What is a Black Diamond Anyhow?
What comes to mind when you think of diamonds: a scintillating gem that radiates with the twinkle of brilliantly pure star light? A recent fashion upheaval has seen the appearance of black diamonds in the market however. Black diamonds are a big paradox. They are diamonds but they don’t possess the very thing that makes a girl drawn to diamonds like magnet; they don’t sparkle!
At this point, we know your mind is bombarded with questions about “what is a black diamond.” Here’s everything you wanted to know about it:
What Makes a Diamond Black?
Diamonds are naturally formed clear or with a slight yellow tinge but at the time of formation, slight impurities could contaminate the stone, called inclusions. What is a black diamond exactly? A black diamond has the same chemical structure as its white counterpart but attains its notorious color through various graphite inclusions. Black diamonds do not sparkle due to their polycrystalline structure, which makes them absorb the light falling on them instead of refracting it and causes them to appear opaque.
Natural VS Treated
With colored diamonds being all the rage these days and considering the rarity of finding them in natural forms, most black diamonds are actually artificially treated. More often than not, most low grade white diamonds are treated, either through heat or irradiation, to induce the black color. As such, most black diamonds you see in the market are not real carbonados! Interestingly though, whether a black diamond is treated or natural, its chemical composition remains the same.
How is a Black Diamond’s Quality Judged?
The cut of the black diamond cannot be evaluated in traditional ways because the cut is a measure of the brilliance of a diamond and a black diamond exudes no brilliance at all!Due to the concentration of these various inclusions, fractures and cleavages, black diamonds are difficult to cut. Carved and shaped diamonds thus incorporate many small cavities that make for a roughly polished surface. Many people tend to place them at the bottom of the clarity chart but traditional grading criteria used for white stones not applicable for black ones since the inclusion of color is not an inherent defect.
Prices of Black diamonds
When it comes to putting a tag on value, black diamonds are considerably cheaper than white diamonds since most of them are artificially created. However, a naturally rare black diamond may be pricey. A vendor may bamboozle you by trying to pass off an artificial black diamond as a rare one. Always purchase a black diamond at reputable stores and ask to see the grading chart to determine if it’s indeed natural.
Should You Buy a Black Diamond?
While a black diamond may seem unconventional, it does provide a striking contrast for jewelry. Of course, an onyx could do the trick as well but a black diamond is unparalleled in durability. Its classy appearance has led to its growing popularity among fashion royalties. Platinum, white gold and silver make beautiful black diamond settings.
High-end designers were quick to catch on and craft masterpieces with this dark wrath of a stone. “Interlocking ring” in black and white diamonds by Shaun Leane, “Dangerous ring” by Seijna, “Tresse d’Amour” in black diamond’s by Poiray and “Spirale necklace” by Patrice Fabre are amazing examples.
This ultra coveted dark stone would bring an irrepressible fury to your outfits too this season. Now that you have the answer to the “what is a black diamond” question, why not check out some of our jewelry pieces.
