What is A Diamond?

The diamond derives its name from the Greek word ADAMAS meaning unconquerable or invincible so called by the Ancient Greeks because of its great hardness and also DIAPHANES meaning transparent.

In its natural form the diamond is a variety of the element carbon with its atomic structure assembled in such a way as to produce transparent crystals of the hardest substance known to man.

Diamonds were formed many millions of years ago, deep within the Earth, as far below the Earth’s surface as 120 miles. They were the result of tremendous forces of heat and pressure which over a long period of time caused carbon to crystallize.

After millions of years had passed gas pressures eventually built up which forced the diamond bearing molten material to erupt towards the Earth’s surface like lava from a volcano.

Diamonds are also found in alluvial deposits which have been laid down by the movement of glaciers or rivers.

Sources

As new sources are being discovered today’s diamond production is constantly changing.

Although mining has become much more efficient during recent years, gem quality diamonds remain relatively scarce.

Only about 25% of the world's diamonds are of the correct quality capable of being cut into gems.

The main countries in the World producing ethically mined diamonds today are:

• Australia
• Russia
• Botswana
• South Africa
• Canada
• Zaire

Diamonds are also found in many other countries, some them include:

•  Brazil
• Venezuela
• Namibia
• Ghana
• Central African Republic
• Sierra Leone
• Liberia
• Tanzania
• Angola

Even in the United States some diamonds have been found, most of which come from near Murfreesboro, Arkansas.

In addition to these countries, diamond production is expanding in China and Guinea.

So far there has been no trace of diamonds on the Moon. However, some meteorites are known to have diamonds in them so the future may yet yield diamonds from outer space!

The 4 C's

The diamonds in their rough state need to be fasioned and cut to exact mathemetically exacting proportions by highly skilled cutters to release the brilliance of the stone.

The quality of polished diamonds are determined and assessed by a series of main factors known as the 4 C’s.

 

Carat Weight

Diamonds are bought and sold by weight and the international unit of measure used is the carat. The word carat derives from an ancient Middle Eastern custom of using the seeds of the Carob or Locust tree as units of weight and on ancient scales they balanced exactly. When weighing a diamond, the tiny seeds were placed on one side of a scale and the diamond on the other.

The carat was the weight of a carob seed until the 20th century, when the metric system was adopted universally.

There are 142 carats to the ounce and each carat is further divided into 100 points, so that for example, a 50 point diamond weighs half a carat and a 1 point diamond weights 0.01 carats.

As larger diamonds are of greater rarity they command a greater value per carat. If the quality is equal, a two carat diamond is worth much more than two one-carat stones.

In some jewellers you many notice only the approximate weight of diamonds are stated, indeed, in some cases, not at all. At Clive Ranger we believe accuracy is of great importance, and all diamond jewellery manufactured by Clive Ranger on display clearly marked with the carat weight of each diamond.

 

Clarity

The degree of clarity is decided by the presence or absence of inclusions. Most diamonds contain inclusions, which are very tiny natural characteristics formed during the crystallisation process. They are sometimes likened to fingerprints as they distinguish one diamond from another and make each diamond unique.

The more noticeable the inclusions, their size and position, the greater the effect on the value of the stone. As long as they do not affect the passage of light through the diamond the inclusions will not detract from its beauty.

As many of these imperfections are microscopic and indiscernible to the naked eye it is of supreme importance that the clarity of a diamond is assessed by an experience professional. The subtle variations in the clarity of a diamond can be detected after a meticulous examination using a loupe (lens) with 10 power magnification under normal light. This magnification is an internationally accepted standard.

The fewer inclusions the more valuable the stone, but diamonds which show no visible inclusions, when viewed by the trained eye less than 10 power magnification, are exceedingly rare.

 

Colour

The colour of a diamond also deter mines its rarity and has great significance when valuing a diamond. At Clive Ranger we aim above all to ensure quality in the stones he buys and the matching of colours.

Many diamonds used in jewellery appear to be white or colourless to the untrained eye, but in fact very few are totally colourless and therefore truly white. The quality of a diamond is assessed by the amount its colour deviates from completely colourless. They gradually diminish in quality as slight degrees of yellow or brown tints become discernible caused by the presence of nitrogen. Variations in the colour of diamonds are often so slight that they can only be detected by an expert under certain conditions, such as direct Northern light.

In principle the whiter the diamond the more superior the colour.

International standards have been established for grading diamonds according to extremely subtle difference in colour.

 

Cut

This is where man takes over from nature- a well cut diamond has greater brilliance, fire and scintillation.

Diamond cutting is an art which has been in existence since ancient times but it was not perfected until this century.

As it is the hardest natural substance known to man only another diamond is hard enough to cut and polish diamond.

Cutting is of paramount importance in bringing out the maximum, fiery beauty of the diamond and eliminating as many inclusions as possible. Many inclusions can be removed in the cutting process, and part of the cutters’ skill lies in removing as many as possible while only taking away the minimum carat weight.

A rough diamond is fairly dull but a skilled cutter can proportion and cut it so that it reveals many sides, called facets, which allow it to reflect the greatest possible amount of light. A diamond can capture light better than any other precious stone.

The facets are cut to precise angles so that as much light as possible can enter the top part of the stone, known as the table, and the reflective powers of the diamond are used to their best advantage.

The white light penetrating the stone is separated into the many colours of the spectrum, red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo and violet. These rays of light strike the various facets and are focused up through the top, reflecting back to the eye of the viewer the "fire" of diamond. The more of this light reflected out the more brilliant the stone will be.

Diamond is estimated to be eighty five times harder than the next gem material corundum which is sapphire and ruby. By reason of its hardness it takes a very high polish so therefore reflects a higher quality of light from its surface than any other natural gem. The resulting surface polish gives diamond its unique lustre which is known as adamantine lustre.

The most popular shape for the engagement diamond is the round brilliant cut which has 58 facets.

The marquise, oval, pear, emerald and heart shaped diamonds are known as fancy cuts. The shapes of the facets differ in each of the cuts and it is these polished planes on the surface of each diamond that account for its brilliance and fire.

The shape you choose is a matter of individual taste- they are all works of art.