The Gemological Institute of America defines a macle as a twinned diamond crystal. It is composed of two opposing parts, each with the same crystal shape. The two parts are oriented 60 degrees or 180 degrees from each other, so the macle looks like a flattened triangle. Put simply, a macle is a specific type of rough diamond used to produce jewellery that is singular and sophisticated. It has a flat, triangular shape. Macles occur naturally in the earth and are different from the more classic octahedral rough diamonds. Today, macles are often turned into fancy cuts such as trilliants or hearts.

A macle may not be everybody’s cup of tea, but it has a quiet, understated luxury. One needs to really know one’s diamonds in order to appreciate the kind of elegance a macle brings to jewellery. Today, macles are found in every mine all over the world. Miners say they are rare, and it feels good to discover them, especially if they have rolled on for millennia along a riverbed and acquired a natural shiny patina.

Reasons why they are gaining popularity Although macles have been around for a long time, their use in fashion and fine jewellery is a somewhat recent phenomenon. Jewellers of repute say that these twinned diamond crystals have been part of the jewellery landscape for thousands of years, and were probably first used in jewellery in India about 2,500 years ago when diamonds were discovered in Golconda. Of late, discerning jewellery lovers are taking to macles, as they prefer rough diamonds in their natural state, a trend that is also catching on with brides. Raw diamond rings, especially, are catching the fancy of many consumers, especially those who look for something different, something non-blingy, yet tasteful and elegant. Macles are fast becoming part of an overall trend to celebrate things as the earth made them, rather than after a lot of human intervention.