's something about their natural character that creates a connection we don't always feel with highly processed material.
Beauty Beyond Conventional Standards
A gemstone's market value isn't determined by appearance alone. Rarity, quality, market demand, and established grading standards all influence its price.
Rough gemstones used in jewelry can often be more accessible because the material may not be suitable for traditional faceting. This allows designers to work with generous proportions, unusual shapes, and striking natural textures without the cost associated with comparable sizes of high-quality faceted gemstones.
Of course, exceptional rough gemstones can be extremely valuable. Rough doesn't automatically mean inexpensive, just as polished doesn't automatically mean superior.
What interests us is finding beauty in material that doesn't necessarily conform to conventional expectations.
The Stone Comes First
The raw, organic beauty of a minimally processed stone often sets the direction for an entire design. Asymmetry, unusual settings, and unexpected color pairings become part of creating something unique.
Like a painter approaching a blank canvas, we don't begin with a fixed formula. The stone itself often determines what the finished piece will become.
We also love the contrast between rough and polished gemstones. A rough-cut emerald alongside brilliant diamonds, or an irregular sapphire against the precision of polished metal. Each brings something different to the design.
At Astrid and Ivy, we create one-of-a-kind jewelry using natural gemstones and pearls, designed to be worn and enjoyed every day.
The stone comes first. Everything else follows.