Diamond
"I never worry about diets. The only carrots
that interest me are the number of carats in a
Diamond".
Mae West (1892-1980)
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Diamond
revenues enable every child in
Botswana to receive free education
up to the age of 13 |
Whenever I give a talk on gemstones, I always begin by
asking women what their favourite is. Not
surprisingly, given the millions pumped into
their marketing, Diamonds invariably emerge as
the flat-out winner. Clever global marketing
along with famous movies, have made Diamonds
iconic cultural symbols deeply ingrained in
modern society. Take for example the 1953
classic, 'Gentlemen Prefer Blondes' where
Marilyn Monroe sang 'Diamonds Are a Girl's Best
Friend' and 'Breakfast at Tiffany's' (1961) with
the petite Audrey Hepburn. Other classics
include the dashing Sean Connery as 007 in
'Diamonds Are Forever' (1971) with Shirley
Bassey singing its unforgettable theme, Quentin
Tarantino's ultra-violent, but totally cool
'Reservoir Dogs' (1990), Guy Ritchie's
Brit-flick 'Snatch' (2001), and Leonardo
DiCaprio's, 'Blood Diamond' (2006). Considering
that their mainstream popularity is very much a
post-fifties phenomenon, particularly with
regard to engagement rings, this is actually
pretty astounding. That is not to say I have
anything against Diamonds, mind you. How could
anybody have anything against them? Indeed, 'the
girl's best friend' and April's birthstone has
it all. Antiquity (most Diamonds are between one
billion to 3.3 billion years old), durability
(they're the hardest known natural material
ever), blinding brilliance (white light
reflections), fantastic fire (the ability to
split light into its component colours),
sizzling scintillation (play of light) and, last
but not least, remarkable rarity, for 80 percent
of all Diamonds mined are only good enough for
industry. It takes one million Diamonds to get
one 1 carat gem quality Diamond! No, I have
nothing against Diamonds at all, it's just that
like the myriad of shapes, characters and
individual styles personified by the women who
usually wear them, the gem kingdom has a lot
more going for it than sparkling, yet plain old
whites. But here's the thing, Diamonds also come
in colours and there are other rare gemstones
that possess greater fire. More on these later.
Formed
in the mantle at the very heart of the earth,
Diamond derives its name from the Greek 'adamas',
which means 'unconquerable', certainly
appropriate for the hardest and one of the most
valuable of all gemstones. The only gemstone
comprised of a single element, Diamonds are
crystalline carbon, making them long lost
relatives of coal and lead pencils. Given its
unique mineralogical attributes, it's not
surprising that Diamonds have an encyclopaedic
array of mythological origins, purported
attributes and esoteric abilities. Greek
philosophers thought Diamonds were 'alive' with
celestial spirits, Romans thought them tears of
the gods or splinters from falling stars, while
Hindus believed they were created by lightning
striking rocks. According to Jewish tradition, a
Diamond held before a guilty person will darken,
while a Diamond held before an innocent will
increase in brilliance. From the middle ages to
the renaissance, they were purported to possess
a variety of esoteric abilities to counter
life's troubles, including instilling bravery,
courage, invincibility, strength, and virtue;
the power to drive away nightmares, ward off
evil spirits, soothe savage beasts, and even
protect your house from lightning!
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Diamond
Platinum Ring |
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While Louis IX of France once decreed Diamonds
exclusively the domain of royalty, since the
15th century these gemstones have slowly made
their way from monarchs to the masses. The 4Cs (colour,
clarity, cut and carat weight) are the
foundations of Diamond valuation. As these are
covered in detail in Chapter 1, we'll briefly
recap these in the context of accessing
Diamonds. Due to their homogeneity, judging a
Diamond's colour and clarity is now relatively
straightforward, thanks to the 'Diamond Clarity
Scale' and 'Diamond Colour Scale' developed by
the GIA (Gemmological Institute of America).
Both of these scales are included in this
section.
For Diamonds, beautiful brilliance is king and
this is true for both single solitaires destined
for engagement rings to melees (> 0.2 carats)
used in cluster designs or in a supporting role
as accent gems. We are looking for the best
balance of dispersion (fiery flashes of colour,
click here for more), scintillation (play of
light) and its characteristic brilliance (white
light reflections), which is a combination of
its internal brilliance and its unique
adamantine lustre (click
here for more). In
bright illumination, Diamonds can display the
entire colour spectrum of the rainbow (blue,
green, orange, red, violet, and yellow) in all
their individual glory, and as the gem is moved
its facets sparkle in the play of light
(scintillation). The problem is the lapidary
must use angles to balance these three signature
characteristics, and as fire and brilliance are
odd bed fellows, maximising both is simply
impossible. Much has been written about the
'ideal' cut proportions for Diamonds and the
maintenance of these uniform ideals to get the
best out of them. However, research by the GIA,
using computer modelling, has established that
there are actually several proportions that can
maximise either brilliance or fire. Simply put,
the idea of an 'ideal' cut for Diamonds is not
finite, and judging the quality of cut in terms
of visible brilliance rather than against
mathematical proportions is the current trend.
Personally, any criterion that throws out the
cookie cutter and favours visible beauty has my
vote. For example, I am still amazed that many
smaller accent Diamonds (1mm rounds) actually
look better when not cut with the traditional 57
facets of a modern brilliant cut (click
here for more). This is intriguing, considering the
modern brilliant cut may result in a loss of
more than 50 percent of the rough crystal. Apart
from its cut, a Diamond's brilliance will also
be determined by its colour, inherent
transparency (clarity), and fluorescence. As
with all gems, the better the brilliance,
clarity and cut, the higher the price.
GIA Diamond Clarity Scale
| Clarity |
Description |
Flawless
(FL)
|
Shows no inclusions or blemishes under 10x loupe. |
Internally Flawless
(IF) |
Has no inclusions when examined using 10x loupe
and only insignificant
minor surface blemishes. |
Very Very
Slightly Included
(VVS1 & VVS2) |
Contains
minute inclusions that are difficult to
see under 10x loupe. |
Very
Slightly Included
(VS1 & VS2) |
Contains
minute inclusions when observed under
10X loupe. |
Slightly
Included
(SI1, SI2 & SI3) |
Contains
inclusions that are noticeable under 10x
loupe. The Rapaport
Diamond Report, the definitive pricing
guide for Diamonds, added SI3 to its
price list after the EGL (European
Gemmological Laboratory) started issuing
certificates with the SI3 grade. |
Included
(I1, I2 and I3) |
Contains
inclusions that are obvious under 10x
loupe. |
Pique
(PK) |
Eye-visible
inclusions. |
While the Diamonds most people want to own are
colourless (or as clear as their bank balance
will allow), in reality, they can come in an
array of colours. To the untrained eye most
Diamonds look colourless, but to the expert,
minor differences can equate to big price
differences. While true colourless Diamonds are
extremely rare and priced accordingly, near
colourless Diamonds or those with barely
perceptible yellowish tints offer better value
for money. Don't be bullied by a salesperson
into spending more on something you can't see!
One factor that confuses many is the impact of
fluorescence on a Diamond's brilliance and
colour. Fluorescence is a material's ability to
glow in ultraviolet light and about one-third of
Diamonds possess this attribute. While invisible
to us, a Diamond's bluish fluorescence can
actually make a yellowish Diamond appear whiter.
This might seem like a good way to get more
'bang for your buck', but the problem is
fluorescence can also somewhat reduce a
Diamond's daylight brilliance, negatively
affecting its beauty. The key is a balance of
all its attributes (body colour, brilliance,
clarity, cut, dispersion, fluorescence,
scintillation, size and transparency), with a
beautiful brilliance the ultimate consideration.
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Coloured or Fancy Diamonds are extremely popular and are
sometimes described as 'two gemstones in one'
because they give you colour plus the
characteristic sparkle of a Diamond. Referred to
as Z+ by the GIA as their colour intensity is
outside the normal range, their colours include
black, blue, brown, green, grey, olive, orange,
purple, red and yellow. Diamonds are comprised
of carbon and because of their compact atomic
structure, trace elements that colour other
gemstones just can't get in. So instead of being
coloured by chromium, titanium and vanadium,
Fancy Diamonds owe there hues to boron, hydrogen
and nitrogen, as well as crystal imperfections (colour
centres). Not surprisingly, Coloured Diamonds
are exceedingly rare in nature, resulting in the
vast majority of what's available in the
marketplace being colour enhanced
(click here for more) |
With rounds accounting for the bulk of Diamond
sales worldwide (approximately 80 percent), ask
women, "What shape is a Diamond?" and they'll
probably say, "Round". They're lovely,
they're popular and they sell well, but there
are many other beautiful shapes and cuts that
warrant serious consideration. You can meet
these click here. Not wanting to conform to the norm, I
selected two 45 point pear-shaped Diamond accent
gemstones for my wife's Blue Sapphire engagement
ring. Some branded Diamond cuts exist and just
like labels on jeans, these sometimes incur a premium.
GIA Diamond Colour Scale
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The GIA 'Diamond Colour Scale'. Not
wanting to confuse their system with
existing grades, the GIA started afresh,
beginning with the letter D |
With the reducing marketplace influence of the
DeBeers Diamond syndicate, emerging sources in
Russia and Canada, and the 'blood diamond'
fiasco, origin has become increasingly discussed
for one of the world's most homogeneous
gemstones. Until Brazilian Diamonds were
discovered in 1725, India had been the world's
only source, with records dating back to at
least 800 BC. Ancient Europeans were probably
introduced to Diamonds via the Persians, scoring
their first mentioned in Roman literature in the
1st century. Today, approximately 65 percent of
the world's Diamonds come from African
countries.
Brilliant, beautiful, symbolic and iconic,
Diamonds are deserving of their marketing hype.
Whether they will still be the 'engagement'
gemstone of the future or Blue Sapphires'
popularity again re-emerges as the 'choice' for
those tying the knot, one thing's for sure,
Marilyn was right, "Square-cut or
pear-shaped, these rocks don't lose their shape,
Diamonds are a girl's best friend".
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Demantoid
A
favourite of the
famous Russian
jeweller Karl
Fabergé,
Demantoid was
discovered and
named by Dr.
Nordenskjöld in
1855 (the same
guy who
identified
Alexandrite).
The original
source was in
Russia's central
Urals, in
alluvial
deposits at the
Sissersk
District and the
Bobrovka River
(hence one of
its colloquial
names, 'Bobrovka
Garnet'). A
colour variety
of Andradite,
Demantoid and
the Grossular
Garnet Tsavorite
are the two
green members of
the Garnet
family (yes,
Garnets come in
hues other than
reds and
oranges). Until
Dr. Nordenskjöld
took a closer
look, Demantoid
was assumed to
be Emerald;
hence it's other
colloquial name
'Uralian
Emerald'. Dr.
Nordenskjöld
took its name
for the old
German 'demant',
which means
'diamond-like'.
Demantoid was
named in
reference to its
adamantine
lustre (click here. for more),
extreme
scintillation
and dispersion
(fire) higher
than in
Diamonds. Like
Emeralds, Demantoid is
coloured by
chromium and
ranges in colour
from green to
yellowish green.
As with most
coloured gems,
the happy medium
is the ideal and
for Demantoid
this is an
intense
'emerald-green'.
Due to its body
colour,
Demantoid's fire
is often not as
discernable as
in Diamonds,
leading some to
prefer lighter
greens that
accentuate its
characteristic
fire. As a Type
II gemstone,
Demantoid
typically grows
with some minor
inclusions that
may be
eye-visible. In
fact, Demantoid
over half a
carat usually
isn't eye-clean
(no visible
inclusions when
the gem is
examined six
inches from the
naked eye), with
the majority
mined smaller
than 1 carat. A
fine Demantoid
over 2 carats is
exceptional and
anything over 5
carats is a
museum specimen.
While Demantoid
was hugely
popular in
Europe in the
years after its
initial
discovery, no
significant
production was
recorded since
the 1917 Russian
revolution,
until the fall
of the Soviet
Union saw
small-scale
Demantoid mining
recommence
around 1991.
Beautiful
Demantoid is
also found in
Namibia. Russian
and Namibian
material is
differentiated
by Russian
Demantoid's
'horsetail'
inclusions,
radiating
strands that
appear similar
to a horse's
tail. With
'classic'
greens,
impossible
rarity, and a
fire greater
than Diamonds,
Demantoid Garnet
is a great
choice for the
clever gem
buyer.
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Sphene
It's not easy being a t so what? You might
even have a strong pleochroism (different
colours visible from different angles) that
makes you appear to change colour, have amazing
adamantine (Diamond-like) lustre and double
refractivity that lends optical depth. But who
cares? The fact is nobody has ever heard of you!
Named from the Greek 'sfena' (wedge), because of
its wedge shaped crystals, Sphene is also
sometimes called Titanite. Most Sphene is green
to yellowish-green, but its intense fiery
brilliance can display every spectral colour
(blue, green, orange, red, violet, and yellow).
Possessing an intense natural beauty, Sphene
when faceted creates brilliant, fiery gems, but
is notoriously difficult to polish. Usually
smaller than 1 carat, large eye-clean Sphene is
extremely rare. While Sphene hails from Brazil,
Pakistan and Sri Lanka, Madagascar is currently
its main source.
| As I said earlier, gems are pure
emotion and the last thing anyone wants
to feel are negative emotions associated
with the suffering of others. This is
especially true if that gemstone has
become the 'symbol' for love, romance
and marriage. But regrettably, this same
thing happened. If you've seen Leonardo
DiCaprio's, 'Blood Diamond' movie, you
already know the premise. But what you
may not know is that the Diamond
industry dealt with this issue long
before the movie's release. 'Blood
Diamonds', also known as 'conflict
diamonds' are Diamonds mined in a war
zone and sold, usually under the table,
to finance fighting. The United Nations
mandated 'Kimberley Process' eradicates
'blood diamonds' via a government-regulated system adopted in
2000 by more than 40 countries; only
participating countries may legitimately
export rough Diamonds and only to
co-participating countries. The World
Diamond Council (WDC) strengthened the
government programme via a voluntary
system of warranties that requires
seller invoice affirmations that that
the Diamonds have been purchased through
authorised channels every time they
change hands. Today, thanks to the
Kimberly Process, over 99 percent of the
world's supply of Diamonds is
conflict-free. While the movie
heightened public awareness, it also
made us perhaps a little cynical to
Diamond public relations initiatives
like www.diamondfacts.org. This site is
full of great 'feel good' facts, such as
an estimated five million people having
access to appropriate healthcare
globally, thanks to revenues from
Diamonds. Revenues from Diamonds are
instrumental in the fight against the
AIDS pandemic and an estimated 10
million people globally are directly or
indirectly supported by the Diamond
industry. I'm going to close with a
quote from Mr. Festus G. Mogae, former
President of the Republic of Botswana,
"For our people in Botswana every
Diamond you buy means food on the table,
better living conditions, better health
care, safe drinking water, more roads
and much, much more". |
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