Culture & Style
Natural Diamond and Wood Jewelry Make the Unexpected Perfect Pair
By Jill Newman, July 30, 2025
Innovative new designs combining natural diamonds and wood have a casual, cool edge.
Fernando Jorge Deep Fluid Earrings
The chic Italian jewelry designer Antonia Miletto’s diamond ring always draws attention, not for its size, but rather for its strikingly unconventional setting: the large round stone is cradled in a hand-carved ebony ring. “This unexpected pairing often sparks curiosity,” she tells Only Natural Diamonds. “People are constantly asking, ‘What is that material?'”
Miletto’s unorthodox signature wood settings showcase diamonds in stylish new ways that are more understated yet no less daring and cool. Like the high-low fashion trend, there’s something so compelling and decadent about lavish sparkling diamonds juxtaposed with earthy, humble wood.
Meet the Experts
Antonia Miletto is known for her distinctive use of unconventional materials, especially hand-carved wood, to showcase natural diamonds in an elegant yet organic way. Her refined, minimalist aesthetic balances bold craftsmanship with a modern sensibility.
Fernando Jorge infuses his fine jewelry with sensual lines, fluid movement, and natural inspiration. His sculptural pieces often incorporate native Brazilian materials and ethically sourced gemstones, including diamonds, in unexpected ways.
Silvia Furmanovich is celebrated for her masterful marquetry work, blending ancient techniques and exotic woods with precious stones. Her jewelry is rich in storytelling, craftsmanship, and cross-cultural design influences, resulting in one-of-a-kind wearable art.
Jacquie Aiche creates bohemian-meets-luxe pieces that blend spirituality, sensuality, and fine craftsmanship. Her diamond-dusted designs often feature natural elements like fossils, wood, and crystals.
Antonia Miletto: A Pioneer of Diamond and Wood Jewelry
While Miletto has been incorporating wood with diamonds and gems for 30 years, it’s a movement that is taking off today. More designers are taking the formality out of diamonds, showcasing the sparkling stones with organic materials like bamboo, tagua nuts, and wood, among others.
It aligns with the way we live and dress today—people want everyday diamonds, jewels that have a more relaxed vibe, jewels that work with their lifestyle. What’s more, they want to express their individuality; cookie-cutter jewelry simply doesn’t cut it.
A diamond set in wood subtly transforms the traditional notion of luxury.
That’s why more clients are coming to Miletto, whose pieces are sold at Fred Leighton in New York and her store in Venice, Italy, to redesign their traditional diamond rings in wood settings. She also uses Kwiat’s diamonds to create new designs in wood.
“A diamond set in wood subtly transforms the traditional notion of luxury,” Miletto said. “It shifts the perception from something purely opulent to something more personal, tactile, and emotionally resonant. The result is a piece of jewelry that expresses not only elegance, but also individuality and depth.”
Fernando Jorge’s Sensual Take on Wood Jewelry
Designers like Fernando Jorge are transforming wood in remarkable ways. He sculpted Red Louro wood into fluid, sinuous shapes that echoed the flow of the river, and set them with diamonds in his Deep Stream series. “There’s a natural sensuality to wood that completely shifts the energy of a piece,” said the Brazilian native. “I’m interested in contrasts: softness with strength, refinement with rawness.”
Silvia Furmanovich Reinvents Wood Jewelry with Organic Materials
Beyond wood, designers like Brazilian Silvia Furmanovich are exploring a range of organic materials to add texture and interest to her colorful jewelry, including bamboo strips, bone, and papier-mâché. “These materials allow for an incredible range of textures and techniques, and they bring a sense of nature and craft into fine jewelry,” she said.
For these designers, what’s precious is the design, the aesthetic, not just the value of stones and metal. “The organic meets the precious, which makes the final pieces both visually striking and highly wearable,” said Furmanovich. “It’s a balance that feels modern yet rooted in tradition.”
Another reason Furmanovich gravitates towards wood and bamboo is the lightness of these materials compared to metal. “These materials offer endless creative possibilities in terms of color, shape, and form,” she explained. Her large wood marquetry earrings, adorned with diamonds and gemstones, couldn’t possibly be achieved with gold because they would be too weighty. She utilizes local artisans in Brazil to create elaborate marquetry patterns, employing age-old crafts in innovative ways.
Jacquie Aiche’s Bohemian-Inspired Wood Jewelry
Jacquie Aiche, known for chic, bohemian-style jewels, feels a meaningful synergy between natural diamonds and gems formed within the earth and organic materials. “I’ve always loved the contrast of diamonds set against raw, earth elements like wood and horn,” said the Los Angeles-based designer. “It creates a balance that feels grounded, yet elevated. When set in wood or horn, diamonds become something a little wilder.” Her latest collection features horn pendants with diamond fringe.
The Art of Natural Diamonds and Wood
If you think wood is basic, think again. Jewelers are sourcing precious woods that are responsibly sourced, treated, and hand-carved by artisans to create artistic jewelry that is both sturdy and lustrous.
“When we speak of wood in the context of fine jewelry, we refer to the most precious and dense varieties—those whose natural hardness allows for intricate and refined craftsmanship,” said Miletto. She uses wood cultivated in tropical regions, where its trade is fully integrated into the local economy and is subject to responsible sourcing practices. Once the material arrives in Italy, it undergoes a period of acclimatization—a crucial process that can take several years to ensure the wood isn’t porous. Next, she employs skilled Italian artisans, who carve the pieces into rings, bracelets, and necklaces.
Jorge uses Red Louro wood sourced by local communities in the Amazon region. “Mixing all the elements: the earthiness of the wood, the strength of gold, the fire of brown diamonds come together and speak to where I come from, and how I see beauty,” he said.
Aiche’s latest collection features wood earrings and pendants carved into leaves with diamond accents, a process that requires adept artisans. “Wood is incredibly delicate to work with,” she said. “Each piece must be crafted with care, because we’re using such a light, organic material while honoring the strength of the stone. But that’s what makes it so special.”
Mike Joseph’s new Dune series is designed with sculpted ebony, gold, and diamonds in patterns inspired by desert landscapes. “The use of white diamonds and ebony wood adds a quiet contrast, bringing warmth and a sense of the natural world to the designs,” said designer Mike Saatji.
As more designers seek creative ways to showcase diamonds, like the stones themselves, their greatest inspiration comes from the natural world, where there’s a limitless supply of ideas.
Shop Diamond and Wood Jewelry
Get inspired by the best natural diamond and wood jewelry from some of our favorite designers, featuring bold, stylish looks for every taste.
Antonia Miletto Ebony Wood Diamond Ring, Price upon request, antoniamiletto.com
Antonia Miletto Ebony Wood Diamond Ring, Price upon request, antoniamiletto.com
Brent Neale Medium Puff Heart, $9,250, brentneale.com
Brent Neale Large Magic Mushroom Pendant, $9,950, brentneale.com
De Beers Baobab Magnitude Jacket Drop Earrings, Price Upon Request, debeers.co.uk
De Beers Baobab Magnitude Jacket Ring, Price Upon Request, debeers.co.uk
Fernando Jorge Deep Stream Doubled Earrings, Price upon request, fernandojorge.co.uk
Fernando Jorge Deep Stream Necklace, Price Upon Request, fernandojorge.co.uk
Guita M Bone and Ebony Cuff, $4,800, guitam-jewelry.com
Pavé Rose Cut Cap Bone Double Horn Marquise Shaker Charm, $10,240, jacquieaiche.com
Jenna Blake Wooden Heart Charm, $3,400, jennablake.com
Marie Lichtenberg Bonne Chance Horsehoe, marielichtenberg.com
Marie Lichtenberg Touch Wood Scapular, marielichtenberg.com
Mike Joseph Bracelet, mikejospehjewellery.com
Mike Joseph Necklace, mikejospehjewellery.com
MISH Fine Jewelry Makena Button Ear Clips featuring petrified wood, South Sea cultured pearls, and yellow diamonds set in 18K yellow gold, price upon request, mishfinejewelry.com
Selim Mouzannar Link Bracelet with Brown Diamonds, $5,810, selimmouzannar.com
Silvia Furmanovich Ring, silviafurmanovich.com
Silvia Furmanovich Earrings, silviafurmanovich.com
