From jewelry insider Monica Stephenson (of idazzle.com)...
Sometimes, you just like it rough.
There is a movement, picking up steam, that celebrates jewelry in an organic style. This is not an old-school ideal of precision and alignment, polish and perfection, down to the inclusion-free gemstones so carefully set. This is jewelry with heft and soul, bearing the marks of its creation. Akin to Impressionist paintings, it begs the viewer to look not just at the content of the work, but invites scrutiny of the surface to appreciate the brushstrokes.
Although this style may be rustic, this is not jewelry finished without skill or care. Every single detail is intentional. Provocative. And ultimately as singular as the one who will wear it. This is art and artifact, dug up from our entire 200,000 year love affair with adornment.*
(*Excerpt from Full Article)
As of 4/6/18 The full article is no longer available online.