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Precious Stones - The Big Five
Part 4-The Diamond
By Sam and Tami Serio
Morning Light
Jewelry
The diamond is generally regarded as the premier gem in the world of
precious stones.
Of all the precious stones the diamond has the simplest composition; it is
merely crystallized carbon. The most common substance that is known, a
substance that is present in every plant, animal and mineral on the earth.
Diamonds come mostly from the mines in South Africa, but are also found in
Brazil, India, Australia and even in the United States.
The diamond is the hardest substance known, being #10 on the Mohl scale,
despite it's hardness, the diamond is not indestructible; diamond will cut
diamond; it can be burned in the air, being carbon and will leave behind
carbon dioxide gas.
The facets of a cut diamond can be worn away to some extent by the
constant rubbing of clothing. The diamond is also brittle, and can
fracture if struck against a hard surface.
Diamonds have a wide range of color; most numerous are the whites,
yellows, and browns in a great variety of shades; then come the greens;
red stones of strong tints are very rare, as are also blue, which have
been found almost exclusively in India; other tints of occasional
occurrence are garnet, hyacinth, rose, peach-blossoms, lilac, cinnamon,
and brown; black, rarities. Diamonds without tint or flaw are rare indeed
and even most of the world's famous diamonds have imperfections.
The origin of the diamond's name is the Greek word adamas, meaning
unconquerable; from the same root spring our words adamant and adamantine.
The origin of the diamond, according to classical mythology, was its
formation by Jupiter, who transformed into stone a man, Diamond of Crete,
for refusing to forget Jupiter after he had commanded all men to do so.
The Facts About Diamonds
A diamond's value is based on four criteria: color, cut, clarity, and
carat. The clarity and color of a diamond usually are graded. However,
scales are not uniform: a clarity grade of "slightly included" may
represent a different grade on one grading system versus another,
depending on the terms used in the scale. Make sure you know how a
particular scale and grade represent the color or clarity of the diamond
you're considering. A diamond can be described as "flawless" only if it
has no visible surface or internal imperfections when viewed under
10-power magnification by a skilled diamond grader.
As with other gems, diamond weight usually is stated in carats. Diamond
weight may be described in decimal or fractional parts of a carat. If the
weight is given in decimal parts of a carat, the figure should be accurate
to the last decimal place. For example, ".30 carat" could represent a
diamond that weighs between .295 - .304 carat. Some retailers describe
diamond weight in fractions and use the fraction to represent a range of
weights. For example, a diamond described as 1/2 carat could weigh between
.47 - .54 carat. If diamond weight is stated as fractional parts of a
carat, the retailer should disclose two things: that the weight is not
exact, and the reasonable range of weight for each fraction or the weight
tolerance being used.
Some diamonds may be treated to improve their appearance in similar ways
as other gemstones. Since these treatments improve the clarity of the
diamond, some jewelers refer to them as clarity enhancement. One type of
treatment - fracture filling - conceals cracks in diamonds by filling them
with a foreign substance. This filling may not be permanent and jewelers
should
tell you if the diamond you're considering has been fracture-filled.
Another treatment - lasering - involves the use of a laser beam to improve
the appearance of diamonds that have black inclusions or pots. A laser
beam is aimed at the inclusion. Acid is then forced through a tiny tunnel
made by the laser beam to remove the inclusion. Lasering is permanent and
a laser-drilled stone does not require special care.
While a laser-drilled diamond may appear as beautiful as a comparable
untreated stone, it may not be as valuable. That's because an untreated
stone of the same quality is rarer and therefore more valuable. Jewelers
should tell you whether the diamond you're considering has been
laser-drilled.
Imitation diamonds, such as cubic zirconia, resemble diamonds in
appearance but are much less costly. Certain laboratory created gemstones,
such as lab-created moissanite, also resemble diamonds and may not be
adequately detected by the instruments originally used to identify cubic
zirconia. Ask your jeweler if he has the current testing equipment to
distinguish between diamonds and other lab-created stones.
Diamond jewelry: diamond rings, diamond earrings, diamond pendants and
diamond bracelets are some of the most sought after gemstone creations.
Your eyes tell you how beautiful a piece of diamond jewelry is, but how do
you know you are getting your money's worth?
A little knowledge can go a long way to help you purchase a beautiful
piece of diamond jewelry at a fair price.
When shopping for diamond jewelry online, apply these tips.
1. Shop with companies you know or do some homework before buying to make
sure a company is legitimate before doing business with it.
2. Take advantage of information and referrals from an Internet company
you have come to trust.
3. Get the details about the product, as well as the merchant's refund and
return policies, before you buy.
4. Look for an address to write to or a phone number to call if you have a
question, a problem or need help.
The Authors
of the above Article, Sam and Tami Serio have been passionately involved
with Jewelry and Gemstones for over fifteen-years. You are cordially
invited to visit http://www.morninglightjewelry.com for a wealth of
information about the fascinating world of Jewelry and Gemstones. Together
they also shelter 20 abandoned and abused dogs & cats. A portion of their
profits goes to the care and feeding of the animals.
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