It is derived from the Greek word meaning “Adamas” which means Indestructible. The hardest natural substance is diamond. It also possesses the great thermal conductivity of any natural material and is chemically resistant. These characteristics make it suited for use as a cutting tool and other applications requiring long-term endurance.
Diamond possesses unique optical qualities, including a high index of refraction, significant dispersion, and an adamantine sheen. These characteristics contribute to diamond’s status as the world’s most popular gemstone and enable it to be utilized in specialty lenses that demand durability and performance.
What Do You Need To Know Before Buying A Diamond?
Whether you’re buying a diamond as a gift or for yourself, you want to know you’re getting something beautiful that will last a lifetime. But how do you choose a brilliant diamond that’s just right? It all starts with the type. There are many types of diamonds after splitting hairs, and it can be difficult telling them apart. But before we get into the types, what even is a diamond, anyway? Understanding a diamond’s chemical makeup and creation process will help give you a better understanding and appreciation of the world’s hardest jewel.
You need to consider the four Cs in diamond quality before making such a large investment. The four Cs stand for cut, clarity, color, and carat. The cut of your diamond is an extremely important factor, as it affects the overall appearance. It affects the brilliance, scintillation, and fire. The cut is one of the only factors influenced by humans.
People apprentice for years before attempting it because of the difficulty of the process. The clarity is important as well, mind you. The clarity of your diamond directly relates to the number of inclusions or flaws it may have. this scale goes from FL, flawless, to I1, I2, and I3 included. Sometimes. Little flaws are found inside diamonds that take shape as the diamond forms. We call these inclusions. We call marks on the surface blemishes. Depending on your diamond’s clarity, the naked eye rarely can detect these flaws.
What Are The Different Types of Diamonds?
Buying a diamond can be a confusing trek, especially if you’re unsure about what you’re looking for. There are many different types of diamonds on multiple scales, but what about the main factors you truly care about? Let’s learn about the four main types of diamonds. (And no, Neil is not a type of diamond).
Types Of Diamonds:
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Natural diamonds
They’re formed deep within the earth, with the heat and pressure altering the molecular structure of carbon and creating the precious gemstone we’re all familiar with. Natural diamonds are brought to the surface via deep-rooted volcanic eruptions and mined in several parts of the world. Scientists still aren’t sure how long it takes for natural diamonds to form and without a way to access the earth’s upper mantle, this aspect of diamonds shall remain a mystery. If you have a natural diamond, you may wonder how much it’s worth and how rare it is. While a lot of factors play into the value of a diamond. Natural diamonds, especially flawless, enjoy a high level of demand. After factoring in the four Cs, you can expect a natural diamond to range from thousands to tens of thousands of dollars.
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Treated diamonds
Treated diamonds are natural diamonds treated by a man. This alters either their clarity or their color. Experts treat a very small amount of gem-quality stones. But keep in mind that these treatments may not last forever. For clarity, one thing they may do is drill a small hole with a laser to access and inclusion. Often they bleach or add acid to the inclusion to make it less visible. After drilling, they may boil the diamond if the inclusions are dark and reach the gem’s outer surface. Boiling is a more common method, as it’s cheaper. Also, it allows them to do large quantities at once.
For color, they may expose the jewel to radiation, followed by extreme heat. This process is called irradiating and annealing. Keep in mind that diamonds cannot become radioactive. All fancy-colored diamonds have already been exposed to natural radiation. Irradiating and annealing simply speed up the process of coloring. This method is permanent and does not fade over time. Another simpler way is to coat the diamond in silica. While silica coating is durable, these types of diamonds can be scratched and may take damage from heat.
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Natural fancy color diamonds
If you couldn’t already tell from the name, you can find these types of diamonds in nature, and these are the types of diamonds that experts grade on an entirely different scale than classic diamonds. The more color these gems have, the higher their value. The coloring process begins as the diamond itself is forming; traces of nitrogen forming with carbon can create a yellow diamond. Blue, an even rarer color, is created by the addition of boron. While you may not be able to distinguish these types of diamonds from natural diamonds, a trained eye with the right tools can. While ending up with a treated diamond isn’t exactly the end of the world, it could mean that its value could deplete over time. Treated diamonds can be susceptible to cracks and damage.
These types of diamonds catch a pretty penny, depending on the color, shade, and clarity. For example, some of the rarest colors are among common favorites, like blue, pink, red, and green. A true, rich red is the rarest of all. These types of diamonds come in every color on the spectrum, including white! White fancy colored diamonds look, for lack of a better word, milky. The rarest and most valuable are large, vivid colors, while most are faint. Though faint, many fetch a hefty price. However, yellow and brown diamonds are two of the most common fancy colored diamonds. They also fetch a lower price.
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Man-made diamonds
Man-made diamonds, like the name suggests, are made by humans in a laboratory. In a highly controlled setting, they replicate conditions in the earth’s mantle. This allows them to grow diamonds right before their very eyes. Designed to be perfect, you can expect a man-made diamond to impress, always. This is an amazing example of how far technology has gotten us in the world. And yes, in case you were wondering, these types of diamonds are real diamonds. While man-made diamonds are nearly exactly the same as naturally grown ones, there are still slight differences that can be found and identified. However, this requires specialized equipment.
Different Shapes Of Diamond
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Round Shaped
The round diamond shape is the most common. It’s a classic look that never goes out of style. A round shape is versatile because it balances the diamond’s color, cut, and clarity for the best sparkle. This diamond was cut by a diamond cutter who used careful calculations to offer you the best fire. Necklaces, engagement rings, and another fine jewelry benefit from the round brilliant cut.
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Heart-Shaped
This diamond cut is shaped like a heart, which is a universal symbol of love. The diamond’s heart shape gives it a distinct appearance. Because the point of the heart can display color, you may need to upgrade the diamond you choose, which will cost you extra money. The length to breadth ratio you choose for this form has a significant impact on how the heart appears.
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Pear Shaped
Because it has a point at the bottom and a round top, the pear-shaped diamond is also known as a teardrop. It has a one-of-a-kind shape that makes it excellent for an engagement ring. It’s tough to find a well-cut pear shape diamond. Inclusions can be hidden by this shape. The elongated pear form will make the finger appear thinner.
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Oval Shaped
The oval diamond is remarkable in that it does not have any sharp edges. They’re more durable because they don’t have any edges. They’re also a little less expensive than a round cut while yet keeping the curved shape. This is a popular choice since it enhances the appearance of thinner, long fingers.
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Emerald Shaped
The pavilion of an emerald-cut diamond distinguishes it. This pavilion has rectangular facets carved into it, giving it a unique appearance. An open table runs across the top of the diamond in this shape. The pavilion is step-cut, highlighting the diamond clarity.
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Asscher Shaped
The Asscher form is similar to an emerald cut, yet it has its own unique characteristics. The facets on the pavilion of this shape are rectangular. The crown of this shape is taller and contains more facets. This shape has a tendency to have a smidgeon of color in each corner.
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Radiant Shaped
There are a lot of angles and facets in a radiant shape diamond. This gives the diamond a crushed ice appearance. This diamond’s imperfections and faults are easily concealed by the cutting. This shape’s corners are cut and beveled, giving it a distinct appearance. They are also more stable, making them an excellent alternative for active people. Because of these cuts, this shape is suitable for a wide range of jewelry.
What Are The Different Characteristics of Diamond?
A diamond crystal can be defined based on various characteristics. A few of them are listed below :
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Cut
A diamond’s cut is frequently misunderstood. Many people believe that the diamond’s shape is the same as its shape. That isn’t entirely correct. The cut of a diamond also refers to the visual features of the diamond. This includes the diamond’s proportion, which refers to its depth and width. These two factors influence how light passes through the diamond. The diamond becomes dazzling when light departs it. It loses its brilliance when there is a shadow and the light goes out at the bottom of the diamond. When a diamond’s cut is too deep, light escapes from the sides, leaving it dull and possibly dark.
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Clarity
Clarity is a measurement of the diamond’s flaws, both within the stone and on the surface. Blemishes are defects on the surface. Inclusions are the flaws in the diamond that are visible. Internal characteristics are inclusions that are rarely visible to the naked eye. The qualities of a diamond are determined by the inclusions. Diamonds aren’t flawless. Diamonds with fewer inclusions have superior clarity and command a higher price. Diamonds are formed underground when heat and a tremendous lot of pressure are applied. Blemishes and flaws are a natural result of this procedure. The word “eye-clean” is commonly used to characterize a diamond’s clarity. This means you’ll have to magnify the diamond to see any imperfections because they’re too small to see with the naked eye. The clarity of a diamond is affected by its size and shape. When buying a diamond larger than one carat or in a more unusual form, you want one with a better clarity grade.
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Carat
The terms “carat weight” and “carat size” are frequently used interchangeably. The carat weight of a diamond is one of the most important factors in determining its price. Carats are the most used unit of measurement for diamonds. Keep in mind that a carat refers to the diamond’s weight, not its size. You’ve probably heard of 1 carat or 1/2 carat. Because many diamonds sold are under 1 carat, they are separated into points. The diamond’s quality is not determined by its carat weight. While many people value size, a lower carat diamond of greater quality can be purchased for less money than a larger diamond of lesser quality. A standard diamond weighs between 0.5 and 0.75 carats.
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Color
Natural colored diamonds have become increasingly fashionable in recent years. Many people think of them as fancy colored diamond alternatives and want to get them. Because of the nitrogen, the most typical diamond colors are yellow and brown. Pink diamonds and black diamonds are two of the most popular colors. Other diamonds have such a strong hue that even a layperson can see them with their eyes. These diamonds are considerably less costly. The color of a diamond is graded on a range of D to Z. Z has a strong tinge, whereas D is colorless. The letters K through M have a faint tinge that may be observed with the naked eye. There will be a perceptible hue from N to R. S and higher will receive a noticeable tint.
Conclusion
Diamonds are one of the most unusual minerals found on the planet. Diamonds have risen to the top of not just industries, but also consumer markets, thanks to their amazing hardness and unrivaled radiance. While they may be a lovely luxury for some, several steps in their route to jewelry have significant environmental and societal consequences.
Diamonds became well-known as a result of increased supply and superior technology that allowed for diamond cutting, shape, polishing, and finishing. Diamonds are the most valuable gems found in nature, and they can only be harmed by diamonds and a few other stones.
