I don't write this blog to benefit myself or my employers. I write it for you, the reader. In doing what I do, I have come to realize that jewelry (for the most part) is like Latin. People all over the world are aware of it, they know what it is, but few people actually Know it. I know this blog isn't going to change the world, I have no unrealistic hopes of that. But I DO hope to change the way that we think about jewelry. I hope to share what I know and in doing so, empower you. That being said, here we go..
Diamonds: I won't bore you with how they got to the surface of the earth, that takes too long, and I don't think anyone else is really that interested. If you are, let me know and I'll address it at another time. Lets start with one of the things that people say that bother me the most; and that is referring to an inclusion as a "Carbon spot". Gem quality diamonds ( that's pretty much exactly what it sounds like guys, a diamond that's nice enough to avoid being turned into a drill bit and made instead into jewelry for you and me) are in fact about 99.95% carbon. Those dark spots can be any number of things that found their way into the diamond while it was forming and just stuck around.
Although they're primarily made up of Carbon, diamonds can contain other trace elements which can alter the appearance of color in the stone. Nitrogen is the most common trace element, which is what makes diamonds yellow. Boron makes blue, and radiation within the earth makes green. On a side note, did you know that the first TREATED green diamonds were made in 1904? they were turned green by covering the diamonds in radium salt, then blasted with alpha particles. This was, in fact a very bad idea. The stones, though successfully turned green, were also highly radioactive, and have stayed that way to this day.
Diamonds are the toughest of all the gemstones. The name, "Diamond" comes from the Greek word, "Adamas" meaning unconquerable. Cultures from all over the world have their legends about the ancient stone. Some believing that they gave the wearer strength, others believing that diamonds were splinters of stars. Its all fun to think about. At least it is for me.
All these mythologies mingled with fact could easily lead us to believe that diamonds are unbreakable, but that would be wrong. They might be tough but they're not rage proof. Before cutters had the luxury of lasers, they likely used a process called Cleaving to break the crystal down. Cleaving is using force to split the diamond on a weak crystal direction called Cleavage planes. If you apply just the right amount of force to these planes, CRACK. That being said, if you happen to knock your wedding ring on the coffee table and suddenly your precious diamond is now in 2 pieces, don't go off half cocked to whoever sold it to you. Just because it broke doesn't mean it was fake. I don't care what they say in the movies, I don't care what your best friend that watches a lot of Jewelry TV says, diamonds ARE breakable. If you're concerned that its fake, have it tested. Most jewelry stores have a tester and would be able to tell you.
Recently, I was asked why diamonds are so expensive, Emerald cuts in particular. I'll start with the latter. Emerald cuts are faceted differently than rounds, ovals, or marquis. They are "Step" cut rather than "Brilliant" cut. This form of faceting is used to showcase a stone's clarity. Brilliant faceting can hide inclusions so they are less noticeable, whereas inclusions in a step cut stone would be more evident. Higher clarity means its more rare which makes it more expensive. Now, on to part two of that question.
It takes 5 tons of ore and 25 tons of rock to produce 1 carat of gem quality diamonds. That gives you an idea of how rare these stones are. Adding insult to injury, about HALF of that weight is lost to the cutting process. Based on the Gemological Institute of America (or GIA)'s grading system, there are 11 clarity grades for gem quality diamonds. In order from lowest to highest: 3 categories of Included ( I3, I2, I1), Two categories of Slightly Included ( SI2, SI1) 1 category of Very Slightly Included(VS), two categories of Very Very slightly Included (VVS2, VVS1), One Category of Internally Flawless (IF) and One category of Flawless(FL). Imagine how many tons of ore and rock it takes to get 1 carat of even SI2 or SI1 quality diamonds. These things are rare! Not only rare, but they are insanely difficult to get to! Diamonds aren't like the newest smartphone, a flat screen TV, or any other item of fashion. Styles come and go, smartphones are updated time after time as we progress with the development of technology. But Diamonds really are Forever. If you take care of them, they'll last. They're heirlooms and symbols of the greatest of all emotions; Love.
I feel like I've rambled on forever here ( probably because I had to stop every 3 minutes and rewrite sentences.... and I'm sure I still had some mistakes in spelling here and there) but I haven't even scratched the surface of this topic. This is, in fact, the first of several diamond themed blogs to come, but I hope that this at least whet your appetite. If you're as big a geek as I am about these things, you can never learn enough.
As always, I'm open to inquiries, and please comment to tell me what you think.
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