What is diamond?
What is diamond...
As far as we know, diamond is the hardest material found in nature. It consists of pure carbon that crystallizes as a result of extremely high pressure and temperature. These conditions are found only at a depth of 150 to 200 kilometers below the Earth’s surface! The crystals are extracted from the Earth with great effort and skillfully crafted into gemstones for jewelry. Even today, despite all modern techniques, mining rough diamond ore remains a highly complicated process. On average, it takes just over six metric tons of rough ore to yield one gram of rough diamond. Furthermore, only 20% of all diamonds are suitable for use injewelry. All of this explains the high value of these precious stones.
History and properties
The word diamond comes from the Ancient Greek "adamas" meaning unbeatable, which of course has everything to do with the gemstone's hardness. The stone has crystalline quadrilateral structure with a very high refractive index. This means that as a result, it brilliantly refracts and reflects (sun) light depending on the cut. Moreover, the polished shiny surface of the diamond stone does not become dull due to its high hardness.
As a symbol of power, courage, and invincibility, diamonds were worn exclusively by kings and rulers until the 15th century. It was not until 1477, when Mary of Burgundy received a diamond engagement ring from Archduke Maximilian of Austria, that the tradition of using this dazzling gemstone as an engagement ring was born. The tradition of wearing the ring on the left hand originated with the Egyptians, who believed that the “Vena Amoris” (vein of love) ran directly from the heart to the left hand.
The 4 Cs
There are 4 factors that determine the value of the gemstone, the 4 Cs:
- Cut
- Colour
- Clarity
- Caratweight
The cut says something about the way the stone is cut. Brilliant is the best known cut, princess and emerald are also well known. The marquise (navette) is one of my personal favorites: This cut has 58 facets and is brilliant cut. The name comes from a commission from King Louis XIV as a gift for his mistress Marquise de Pompadour. The Marquise cut diamond is widely used in rings.
The color (Colour) says something about the whiteness of the diamond. The more yellow the lower the value and the whiter the diamond the higher the value. Not to be confused with yellow diamonds, these are actually high in value because they are very rare.
Clarity tells how many impurities (inclusions) a diamond contains: the fewer and smaller these inclusions are, the more valuable the diamond.
The carat weight (Carat) indicates the size of the diamond.
