Diamonds

From myths about valleys of diamonds protected by snakes, to the production of
millions of carats in rough diamonds each year, the history of diamonds is one of
mystical power, beauty and commercial expertise.
Early History
The first recorded history of the diamond dates back some 3,000 years to India,
where it is likely that diamonds were first valued for their ability to refract light. In
those days, the diamond was used in two ways-for decorative purposes, and as a
talisman to ward off evil or provide protection in battle.
The Dark Ages
The diamond was also used for some time as medical aid. One anecdote, written
during the Dark Ages by St Hildegarde, relates how a diamond held in the hand
while making a sign of the cross would heal wounds and cure illnesses. Diamonds
were also ingested in the hope of curing sickness. During the early Middle Ages,
Pope Clement unsuccessfully used this treatment in a bid to aid his recovery.
The Middle Ages
During the Middle Ages more attention was paid to the worth of diamonds, rather
than the mystical powers surrounding them. Due to the heightened public
awareness of the value of diamonds, mine owners perpetuated myths that
diamonds were poisonous. This was to prevent the mineworkers swallowing the
diamonds in an attempt to smuggle them out of the mines.
The popularity of diamonds surged during the Middle Ages, with the discovery of
many large and famous stones in India, such as the Koh-I-Noor and the Blue Hope.
Today India maintains the foremost diamond polishing industry in the world.
As the Indian diamond supply dwindled, smaller finds occurred in Borneo and
Brazil, but these were not sufficient to meet the ever-increasing demand for
diamonds. The mid-nineteenth century discovery of diamonds near the Orange
River in South Africa sparked the world's biggest diamond rush, and helped to
satiate the world's increasing appetite for diamonds.
Recent Times
During the mid-nineteenth century, diamonds were also being discovered in eastern
Australia. However, it was not until late 1970's, after seven years of earnest
searching, that Australia's alleged potential as a diamond producer was validated.
On October 2nd 1979, geologists found the Argyle pipe near Lake Argyle: the richest
diamond deposit in the world. Since then, Argyle has become the world's largest
volume producer of diamonds, and alone is responsible for producing over a third
of the world's diamonds every year.
CARING FOR YOUR DIAMONDS
Diamonds need caring to keep them looking at their brilliant best. They should be
cleaned at least once a month to keep away the "dullness" that can be caused by
skin oils, soap, cosmetics and even cooking grease. The only substance that does
not stick to a diamond is water. A clean diamond will reflect better light.
There are several ways of keeping diamond jewellery clean./
The detergent bath is performed with a small bowl of warm suds using any mild
liquid detergent. Immerse jewellery pieces in the suds and brush gently with a tooth
brush. Rinse under warm running water and pat dry with a soft, lint-free cloth.
The quick dip method uses one of the liquid jewellery care products available.
Follow the instructions on the kit.
The latest jewellery-cleaning device is the sonic jewellery cleaner. It is electronically
operated and comes with its own solution and directions.
Some extra helpful hints to keep diamond jewellery looking at its best.
It is better not to wear diamond jewellery when doing rough work or the dishes.
Despite the durability of a diamond, it can be chipped by a hard blow along its
grain.
Take care when doing the housework, not to let diamond jewellery come into
contact with chlorine bleach, as it won't harm the diamond but can pit or
discolour the mounting.
When placing diamond jewellery in a jewellery case, be sure to wrap them
individually as they can easily scratch each other as well as other gem jewellery. Be
sure to take all types of precious mounted jewellery to a jeweller at least once a
year to check for loose settings and signs of wear.VALUING DIAMONDS
The quality and value of diamonds are measured by four characteristics known as
the 4C's. The 4C's relate to a diamond's cut, colour, clarity and carat weight. The
quality of a diamond is measured by its cut, colour and clarity. The carat weight
measures the size of the diamond. Of all the 4C's, cut is the characteristic directly
influenced by man; colour, clarity and carat weight are all dictated by nature.
Cut
A diamond in its natural, uncut state is described as a "rough diamond". Its natural
appearance so resembles a glass pebble that most people would pass it by without a
second glance. It is the skill of the diamond cutter that unlocks the brilliance for
which diamonds are renowned.
If two identical diamonds are placed side by side and one is less brilliant and fiery
than the other, the fault lies in the cutting. Such a stone cannot demand as high a
price as a well-cut diamond.
It is important to distinguish between cut and shape. Some of the more popular
shapes of diamonds include Round Brilliant, Oval, Marquise, Pear, Heart and
Emerald. Within each of these shapes, however, it is the cut that determines the
quality of the stone. For example, most diamonds are cut with 58 facets, regardless
of their shape.
Colour
A diamond's colour is one of the most important factors in determining its value.
The nearer a white diamond is to being absolutely colourless, the more rare and
valuable it is. The graduations in colour are so subtle that intricate international
grading scales have been devised.
Diamonds are graded into categories defined by letters. The colour range from
exceptional whites (categories D, E and F) to tinted colours (categories M to Z). The
best way to pinpoint a diamond's true colour is to place it next to another diamond
that has previously been graded.
There are also fancy coloured diamonds and these are graded according to their
intensity of colour, not lack of it. There are a variety of reasons for diamonds to be
coloured. The most common causes, or suggested causes, for the colours yellow,
green, blue, brown and pink are described below.
Yellow:
When nitrogen combines with the diamond crystals during the formation stage it
causes a surplus electron in the bonding. This surplus electron absorbs blue light,
thus giving off a yellow colour. Yellow diamonds also occur when aggregates of
three nitrogens combine and cause surplus bond.
Blue:
The elements of boron may also be substituted within a diamond during its
formation. Boron absorbs red light, hence in the absence of nitrogen, diamonds
containing boron are blue in colour. An example of a diamond containing boron is
the famous Blue Hope diamond. Diamonds containing boron also exhibit unusual
electrical properties and are semi-conductive in nature. Hydrogen is another
impurity that, in high quantities, can cause grey or blue colouring in diamonds.
However, these diamonds are not semi-conducting.
Green:
A vacancy in the regular lattice of atoms within a diamond results in a green
colouring. Carbon atoms being knocked out of their regular position by other
particles cause vacancies. The depth of colour usually extends about 2mm below
the diamond's surface. At extremely high temperatures the vacancies can become
mobile and can combine with nitrogen to form other colours such as mauve,
orange, blue or gold.
Brown:
It has been suggested that dislocations in the regular lattice of atoms, caused by
severe forces deep in the earth, may be responsible for the brown colouring of
champagne and cognac diamonds. The dislocated bonds may affect the light
wavelength, thus producing a diamond which is coloured, but which contains no
impurities.
Pink:
It has also been suggested that combinations of dislocations, vacancies, and non-
nitrogen impurities cause the much sought-after colouration in pink diamonds.
However these theories are still being developed.
Clarity
During the formation of a diamond it is possible for minute particles of non-
crystallised carbon or non-diamond crystals to be caught within the diamond. These
imperfections are called inclusions and provide each individual diamond with
unique characteristics.
Inclusions may not always be visible to the naked eye, however they do interfere
with the passage of light through the diamond. Therefore the fewer inclusions a
diamond has, the more valuable it is.
Like colour, clarity is also categorised using international grading scales. The
categories of clarity are based upon the number, size and position of the inclusions
within the diamond. Gradings range from flawless, and internally flawless, through
very small and small inclusions, to imperfect. The clarity gradings are described as
follows:
FL
Flawless
No internal or external blemishes when examined under a 10x
microscope.Diamonds in this category cannot contain internal graining that is
reflective whitish, coloured,or which significantly affects transparency.
IF
Internally Flawless
No internal inclusions but minor surface blemishes which cannot be removed with
polishing. That is, characteristics such as surface grain lines, natural and extra facets
on the crown. Blemishes that can be removed by minor repolishing separate the
internally flawless from the flawless grade.
VVS1 VVS2
Very, Very Slightly Included
Minute inclusions, such as reflective internal graining, difficultto locate using a 10x
microscope
VS1
VS2
Very Slightly Included
Small inclusions, such as small included crystals which are visible using a 10x
microscope.
SI1
SI2
Slightly Included
Inclusions that can be seen easily under a 10x microscope,and may also be seen
with the naked eye using a white background. Inclusions in these diamonds cannot
be seen through the crown of the diamond.
I1
Imperfect 1
Inclusions can be seen with the naked eye, and are quite obvious under a 10x
microscope.
I2
Imperfect 2
Inclusions can be seen with the naked eye, and may interfere with transparency and
brilliance.
I3
Imperfect 3
Dark inclusions which are very noticeable to the naked eye, and which interfere
with transparency. Diamonds in this category may contain cleavages that are likely
to become worse with wear.
Carat
A carat is the unit of measure used to determine the weight of a diamond. The term
"carat" is derived from the original method of using carob tree seeds to weigh
diamonds. One seed from this tree was equivalent to one carat.
The actual weight of one carat is now established at 0.2 grams. To assist in
accurately describing the weight of diamonds each carat is divided into 100 points.
Diamonds of less than one carat in weight are known as "pointers". For example, a
0.15 carat diamond would be called a "15 pointer".
Diamonds are usually weighed prior to setting for more accurate measurements.
Diamonds are priced per carat, according to their size and quality. Although the
carat weight of a diamond is indicative of its size, it is not necessarily indicative of a
diamond's quality. Therefore, where two diamonds have the same carat weight, the
one of better quality will command a higher price per carat.