Why Rough Diamonds are the ethical alternative to lab or polished diamonds

As its name suggests, RoughDiamonds.dk Fine Jewellery by Maya Bjørnsten, uses only unpolished, raw diamonds, precisely as they were found after their long journey from deep within the Earth’s mantle.

Copenhagen-based Maya Bjørnsten has pioneered the exclusive use of rough diamonds since 2007, building an international business that, due to the unpredictable nature of its raw material, creates only one-of-a-kind jewels. While other jewellers may combine rough and polished gems, Bjørnsten remains a purist.

The unconventional beauty of rough diamonds is tantalising, mysterious, and they come in many forms, be it gnarled, nubby, angular, or smooth alluvial forms, and no two are ever the same. Bjørnsten herself is unconventional and was brought up in an idyllic hippy commune in Denmark, where the forest was her playground. Living in this environment, everything was nuanced, ‘there was no black and white’ as she says. Bjørnsten brings to RoughDiamonds.dk an open-minded philosophy, tempered by a natural curiosity and a deep appreciation for individuality.

Self-taught and with a background in film production and advertising, Bjørnsten had no prior experience in jewellery. Her fascination with rough diamonds began when her former brother-in-law showed her photos from a sourcing trip to Antwerp for his traditional jewellery house. Bjørnsten explains:  ‘Traditional jewellery never spoke to my heart or suited my personality; it felt too rigid and uniform. The turning point came when I held my first rough diamond. I was struck by its quiet power and ancient energy. It didn’t need human intervention to be magnificent. I wanted to create a brand that lets people wear a piece of eternity.’

Bjørnsten was amazed to see what polished diamonds look like before being ‘perfected’ by man. She realised that with raw diamonds, she could embrace imperfection and create jewellery differently. The result is jewels with a soft glow, aligning with Scandinavian sensitivity toward quiet luxury. Bjørnsten says: ‘Jewellery has returned to its ancient roots—acting as an amulet, a talisman, a deeply personal symbol, or a marker of an important life milestone.’

Fundamental to Bjørnsten’s process is that she selects each and every stone herself, slowly and patiently poring over parcels of rough, treating each as an individual. The fact that Bjørnsten is able to select rough diamonds in this way is unusual and the fruit of long-standing, trusting relationships with diamond dealers in Antwerp who give her first dibs on parcels. Not only does this allow Bjørnsten to cherry-pick, but it also means that she knows the origin of each stone before it becomes an anonymous cut-and-polished commodity, bundled together with stones from around the world. This adds to the ethical appeal of RoughDiamonds.dk, which works with RJC-approved suppliers and only uses recycled gold. 

Bjørnsten is drawn to imperfections, especially inclusions visible to the naked eye. She has found inclusions resembling foam, a diamond within a diamond, and even one that looked like a Christmas tree. ‘I’m not seeking standard calibration, but distinct personalities, unique crystal habits, fascinating textures, the way a stone catches the light, and, of course, the breathtaking natural colours only the Earth can produce,’ she says.

Once selected, each stone presents a new challenge to the three diamond-setters and goldsmiths in the Copenhagen atelier in the Boutique. Each mount is hand-sculpted in recycled gold to fit its unique contours, ensuring no two are ever the same. Since there is no jewellery school for setting rough diamonds, Bjørnsten and her team learned on the job. ‘It requires a different artistic mindset to design around an irregular crystal’s natural anatomy,’ says Bjørnsten.

Bjørnsten summarises the brand’s aesthetic: ‘The magic lies in contrast. We pair the wild, organic chaos of a billion-year-old rough diamond with clean, sophisticated goldsmithing. That tension between raw crystal and refined gold is what gives our jewellery its modern, understated luxury.’

As the diamond world faces upheaval from lab-grown stones, RoughDiamonds.dk holds its own as natural, varied forms of raw diamonds cannot be replicated in a laboratory, offering a totally organic shape that stands out as lab-grown diamonds become ever more ubiquituous.

While Bjørnsten welcomes clients to the Copenhagen boutique, sales in the UK and USA have tripled, showing that true luxury doesn’t need to be polished to perfection. ‘We occupy a truly unique, worldwide niche, into which I have poured my entire life’s passion, and my pension! We specialise in creating a balance of one-of-a-kind ready-to-wear pieces and highly bespoke custom-made jewels for clients all over the world. If someone falls in love with a piece on our site or in our boutique, they can acquire it immediately. But we also love creating special stories. For instance, I recently spent a year and a half searching for the perfect, specific stone for a client’s dream necklace, which is now in the making. Our clients don’t want a badge of wealth; they want a truly unique extension of their identity.’

Bjørnsten notes a shift: ‘We’re moving away from homogenised, status-driven luxury toward personal, storytelling luxury. Once consumers appreciate individuality over standardisation, they don’t go back. Older generations now consider who will inherit their pieces, wanting them to be cherished by the next generation. Younger buyers are drawn to natural uniqueness and real stories.’ As Maya predicted, many of us do indeed ‘love it like it is.’