Natural diamonds have traditionally been seen as classics. They conjure the image of an icy white diamond solitaire set in a slim band or suspended on a fine chain. But a new wave of jewelry designers is creating something far more subversive. Think offbeat silhouettes, gender-neutral forms and diamonds that drip with bold color or rest in sculptural, surrealist settings. These aren’t your grandmother’s heirlooms, though let’s be honest; she might wish they were.
Modern diamond trends are less about flawless perfection and more about personality. According to a De Beers Group study, diamonds remain the most desired precious gems among Millennial and Gen Z generations1, but how they’re worn is evolving. Imperfections are embraced, symmetry is optional and every sparkle hints at glittering rebellion.
At the heart of it? A craving for authenticity and emotional resonance over old-school opulence. This generation isn’t turning its back on luxury; it’s simply rewriting the definition. And natural diamonds, with their ancient origins and one-of-a-kind character, are the perfect choice.
Embracing the new stone age: revolutionizing modern natural diamond designs
We’re calling it: the New Stone Age is here. But this isn’t about looking back, it’s about pushing forward.
Designers are leaning into pieces that are expressive, slightly rebellious, and unmistakably original. Sauer, Dezso, Fernando Jorge, and Brent Neale are among the names leading this diamond revolution, joined by artistic jewellery collaborations such as At Present x Jalil Johnson. Each brings a distinct voice, reshaping the language of modern diamond design and inviting a more curious, culture-driven audience into the conversation.
It’s not only a shift in aesthetics; it’s a deeper pull towards authenticity, artistry and pieces that hit on a deeper vibe, with natural diamonds acting as both medium and muse.
Millennials and Gen Z are redefining diamond trends with personalized design
For Millennials and Gen Z, diamonds aren’t just about following tradition; they’re about expressing identity. This is a generation that values storytelling, symbolism, and self-expression over classical convention. For Gen Z especially, individuality has become a defining aspiration, and their jewelry needs to be a natural expression of this. As Victor Hugo, Jr (global brand director, Axe, Unilever) put it, “individuality is the new sexy”2, a way to express who you are and portray your most authentic self.
The At Present x Jalil Johnson collaboration captures that spirit perfectly. With gender-fluid silhouettes, bold color and easter eggs hidden in acrostic gem designs, it offers a new, expressive language for fine jewelry. It also reflects a wider generational mindset: younger consumers are embracing more fluid attitudes toward gender and identity and looking for jewelry that does the same3.
Meanwhile, Sauer, under creative director Stephanie Wenk, merges sculptural forms with natural and artistic references. These are pieces that feel architectural and symbolic, and the brand backs it up with responsible sourcing and reforestation work in the Amazon4. Brent Neale brings her own joyful lens to the conversation, designing pieces in New York using conflict-free natural diamonds certified by the Kimberley Process5.
This mindset mirrors the values of Gen Z, who live in the present but think ahead. For them, it’s not just about what jewelry looks like; it’s about how it’s made, who made it and the values it stands for6.
The takeaway? The era of cookie-cutter diamonds is behind us. In its place we’re seeing modern diamond trends that mix style with substance, where striking design and sustainability go hand in hand.
Embracing diamonds’ unique materials and bold colors
Who says diamonds have to be colorless, round, or overly polished? Today’s designers are throwing out the rulebook and embracing natural diamonds in all their raw, unvarnished glory, from dreamy fancy-colored gems to polki diamonds and unexpected, organic pairings.
Color, once a supporting act, is now the headline. Vivid yellows, champagnes, smoky ochres, these hues aren’t just pretty, they’re rich in attitude. With desert diamonds and warmer tones having a moment, it’s no surprise that more people are embracing the unconventional. Sara Beltrán of Dezso leans right in, favoring sun-warmed yellow diamonds and uncut diamonds over classic whites. Her pieces are instinctive and elemental, editing nature’s raw energy into clean, iconic and impossibly covetable pieces.
And it’s not just color getting a rethink. A whole new material mood is taking shape, one where recycled gold, mixed metals and organic textures like coral, fossils and shark teeth meet unique diamond cuts like trillions. Sara Beltrán’s designs capture this perfectly: a yellow diamond nestled into a coral base and framed in black enamel, or a shark tooth suspended beneath a trillion-cut stone. It’s a wild-meets-refined aesthetic that that feels both off-beat and ultra-modern.
How to wear it your way
Start with a standout, like Dezso’s shell earrings tipped with tapered baguette diamonds, bold, playful and full of personality. Have the courage to let it shine by balancing it with a simple, pared-back pendant or classic tennis bracelet. The real takeaway is picking what speaks to you. Mix materials, don’t be afraid of color and wear what feels innately you.
Unique cuts and settings: breaking the mold of diamonds
Maybe there’s a reason those unconventional settings and offbeat cuts, such as Selena’s marquise sparkler and Zendaya’s east-west cushion, keep going viral. Gen Z and Millennials are embracing diamond styles that rewrite the rules7. Think asymmetry, elongated shapes and bold layouts that feel anything but formulaic.
Designers, too, are embracing the unpredictable, not as a rebellion, but as part of the design DNA. Sauer often plays with curved forms and sculptural gold, letting diamonds follow the natural flow of the piece rather than forcing symmetry.
Jewelry artisan Fernando Jorge, known for his organic aesthetic, merges traditional craftsmanship with unexpected materials, such as petrified wood, mother of pearl and tagua nut8. His work feels as much like sculpture as it does jewelry, with natural diamonds seamlessly integrated into forms that echo the natural world.
How to wear it your way
Play with proportion and contrast. Try an asymmetrical diamond design, such as Sauer’s sculptural ring, stacked with slim, minimalist bands for a look that feels curated, not coordinated. Try mixing metals; yellow gold against platinum or rose gold adds a subtle twist.
The rise of personalized diamond designs
There is a certain luxury to custom-made jewelry. Having something bespoke that is tailored to the individual is something Millennials and Gen Zs are craving more and more9. Customization has become a major driver of demand in fine jewelry, fueled by a desire for expression, emotion and a little chaos. As trend forecasters at WGSN note, this shift reflects a broader move toward “chaotic customization”, where personalization isn’t just added, it defines the design10.
Brands are falling into the moment, offering digital consultations, design freedom and hands-on input that would’ve felt radical a decade ago. Brent Neale, known for her candy-bright palette and playful maximalism, works closely with clients to create pieces that are bold, joyful, and deeply personal. She even transformed children’s drawings into diamond pavé pendants for her Mini Masterpieces collection.
Luxury used to mean picking something from across the counter. Now, a new generation of designers is offering you the tools to shape it in whatever way that feels right to you.
How to wear it your way
Take a cue from Brent Neale and transform something sentimental, like a hand-drawn doodle or a heart scribbled at the end of a loved one’s note, into a pavé diamond pendant strung on a necklace you’ll never want to take off.
Fancy colors and unique combinations for diamonds
Gone are the days when diamonds had to stand solo. Today’s designers are mixing them with richly colored gemstones and all kinds of materials, turning classic sparkle into something more expressive and surprising. While colorless diamonds continue to sparkle, it’s the bolder, less conventional hues (sun-warmed Desert diamonds, vibrant pinks and soft champagnes) that are stealing the spotlight11. In a time defined by individuality and creative freedom, these pairings offer a fresh, unfiltered way to wear diamonds that feels true to you.
Brent Neale captures this kind of visual storytelling, from rain cloud-inspired rings crafted in 18k gold, diamonds, opal and blue topaz, to petal-like earrings where cushion-cut spinel meets champagne diamonds.
This embrace of bold diamond colors and contrasting gems opens up space for individuality, whether you’re drawn to gemstones with personal symbolism or simply chasing a palette that feels unmistakably you. It’s why this new wave of jewelry resonates so strongly right now: it’s instinctive and in your energy.
How to wear it your way
Try adding a birthstone alongside a diamond in a toi et moi-style ring much like singer Ariana Grande’s oval diamond and pearl engagement ring. It’s all about choosing combinations that feel personal and surprising.
The new era of diamond design
Diamonds are still firmly in fashion; it’s just the styles that are shifting. Designers are getting playful and unpredictable to meet the needs of a new generation. Modern diamond trends are all about mixing colors, materials, shapes, silhouettes and settings to make something entirely new and bold.
Sparkle is still important, but it could be pared with natural materials, sculpted into an architectural design or even glitter in a piece inspired by a kid’s doodle. Anything goes when it comes to jewelry design.
From highly personalized pieces to gender-neutral jewelry, this New Stone Age isn’t about being different for the sake of it; it’s about tapping into creativity, showing character and sparking new conversations about what it means to wear diamonds.
FAQs
What are the simplest diamond designs?
Minimalist diamond styles usually center on clean lines, unfussy settings and a single gemstone, such as bezel-set solitaires and slender bands. But simplicity doesn’t mean sameness; you can still express personality through your choice of metal or diamond shape.
What are the most modern diamond designs?
Modern diamond trends are all about breaking the rules, and that’s the point. Think asymmetrical diamond designs, gender-fluid silhouettes, bold color pairings and sculptural forms that borrow from architecture and art. Today’s most exciting designs are less about status and more about self, celebrating everything it means to be you in an unconventional way. Be inspired by Dua Lipa’s diamond engagement ring with its bombe-style silhouette and chunky heft it’s beautifully practical and utterly her12.
Sources
- www.debeersgroup.com/reports/insights/dir-2018-in-focus/ ↩︎
- www.debeersgroup.com/reports/insights/dir-2018-in-focus/ ↩︎
- www.debeersgroup.com/reports/insights/dir-2018-in-focus/ ↩︎
- www.jury.latinamericanfashionawards.com/artist/sauer/ ↩︎
- www.brentneale.com/pages/about/ ↩︎
- www.debeersgroup.com/reports/insights/dir-2018-in-focus/ ↩︎
- www.rapaport.com/magazine-article/gen-z-jewelry-next-generation-rewriting-the-rules/ ↩︎
- www.fernandojorge.co.uk/pages/about/ ↩︎
- www.debeersgroup.com/reports/insights/dir-2018-in-focus/ ↩︎
- www.voguebusiness.com/story/fashion/what-does-gen-z-want-from-jewellery/ ↩︎
- www.langerman-diamonds.com/natural-color-diamonds-in-the-21st-century/ ↩︎
- www.vogue.com/dua-lipa-callum-turner-engaged/ ↩︎
