Jewelry Education
HISTORY & FORMATION OF DIAMONDS
The word “diamond” comes from the Greek word, adámas, meaning “unbreakable.” This meaning led to the diamond becoming the symbol of unbreakable love and, thus, the most popular option for other romantic jewelry.
A diamond is formed in the Earth’s mantle under high-pressure and high-temperature conditions. In order to find diamond veins, the stones need to be propelled upwards through volcanic eruptions and earthquakes. Only then can miners reach these precious gems and extract them for refinement. These days, diamonds can, in fact, also be formed in a lab environment resulting in eco-friendly lab-grown diamond jewelry!
THE VALUE OF DIAMONDS
Besides their mythological history, diamonds are also incredibly popular because of their durability. The Greeks were correct in their assessment because diamonds are considered among the hardest natural materials. Diamonds are the preferred gem in all Jewelry because they’re suited for everyday wear. Unlike many other gems, diamonds rarely chip or break, and they hold a polish remarkably well.
While diamond rarity is falling with the production of lab-grown gemstones, their value due to their durability and sparkle cannot be denied.
THE FOUR CS OF DIAMONDS
There are four essential elements that determine the quality of the diamond. Our diamond facts are based on the cut, color, clarity, and carat. As you explore this blog to enhance your diamond education, you’ll find an explanation of each factor in any diamond’s value.
DIAMOND CUT
Among diamond experts, cut is considered to be the most important of the 4 Cs of diamond facts. A well-cut diamond can reflect up to 90% of the light it receives, while a fair or poor-cut diamond will only reflect about 40% of the light around it.
Diamonds come in many shapes, known as cuts. Cutting a diamond gives it more flat planes to ensure it sparkles from every angle. As light hits the various facets, it refracts to show a range of rainbow hues. A better quality cut means more sparkle, brilliance, and shine. Some of the most popular shapes include:
Brilliant (Round) Princess Oval Cushion Emerald Marquise
Determining a diamond’s shape is dependent on the nature of the rough stone. After examining the existing facets and flaws in a diamond, a professional gem cutter will decide how to capture the stone’s essence in a shape suited to showing its best features.
LIGHT HANDLING PROPERTIES OF A DIAMOND
An ideal cut that reflects light back through the top of the stone.
A cut that’s too deep, allowing light to escape through the side.
A cut that’s too shallow and allows the light to escape from the bottom.
Cut so that the light is reflected back through the top of the stone Too Deep; allowing light to escape through side Too Shallow; allowing light to escape from the bottom
Diamonds are fashioned into a number of shapes, depending on the nature of the rough stone. The seven most popular shapes are princess, marquise, pear, emerald, oval, heart and round (also called brilliant). The round, brilliant cut is the most popular shape.
DIAMOND CLARITY
The clarity of a diamond relates to its internal characteristics, which affect the overall appearance of the diamond. Inclusions, inside flaws in a diamond, and blemishes, defects on the outside of a diamond, are less desirable. Inclusions and blemishes don’t affect a diamond’s performance or structural integrity, but large clouds internally can affect its ability to transmit and scatter light.
Some minor inclusions can be useful, as they can be used to identify each individual diamond, like a fingerprint. Most inclusions are undetectable to the naked eye. However, diamonds without inclusions, known as Flawless Grade, are the most desirable and fetch the highest prices. Check out this chart for a visual representation of these diamond facts.
FIND MORE DIAMOND FACTS
When you’re looking to buy a piece of fine jewelry with diamonds, we know you want as much information as possible. If you feel like you need additional diamond education in reference to a specific piece, please don’t hesitate to reach out to our team for guidance and support.