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Interesting Facts About Diamonds
by Jackie Bridgford
http://www.ablediamonds.com
Everyone knows what a diamond looks like - clear, briliant
sparkle that flashes fire with every touch of light. In
general, the most valuable diamonds are clear white, but
there is an exception to that. Jewelers recognize a class of
diamonds known as 'fancy', colored diamonds that are rare,
beautiful and valuable.
Fancy diamonds range in color from pale yellow to black,
with an endless variation of shadings between. While the
source of the color may be the same as the 'inclusions' that
detract from the value of clear diamonds, in fancies the
color is more than a tinge that discolors the purity of the
stone. In this case, the coloring is intense and
unmistakable under any light.
It's estimated that somewhere between 1 in 1000 to 1 in
10,000 diamonds mined are true, natural fancies. In size,
they are nearly always smaller than conventional diamonds.
It's rare for a fancy diamond to weigh more than one carat.
As primitive as that sounds, it was a remarkably accurate
method of measurement. Modern tests with carefully
calibrated electronic scales aren't able to detect more than
one three thousandths of an ounce difference between the
weight of carob seeds. Nowadays, a carat is 200 milligrams,
or .2 grams. If you prefer English measures, an ounce is
equal to 142 carats.
Diamonds are as unique from each other as fingerprints.
Their size, cut, clarity and imperfections all create a
'signature' that is recognizable. A certificate issued by an
accredited laboratory will give you all the information to
identify the uniqueness of your own diamond.
Black diamonds contain inclusions of graphite within the
crystal. Black diamonds of significant size and quality are
relatively rare. Gray diamonds, on the other hand, may be
caused by a number of different impurities in the diamond,
and those impurities often lend a tint of other color to
grey. Gray pink, gray blue and gray green are all fairly
common.
While jewelers often refer to clear diamonds as 'white',
there are also real white diamonds. They are colored by tiny
inclusions that can give them an opalescent inner fire. They
are not as rare as red/pink diamonds, which, until recently,
were only found in one place in the world. Still, truly pink
diamonds with intense color are rare enough that a 3/4 carat
pink diamond can cost upwards of $25,000.
Colored diamonds are the exception. They're called 'fancy'
diamonds, and the clarity and intensity of the color will
modify the price. Generally, you can expect to pay a premium
for diamonds that are pink, violet or 'champagne', a sparkly
brown in shades from tan to brown.
A rough diamond resembles nothing so much as a greasy, grey
pebble. It takes the artistry of a jeweler to bring out the
brilliance and fire that is inherent in the stone. And, as
any jeweler will tell you, the right cut can make the
difference between a common stone and a breathtakingly
beautiful gem. The Round Cut has been the most popular
diamond cut for centuries, but the squared off Princess cut
is gaining in popularity. New tools like lasers are making
fancy shapes like hearts, birds and flowers more and more
common, though they are still rare.
Finally, diamonds are as unique as fingerprints. When you
invest in a diamond, the diamond's certificate will serve as
a unique identifying document that describes your diamond in
detail. Insist on receiving it, and keep it in a safe place
in case you ever need it for identification purposes.
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