What is a Diamond?
A diamond comes from carbon, crystallized under very high temperatures and pressures. It is formed naturally, deep below the earth's surface, and is the hardest known mineral in nature, which makes it useful in numerous ways. The name "diamond" comes from the Greek word "invincible" alluding to its great durability. Though diamonds have numerous industrial uses due to their great degree of hardness, what a diamond is most known for is its dazzling appeal as a highly sought after gemstone.Diamonds are so versatile and strong that they can be worn as any kind of jewelry. While the solitaire is classic, fashion diamond jewelry is very popular. You can find clusters like diamond flower earrings or be a little trendy with a diamond toe ring.
Where Do Diamonds Come From?
India is the birthplace of diamond mining. They discovered them almost 4000 years ago. In the 1800s, South Africa, Zaire, Namibia, Australia and Russia began mining diamonds as well.When you put in your white gold diamond earrings and slip on your solitaire diamond engagement ring , think about this: you have to start with 250 tons of ore to make a one carat cut and polished solitaire. That's a lot of work for a single stone and it explains why diamonds are so valuable and expensive.
How to Choose a Diamond
Diamonds are so valuable and precious, there are very specific guidelines set up to rate each stone. If you want to have the most beautiful diamond eternity bands , you need to know what to look for. This criteria is commonly referred to as the 5 Cs: cut, color, clarity, carat and certificate.- 1. Cut is really a personal preference. The round cut solitaire is the classic style, but other popular cuts include marquise (diamond shaped), emerald (rectangular cut), princess (square cut) and pear.
- 2. Color is also a matter of preference. It used to be that the best diamonds were transparent or colorless. The scale ranged from colorless (the best) to light yellow (the least desirable). However, colored diamonds, such as champagne and pink are rapidly growing in popularity.
- 3. Clarity is possibly the most important "C". You want your white gold diamond earrings to be transparent and clear. Little dark specks are called carbon inclusions greatly reduce value of a diamond. The stones are graded on a scale of visible inclusions at certain magnifications to inclusions seen with the naked eye. VVS (very, very small inclusions hardly visible at 10X magnification) is the best rating and I (inclusions visible with no magnification) is the worst rating.
- 4. Carat is also a personal preference. You may seek something smaller than .50 ct stones in your diamond eternity bands or you may choose a 3 ct solitaire.
- 5. Certification is the most recent addition to diamond criteria. What a GIA certificate tells you is that the Gemological Institute of America has certified the quality of this stone. The certificate is especially important if you buy diamonds as an investment, but it is also useful for insurance purposes.
The Mystique of the Diamond
Diamonds are seen as the symbol of love, due to their fire, strength and durability. They have also been known as symbols of power, and until the 15th century, they could only to be worn by kings. Ancient Romans and Greeks believed diamonds were bits of fallen stars, or tears from the gods. It wasn't until 1477 that the first diamond ring was presented as an engagement ring by Archduke Maximilium of Austria to his future bride Mary of Burgundy.
