Facts
Knowns as the most sought-after gemstone, the name derives from the Greek word Adamas meaning the unconquerable. Diamond has the greatest hardest on Mohs Hardness Scale which minerals are evaluated upon. It is interesting to know that no other mineral holds the same hardness as diamond therefore the only mineral that can cut diamond is another diamond.
Formation
Diamonds are formed deep inside the earth, as much as 150-300 km, under high pressure and extremely hot temperatures. It is with volcanic eruptions that diamonds are brought close to the earth’s surface.
Discovery
In 1725 the first diamonds were found in Brazil and soon after in South Africa. The most famous mine in South Africa, the Kimberley Mine, had a diameter of 1510 feet / 460 meters and a depth of 3510 feet / 1070 meters. Over 14.5 million carats (2900 kg or about three tons) of diamonds were mined from the heart of Kimberley before it shut down in 1914 due to not being economically feasible anymore.
The 4Cs
The Gemological Institute of America (GIA) first established four criteria knowns as the 4Cs which have become the universal language for evaluating the value and the rarity of faceted diamonds. The 4Cs consist of color, clarity, cut, and carat.
Color
A chemically pure and structurally perfect diamond has no hue and consequently a higher value. The GIA Color Grading System measures the degree of colorlessness of a diamond under controlled lighting inside laboratories. Many of these color distinctions are so subtle that they are invisible to the untrained eye, however, even subtle distinctions make a great difference to the quality of the diamond and its price.
Clarity
Natural diamonds are the result of carbon exposed to tremendous heat and pressure deep inside the earth. The clarity of a diamond affects its overall appearance. The more inclusions and blemishes a diamond has, the less clarity it has and therefore the lower value it gains. Many inclusions and blemishes are too tiny to be seen by anyone other than a trained diamond grader.
Cut
Considered the most important C, diamonds are beautiful for their ability to transmit light and sparkle, therefore the quality of the cut is crucial to the shine and value of a diamond.
Carat
Carat is the measurement of a diamond’s weight. A metric “carat” is defined as 200 milligrams. Each carat can be subdivided into 100 points. Diamond price increases with the carat weight and larger diamonds are more rare and more desirable than smaller gemstones. However, two diamonds of equal carat weight can have significantly different values depending on the other three factors of the 4C’s grading system.
Diamonds of Alaghband
The diamond experts of Alaghband handpick the highest quality diamonds from around the world to embellish our jewelry with. We are reputed for crowning a single brilliant-cut 11-carat diamond on one of our enchanting solitaire rings to adorning a pair of earrings with heart & pear-cut diamonds of over 16 carats.
We guarantee the finest quality of gemstones to our customers. Accordingly, certificates from world-renowned gemological laboratories such as GIA, GRS, and Gübelin Gem Lab follow our jewelry. Upon request, Alaghband accepts custom-order based on our customer’s desired gemstone, design, and price range. Do not hesitate to contact our jewelry experts for further assistance.
info@alaghbandjewelry.com
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