UNDERSTANDING THE REAL BEAUTY OF A BLACK DIAMOND

uthor: Jennifer

The black diamond was once considered worthless and flawed but today, it is quickly becoming one of the most sought-after gems because of its unique and exquisite quality. However, not all gems are equal. That is why; interested buyers have to study more on its characteristics before finally making a purchase.

What is a Black Diamond?

Compared with some most coloured diamonds that characterize their dazzling hues because of chemical
impurities that grow right within its crystal lattice, a black diamond provides smoky colourations from its mineral inclusions. These minerals are usually sulphide compounds, hematite, and magnetite. Higher concentrations of these inclusions generally cloud the stone, thus turning it into a rich or black colour.
Since this tinting is typically caused by the inclusions instead of some impurities, a black diamond is usually opaque, although semi-transparent and translucent specimens are considered as extremely valuable. A natural black diamond has been located in Australia, Venezuela, Africa and Brazil, and more of these are believed to have been shaped by meteor impacts.

Carbonados are a specific type of a black diamond that holds very little value in the whole of the jewelry industry. They are commonly large but are very much porous, unlike the crystalline structure of diamonds used in jewelry. Although less valuable, carbonados are used as abrasives to cut and shape other diamonds. Additionally, they are more common than those gem-quality stones.

Synthetic Black Diamond

Since a black diamond is starting to gain its popularity, different treatments have been developed just to meet the growing demand. It may be synthetically grown in a laboratory, while inferior diamonds may be irradiated to attain a smoky black coloration.