Diamonds

Astrologically Diamond is the birthstone of April. It is also the gemstone for the 10th and 60th anniversary. Diamond is supposed to strengthen the planet Venus to increase luxury and enjoyment in your life. If you are a Virgo then according to Vedic astrology Diamond is the right gemstone for you. The glittering color, the four perfect cleavage directions and its endurability has made it the most popular gemstone.

For the interest of Chemistry student Diamond is nothing but a carbon. It is a polymorph of Carbon just like Graphite. Its chemical formula is “C” and only “C”. It’s a native element and belongs to the sub-class Non-metallic. Diamonds are available in wide variety of colors like Blue, Pink, White, Yellow. The diamonds processing industry values the brown diamond much more, which comes in three varieties called Champagne, Cognac and Coffee.

For the Physics students, its hardness is perfect 10 out of 10 in mohs hardness scale. Diamond is the hardest substance, gifted by nature. Just for the sake of interest, Diamond is four times harder than Sapphire or Ruby. Diamonds can scratch any other mineral and the myth, “Diamonds can only cut a diamond”, is true. The Clarity of Diamond is transparent. The specific Gravity of Diamond is 3.5, which is well above the average. Diamond conducts heat the best. For comparison purpose, its five times better than Silver. At this scenario of this very best, the Melting point of Diamond is 3820 Kelvin and the Lattice density is also the highest. Definitely Diamonds is empowered with many excellent properties to become the first choice, but again the myth of its indestructible or eternity has been proved to be a foolish notion.

Diamonds are available all over the world. Mostly it is available in Australia, Arkansas, Africa, Botswana, Brazil, Canada, Congo, and Russia etc. A large mine in South Africa has started its operation just five years back.

Diamonds have been used in treatment of mankind for ages. Medical sciences have been able to find its remedial utilities in several accidental and usual disorders due to injuries, fracturing of bones etc. It is supposed to be highly effective in several brain diseases and nervous system disorders. Diamonds even helps to control the hormone sequence of the human body.

Diamond Shapes

Available Diamond Shapes

If you thought all diamond shapes were the same, you may be surprised at the abundant number of diamond shapes that are available. Most jewelers offer at least nine of the most common gemstone shapes, including:

Diamond Shapes

Two diamonds that are the same shape will appear to look slightly different depending on the siz and weight of the diamond, as well as the type of setting that the stone is placed in. The same ring worn on two different hands can also look quite different, based on the size of the hands.

Difference Between Diamond Shapes and Diamond Cut

Many people mistakenly use the terms “diamond shapes” and “diamond cuts” interchangeably, but there is a difference between them. The cut of a diamond refers to how the artisan maximizes the features of the gemstone by creating angles and details, making the light go into the diamond and bounce back in the most brilliant way possible. The quality of a diamond's cut contributes greatly to the overall value of the gemstone, where as the shape of a diamond does not increase or decrease a diamond's value. When discussing diamond shapes, you are referring to the actual geometric shape of the diamond, whether it is round or oval, emerald or heart shaped, for example.

Choosing Diamond Shapes

With all the possibilities of diamond shapes, how do you go about choosing one? If you are buying yourself a diamond, it's just a matter of looking at all the different varieties and finding one that is most pleasing to your eyes, and the ones that look best when you put them on your finger, or wear in your necklace.

When choosing a diamond shape for someone else, it becomes a bit more difficult. For an engagement ring, many women prefer the traditional round shaped diamond, while others may enjoy having something more unique. A young woman or one who is considered a hopeless romantic may prefer to have a heart shaped diamond.

Other considerations for selecting diamond shapes for rings should be based on the size of a woman's hand. If she has long, slender fingers, can elegantly wear a pear shaped diamond, marquis, or oval shape. Place the same shaped diamond rings on a woman with shorter, wider fingers, and it will cover up too much of the finger and look bulky, and perhaps even awkward. Small hands typically look best with round shaped or princess shaped diamonds.

Most Popular Diamond Shape for Engagement Rings

Even though there is a wide variety of diamond shapes available, the most commonly purchased diamond shape for engagement rings is the round diamond. Round diamonds are considered the “classic engagement ring”, and the stones are often set in yellow gold or platinum. In fact, any diamond shape other than round is considered to be a “fancy” shape, since the round diamond is so popular.

Diamonds Durability

Diamonds are among the hardest substances on earth, in fact they use diamonds and diamond dust to cut diamonds. Other gemstones are hard as well, but not nearly as hard as a diamond. Diamonds and other gemstones are measured by the Mohs scale. It runs from 10 (hardest) down to 1 (softest). It is some what arbitrary and not linear. The range from 9 to 10 is much greater than 8 to 9.Harder minerals of course tend to be more durable and will not scratch easily. They’re good choices for jewelry because of their ability to withstand changes in elements or the arbitrary scratch or knock. Talc, with a Mohs hardness of 1, is the softest mineral and can be scratched with a fingernail.

Image via WikipediaQuartz is the most common gem mineral (citrine and amethyst) and ranges at 7 and above. Rubies and sapphires are nearly as hard as diamonds, with a scale of 9 on the Moh’s scale. People mistakenly think diamonds are indestructible and this is not true! Pliny the Elder in his Natural History stated that “these stones are tested upon the anvil, and will resist the blow to such an extent as to make the iron rebound and the very anvil split asunder.” If you tried that, however, you would more likely shatter the diamond, rather than the anvil! Many diamonds are cut to prevent accidental nicks, scratches and breaks. Except for the Princess cut, which is a square-cut diamond with pronounced corners, most corners on angular diamonds are rounded. A protruding point of a square or rectangular diamond could inadvertently be knocked against a surface and chip or scratch.

Your diamond should be protected in a soft, velvet-lined case if you’re not wearing it. Have the setting checked periodically and have the stone examined by a professional. Your diamond is not only an investment in money, but an investment in yourself or your relationship and is worth the small amount of extra care it takes to preserve it forever!

Diamond Clarity

Image via Wikipedia

What is Diamond Clarity?

Diamond clarity is the measure of flaws found in and on the outside of a diamond. The less flawed a diamond is, the more value it has and the higher the price tag. There are very few diamonds which can be categorized as having no flaws at all, however, most diamond flaws cannot be seen without magnification of at least 10 times. Because issues with diamond clarity are often undetected when looking at a diamond, some people consider this to be one of the least of their concerns when selecting a diamond to purchase.

How is Diamond Clarity Determined?

The most well known measurement of diamond clarity is done by the Gemological Institute of America (GIA). It ranks diamonds based on a grading system it created that ranges from flawless diamonds, to imperfect diamonds, with many different grade ranges in between. The better the clarity ranking, the more expensive a diamond will sell for as it has more value.

Types of Inclusions that Effect Diamond Clarity

Inclusions are flaws that effect diamond clarity. They make it so that the diamond is not “perfect”, and there are visual imperfections within the gemstone. Most flaws however, are un-noticeable to the naked eye and can only be seen under high levels of magnification.

There are names for many of the most common inclusions. Carbons effect diamond clarity because they are very small black dots found on the surface of a diamond, which may or may not be visible in regular lighting. Some may be so small that you need magnification to view them. Pinpoints effect diamond clarity because they are white dots along the surface of a diamond. Pinpoints are the most common of all diamond flaws. Clouds effect diamond clarity because they cause what look to be cloudy areas within the gemstone. The clouds are actually made up of many growths of crystals that are positioned very close together within the diamond, and their proximity to one another is what causes the cloudiness to appear. Feathers effect diamond clarity by causing cracks to form within the diamond, that look similar to that of broken glass.

Clarity Enhancements

Diamond clarity flaws can often be fixed or reduced by using a variety of clarity enhancement treatments. Some diamonds are painted, some get lasered in order to remove pinpoints and carbons, and some diamonds undergo a process by which tiny holes are drilled into the diamond in order to reach areas of inclusions within the gemstone, and then the cracks are later filled with molten glass. Having enhancements done to improve diamond clarity decreases the overall value of the diamond, but can improve it's appearance. Diamond certificates should indicate that enhancements were done on the diamond, so ask to see documentation before making a purchase. While most enhancements just cause the diamond to look nicer, some may actually cause the diamond to be weaker, and more prone to breakage than a diamond that has not had any treatments.

Diamond Cost

How Diamond Cost is Determined

If you are in the market to purchase a diamond, you'll be learning all about the 4 C's of diamonds; cut, color, clarity and carat. But in the mind of the average buyer, there is a fifth “c” that just may be the most important of all them: the diamond cost.

The actual price of a diamond is determined by a grading system that takes into account the cut of the diamond, the color, the clarity and the number of carats. There is a non profit organization called the Gemological Institute of America (GIA) that has devised the official grading system of diamonds, and because of that system, a diamond that is of more carats may cost less than a smaller diamond if the larger diamond has inferior cut, clarity or color ratings. Cost is also determined by the retailer.

Buying Diamonds Online

The internet provides a wealth of information on diamonds, educating buyers on the value of diamonds based on size, shape and clarity and luckily, diamond cost is regulated by industry guidelines. This means you can shop for your diamond gem stones online with as much confidence as you would shopping for jewelry at your local retailer, especially if you take the time to become knowledgeable about diamond cost before beginning your search for the perfect stone.

Guide to Diamond Cost

Every jeweler sets their own prices on their gem stones, rings, necklaces and other items. When dealing with diamond cost, it also depends on the shape of the diamond. A ”round brilliant” shape will tend to cost more than an ”emerald” shape even when they are the same quality and the same size.

If you have a minimal budget, such as $500 or less, you can expect to find a diamond with a carat weight between .15 and .25, set in a 10-14k gold. If you're in the market for a diamond cost of $500 to $750, you can expect to be able to purchase one between .20 and .37 carats. If you are looking for a 1 carat diamond, you should expect your diamond cost to range between $2000 and $3500.

Get the Most Diamond for Your Money

When you are researching diamond cost, there are many more factors to consider than just the size of the diamond. Remember that the shape (cut) of the diamond will greatly effect the diamond cost, as well as the clarity of the diamond. You can get multiple, smaller diamonds for less cost than you can a single, larger diamond due to the rarity of mining a larger sized diamond. Sometimes a diamond will be beautiful to the naked eye, and have a reasonable diamond cost- but it may have a lower rating for quality or tone given by the GIA. When you are shopping for your diamond, you'll need to decide what is more important to you; the diamond cost, the size of the diamond, the quality (the rating as given by the GIA), or how it looks when it's worn!