Diamond/s also known as women’s best friend and being the hardest material in the world is actually a formation of carbon atoms. The diamond is not the only one formed from carbon, but it is the only one in which the way the carbon molecules are arranged are in a perfect alignment.. It is one of the forms of existence of pure carbon. Diamond is a mineral and also a precious stone.
The crystallization of the diamond is in the cubic system and can reach a hardness of 10 on the Mohs scale. The hardness of the diamond varies depending on its purity. Being so hard the only material that cuts or polishes a diamond is another diamond.
From this hardness comes its name, of Greek origin (adamas), translating: invincible, indestructible. The first diamonds were discovered in 800 B.C., and the first inscriptions appear around 298 B.C., after which they arrived in Europe for the first time 30 years later.
The first time the diamond was used as a jewel in the crown of the Hungarian queen in 1074 and only in 1456 the diamond was faceted for the first time. (the first diamonds had a very small number of facets, up to 12, different from the modern diamond which can reach 96-112 facets).
We all know today that diamonds are used for engagement rings, but few know that this tradition appeared more than 540 years ago with the help of Maximillian of Austria who gave such a ring to Maria de Borgogna.
In 1948, the famous phrase “A diamond is forever” appeared from the now famous Frances Gerety
From 1888 until now, numerous diamond deposits have been discovered around the world, but the most notable are in Africa. Since there were many rules and regulations at that time, many of the funds obtained from the sale of these rare and special stones were used to finance illegal activities.
In May 2000, the Kimberley Process is created, and it is voted by the U.N.U. in July of the same year, thus imposing rigorous control of the diamond trade in order to reduce and combat their use in supporting the wars in Africa. (and other precious stones are subject to this regime). Read Ethical Sources
Diamonds are very “old” , the young ones having an age of several hundred million years, and the oldest can reach up to 3 billion years, but in the case of diamonds their age will not influence their value.
To understand what determines the value of the diamond, we must understand how it is valued.
The diamond evaluation method was perfected and implemented by G.I.A. (Geology Institute of America) in the 1950s, today this is the worldwide standard for evaluating Diamonds.
4 main characteristics of capitalization and setting the price of a diamond were stable. The 4 are:
- Cut
- Clarity
- Color
- Carat
Hence their name, the “4-C”.
- Carat
We will start with Carat. This element does not represent size as most tend to believe, but the weight of the diamond. Diamonds are measured in points, and 100 points represent 1 carat.
1 carat as a mass of weight is equal to 0.200 grams, which means that to have 1 gram of diamonds it is necessary to have a stone or stones with a value of 5 carats (500 points). When purchasing a diamond, the price will be influenced by the carat, especially the ‘magic’ carats (0.25ct; 0.50ct; 0.75ct; 1ct; etc.). These values are considered ‘magical’ for a reason a bit trivial in our opinion, but this is it. A diamond comparator will always ask for a 0.25ct (1/4) or 0.75ct (3/4) diamond, there is this general tendency for round numbers. Therefore, diamond cutters try to obtain these perfect carats, and significant price jumps can be observed between round carats. But the difference compared to a slightly larger 0.27ct diamond, for example, is significant or equal to zero.
We always say like this: 1. Determine the size of the ideal diamond; 2. Purchase the diamond that is in your budget now; 3. In time, use the Upgrade Policy to reach the ideal diamond size.
When the SempOro consultant talks to you, he will be able to help you choose the ideal caratage for you at this moment.
Did you know that…
Romania adopted the carat measurement system in 1911, only 11 years after the standardization of the measurement unit
- Color
Color (or more correctly lack of color) divides diamonds into 2 main groups:
- Colorless
- Fancy
The Colorless category notes the color shades that appear in the diamond from D to Z (A, B and C are not used). Where D is considered to be colorless and Z has a yellow/brown hue.
All Diamonds darker than Z are considered Fancy.
The value of the diamond is higher the closer it is to the D grading and significantly lower to the Z value. The diamond acquires a yellowish (warm) hue starting with the letter J.
The color of the diamond must also be chosen depending on the setting in which it will be placed. This being said, if you prefer white gold, then you need a D-J graded diamond, and if you are going to set it in yellow gold, then a J-N graded diamond is recommended
Did you know that?
Diamonds come in all colors – the color of the diamond is given by the various materials in the rock it passed through during its formation period
Diamonds in the O-Z range are already colored diamonds.
Classification of Diamonds according to color:
Fancy Diamonds – COLORED
Diamonds in special, unique colors are officially called “Fancy” and are very rare. They are not part of the standardized diamond color scale. The rarest colors are red and purple, as well as combinations of these 2 colors.
The Fancy diamond category includes the famous blue (“Hope”), (“Dresden”), yellow-orange (“Incomparable”), red (“Hancock”) or pink diamonds (from the Australian Argyle mine). Brown diamonds, made famous by the LeVian company and recognized today as Chocolate Diamonds, also belong here.
Good to know!
Most of the time, extremely intense color diamonds in the jewelry industry are treated diamonds in order to obtain these intense colors. 100% natural intense color diamonds have a rather high price, being particularly rare.
- Clarity
Diamond clarity refers to the degree of impurities that diamond may have.
Did you know that?
It should be taken into account that the scale and reference images refer to diamonds seen under a magnifying glass with a magnification of X10
Just approx. 5% of the natural diamonds found are pure and also have a size corresponding to a very good utilization. Specialists call these impurities “inclusions”, but we prefer to call them “Birthmarks”. They are unique to each diamond, like our fingerprints.
When evaluating the diamond, not only the number of these “birthmarks” but also their location and type will be taken into account. The fewer such signs there are, the more valuable the diamond is.
Did you know that?
an excellent diamond cutter can manage to hide some of these in the various facets of the diamond. This will not affect the grading of the diamond but will affect its appearance and price
Good to know…
A diamond that is completely included becomes a Fancy diamond, which is the Black Diamond. In his case, the lack of inclusions reduces his price
- Cut
When many think of the cut, they have in mind the shape of the diamond (round, square, emerald, pear, etc.) In the vast majority of cases, the shape does not influence the price of the diamond significantly, the exception is for special shapes such as: heart, princess, etc. Here the influence of the price is given by the material lost through cutting, which reduces the final weight of the diamond.
When we talk about the Cut as an element of diamond evaluation, we refer to its proportions and finish. It is also here for the first time that the human hand contributes to the value of the diamond. Due to this fact, in general, this “C” has the greatest weight in the final value of the diamond.. The cutter/grinder is the one who gives the diamond the shine that we are looking for and want.
An incorrectly cut diamond will lose its light reflection qualities, which will depreciate its value. Precise and accurate mathematical formulas are used in cutting.
Did you know that?
When a diamond is perfectly cut, viewed from above it will be possible to see a snowflake formed and viewed from below 8 hearts will be visible
The best-known and most common diamond cut is the round brilliant. The classic brilliant has 57 facets.
Shapes
The shape is the end result of the diamond cutting and polishing process. There are many forms:
Now that we know all this, we want to add something more:
- The 5th C – Credibility – SempOro guarantees quality stones mounted and set in quality materials, executed strictly by qualified personnel in accordance with international standards. We stand behind it with a quality guarantee by offering a Lifetime Warranty for manufacturing defects on all our parts.
- Last but not least – Certainty – SempOro will present you all the features, treatments, and any other information related to your diamond/diamonds. All diamonds from 0.01ct to Xct are accompanied by the SempOro Certification, where you will find all the characteristics specific to your diamond(s).
We invite you to contact us for more information, and if you want to learn more about these wonderful precious stones, we invite you to follow us on YouTube, Facebook, and Instagram.
