Welcome to Diamond22.com
My Diamond Blog with
Facts & Stories from across the world
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Red Diamonds:
Very Rare And Very Beautiful
February 15th, 2008
Did you know that Red diamonds are
considered among the rarest stones in the world?
Because of this extreme rarity, red diamonds are very sought after by precious stone collectors like me from all over the world. A lot of gemstone collectors will fight tooth and nail to add a rare red diamonds in their collection - and so the prices of these stones have gone very high in the past few years. For the past 20 years or so, there were very few red diamonds that went on sale all over the world and all of these stone fetched very high prices. In fact, most of these red diamonds were sold at over $1 million dollars each.
Here are some interesting notes for you:
The Moussaieff Red Diamond is considered as one of the largest fancy red diamonds in world. This piece of precious stone was first discovered by a Brazilian farmer sometime in the middle of the 1990s and was first purchased by the William Goldberg Diamond Corporation. When it was first cut, this diamond was named as the Red Shield but when this piece of precocious stone was later own bought by Moussaieff Jewelers Ltd, the company gave named it the Moussaieff Red.
This 5.11 carat diamond was said to be internally flawless, making it one of the most expensive red diamonds of all times. How much did Moussaieff Jewelers Ltd paid for this diamond? The famous Moussaieff Red diamond was rumored to have been sold at about $8 million in the 1990s. Experts believe that the value of this diamond has tremendously increased since then that this piece of precious stone could easily fetch in a price more than $10 million dollars.
The De Young Red is a 5.03 carat red diamond and is considered as the third largest in the world. This diamond is not really pure red. This stone has a slightly brown hue which makes it look like a fine garnet that ruby-like. Since this diamond has very unique color, this was once sold at an estate sale as a red garnet. Luckily, this fine piece of precious stone was later on recovered and identified to be a very rare red diamond. At present, the De Young Red is under the custody of the Smithsonian Museum in Washington, DC and often figured in exhibits in that museum. If you are interested to see The De Young Red, just visit the Smithsonian Museum in Washington, DC.
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Blue Diamonds are Precious
January 29th, 2008
Diamonds are sparkling, beautiful gems that are valued by people from many different cultures and nations. These stones are used as decorations for fancy balls and as the symbol of a promise of marriage. Blue diamonds are especially valuable because these gems are harder to find than diamonds of other colors.
There are some very famous blue diamonds that fascinate those who understand the true value of these magnificent stones. Some of these blue diamonds have become very famous because of their unique color and their weight. Famous people have owned some of the most treasured of the blue diamonds.
The blue diamonds are known by their names to many who understand the true value of these gems. One of the famous blue diamonds is called "Queen of Holland" and another is known as "Blue Empress". They come in different shapes including pear shaped and octagon shaped, and the some of famous blue diamonds weigh as much as 140 carats!
They also come in a wide range of hues - there are at least 6 different shades of blue. The shade of the diamond is usually a matter of preference for those looking for special colors in the diamonds that they buy.
Blue Diamonds can be Valuable Investments: There are very few blue diamonds available out there, and their owners rarely want to sell them. So if you come across a blue diamond on sale, please be very alert for a fake.
When owners do sell them, it will be very expensive. They are studied extensively before any cutting is begun. The stones are usually cut by experts because of the value of the stone and the cut must enhance the natural beauty of these wonderful gems. The cut of these valuable gems is especially important for large, colored stones.
One of the largest of the famous diamonds with a blue color is called the "Regent Diamond". This precious gem has a long and glorious history which began when it was discovered in India at the beginning of the 18th century. It is one of the many precious gems that were taken away from India in the 18th and 19th century. It was first sold for 5000 dollars and is now priceless. The owners once used this magnificent diamond to support the efforts of Napoleon Bonaparte of France. It was then used by Marie Antoinette and stolen by the Nazis during World War II. It is now supposed to be in a museum, though I am not sure about it yet.
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White Diamonds are Stylish Forever!
September 11th, 2007
The color preferences of diamonds keeps changing with times. Several years ago, everyone wanted a yellow diamond. Today, everyone seems to want a pink diamond.
But having observed the prices, demand, and owners of white diamonds - one thing that will remain a constant is that white diamonds will always be a classic. The simple beauty of white diamonds is glamorous. There are many jewelry possibilities with them: necklaces, bracelets, anklets, earrings, rings, and even toe rings and belly button rings. Nothing is off limits when displaying the sheer beauty of white diamonds.
How do you choose White Diamonds?
Choosing a piece of jewelry is not always as simple as visiting the jeweler and choosing something that looks pretty under the glass. When spending the money on white diamonds, it is important to be armed with the proper knowledge. This means understanding how diamonds are classified.
There are the "4 C's" of diamond classification.
These include cut, color, clarity, and carat. Each has its own specifics when grading white diamonds. The first is the cut of the diamond. There are mathematically proven algorithms involved in creating the perfect cut. These diamonds shine brighter than any other.
The next consideration in white diamonds is color. The color has its own scale ranging from D to Z. Diamonds appear white but often have tones of yellow or brown. The more these colors are apparent, the lower the quality and the lower the price of the diamond. It is most desirable to find a diamond that is close to the D rating.
White diamonds are also classified based on clarity. Every diamond is going to have imperfections. There are some cloudy spots in some diamonds and bits of black spots can sometimes be seen. These can often be hidden by a high quality cut.
Finally, diamonds are classified by carat. This is the weight of the diamond. The larger the diamond, the more it costs. This is only true in some instances. Jewelers must take into account the other 3 C's of classification. Two diamonds of equal carat can have drastically different prices based on the cut, clarity, and color.
Each of the 4 C's is important in choosing the perfect white diamonds. A lot of money is spent on diamonds, so it is imperative that you get what you pay for. Equipped with this knowledge, you will gets exactly what you wanted and pay for.
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Manufactured diamonds
- when to buy and when not?
July 22nd, 2007
Manufactured diamonds are man made - they are created in a lab using many different materials. Why should you consider them? Well, there are several reasons to choose manufactured diamonds over mined diamonds. The most obvious reason is price.
These lab created diamonds are much less expensive than mined diamonds - which is perfect for those people who cannot afford mined diamonds but want a similar look. Manufactured diamonds are also widely used for costume jewelry. It would obviously cost a lot of money to get the same look from mined diamonds.
There are different degrees of manufactured diamonds. Unlike mined diamonds that have several categorizing factors to determine grade, these diamonds have only three grades: low, medium, and high. As we will see next, it is quite easy to tell the difference in the grades of the lab created diamonds.
The three Grades of Manufactured Diamonds
1. Manufactured diamonds that are low quality are often cloudy. These are generally sold in bulk to costume jewelers. Costume jewelry can be found off the rack. They will not be under display cases. There will be no passing off low quality lab created diamonds as a mined diamond.
2. The medium quality ones are also often sold in bulk. They look lovely but also cannot pass as a mined diamond. These are often set in sterling silver, and are generally found on home shopping channels. These diamonds can make beautiful jewelry, but still don't come close to real diamond quality.
3. The high quality ones are usually sold directly through jewelers. These diamonds are set in quality metals such as gold and platinum. There is a lot of time put into manufacturing these diamonds and they are meant to look exactly like mined diamonds. They rival mined diamonds in beauty, and should only be purchased through a fine jewelry dealer to ensure quality.
Choosing to purchase manufactured diamonds is a personal choice. Knowing these details prior to purchase can help know what you are buying. The three grades of manufactured diamond are so distinct from one another that the choice is easily made. It is also good to know where each grade of manufactured diamond can be purchased as well as how they are set. This will ensure you get what you pay for.
Note: Even the high quality manufactured diamonds should not be considered as an investment because the resale value isn't there. So don't pay anything much for them. It's better to buy a tiny real diamond than a large high-quality artificial diamond, if you will ever need the money back.
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Blood Diamonds from Sierra Leone - part 1
July 22nd, 2007
Most Diamonds From Sierra Leone "Not" Conflict Free. One of the traits of diamonds from Sierra Leone so special is that they are not supposed to be available in the market for you to buy, since the United Nations put an embargo on their export in 2001. Since the mid-1990's, many of the diamonds were used to fund the Revolutionary United Front (RUF) in their battle against the legitimate government of Sierra Leone.
Let's understand the history behind blood diamonds.
- In 1935 the first diamonds from Sierra Leone were mined and within two years it is estimated that over one million carats were being mined.
- Between 1930 and 1998 over 55 million carats of diamonds from Sierra Leone were mined by the only company with an agreement with the government, DeBeers, which was granted country-wide mining rights in 1935.
- By 1955 it is estimated that 75,000 illegal miners were pulling diamonds from Sierra Leone.
- Also in 1955, new government rulers cut back DeBeers mining access to just 450 square miles and other companies began moving in to extract diamonds from Sierra Leone. In the 1990's, the government was considered so corrupt that revolutionary forces began fighting against it.
Stealing diamonds and mining operations to help pay for their continuing battles, with world human rights organizations using the term blood diamonds for the gems used to fund the killing.
U.N. Forces faced difficulty as fighters in the Revolutionary United Front (RUF), well-funded by the country's diamond market, continued their rage against the government and even a peace agreement between the government's new leadership and the head of the RUF could not stop the killing. In order to stem the violence, the United Nations declared that no country could legally buy diamonds from Sierra Leone.
However, a few countries found it profitable to work with the RUF and diamonds from Sierra Leone were smuggled into countries, such as Liberia, where they were sold on the open market. At the turn of the century, Liberia was exporting almost four times the amount of diamonds it was capable of producing, leading them to be added to the list of blood diamond suppliers, banned from open trade in the diamond market.
Today, there is a certification process that is supposed to guarantee that diamonds from Sierra Leone or other blood diamonds are not mixed into the world market. Certificates guaranteeing the diamonds did not come from countries using them to fund killings and overthrow governments of countries. But it's not fool-proof and a small percentage of diamonds from Sierra Leone still enter the market annually. So it's important that you verify the source/origin of the diamond you are interested in buying.
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Great Stones - Cullinan 1
July 21st, 2007
Cullinan 1
(or the Great Star of Africa)
weighs 530 carats (106 g)
is a main part of the
Cullinan diamond,
which was found by
Frederick Wells, of the
Premier Diamond
Mining Company in
Cullinan, South Africa,
on Jan 26, 1905.
Cullinan is the largest
rough gem-quality diamond
ever found, at 3,106 carats
(621 grams)!
Image Source: Wikipedia.org
In fact, the Cullinan diamond had a black speck in the centre,
which is a pointer to its carbon origins. It was cut into three large
parts by Asscher Brothers of Amsterdam, and eventually into some
11 large gem-quality stones and a number of smaller fragments.
The diamond is currently lodged in The Sceptre with the Cross,
also known as the St Edward's Sceptre, the Sovereign's Sceptre
or the Royal Sceptre, is a sceptre of the British Crown Jewels
(which was originally made for the coronation of
King Charles II in 1661). The British Royalty have indeed
collected treasures of the world.
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The Truth about Diamonds
- what you need to know before
you even touch your wallet.
July 12th, 2007
Are You Looking for the Truth About Diamonds? I was too many years back, and at that time, there was no Internet - so information was limited. But there was also no Ebay - so fake sales were also few!
I love stones and collect them from all places - from pebbles on the beach to meteorites from outer sky. To me diamonds fall in the middle of the spectrum, even though their market price per gram is sometimes the highest!
Diamonds have a mystique about them; they are stunning to look at, they are cut beautifully to enhance any piece of jewelry, and when the sun catches them, they flash like miniature suns. However, if you are planning a diamond purchase, you need to know the truth about diamonds.
All TV ads that portray diamonds as the ultimate gift of love, the magazine ads that tell us that a diamond is the only gem that is the perfect gift can mislead us. The truth about diamonds is a little more complicated than this image - and this note is to help you get more clarity.
Learning the Truth about Diamonds
Here's some basic information about diamonds before you take out your credit card.
First, make sure that the stone you are purchasing really is a diamond.
This is especially true of diamonds sold on eBay and estate auctions. Before you buy, insist that a certified gemologist examine the gemstone. This is certification will tell you the stone's carat weight, its color and clarity, and its flaws, if any. A seller who will not do this for you may not be telling the truth about the diamond you are hoping to purchase.
What looks like a diamond is not always a diamond. In the Depression era, many people were too poor to buy a diamond. Instead, rings made of fine crystal served as engagement rings. If you happen across one of these rings, the seller should inform you of its true composition. Crystal jewelry from the Depression years is quite beautiful, but make sure you know the truth about this diamond "substitute."
Similar to the crystal jewelry of the past, cubic zirconium is quite lovely; only a gemologist can tell the difference between a diamond created by nature and a diamond created in a laboratory. The truth is that they are both diamonds; one is natural and one is artificial. So once again, just make sure you know what you are buying.
Another myth to keep in mind is that many diamonds are not clear stones. The gem's physical and chemical make up is what determines a diamond, not the color. Created by untold years by nature from carbon molecules, diamonds can be any color in the rainbow. The truth about these diamonds is not that they are "trash" diamonds as some believe, but are stunning in color and clarity. One of the most beautiful diamonds in the world is a large violet diamond bought by the late Richard Burton for the love of his life, Elizabeth Taylor, to match her eyes.
You may come across a rare diamond that has a tiny carbon fleck imbedded in its center. The truth about these diamonds is that they are not "junk stones." On the contrary, many diamond collectors find this black carbon fleck fascinating and valuable. It serves as a reminder that diamond gems were once imbedded in the earth, made from ancient carbon. They are treasures of the earth to be appreciated for their history as well as their beauty.
Image Reference: people.com.cn
