diamond

Mid Century vintage old European cut diamond twin stone platinum ring with baguette and round diamond accents
Gorgeous Mid Century old European cut diamond twin stone ring
Species:  Diamond
Mohs Hardness:  10 out of 10
Color:  Diamonds on GIA's D to Z color scale range from colorless to pale yellow, brown or gray.  (Diamonds occur in nearly all colors and are known as "fancy colored diamonds".  i.e. Fancy yellow, brown, pink, blue, green, etc.)
RI:  2.42
Birefringence:  None
SR/DR/AGG:  SR
Spectrum:  Almost all near-colorless to light yellow diamonds show the “cape” line at 415.5 nm, along with weaker lines at 435 nm, 451 nm, 463 nm, and 478 nm. (Cooling the diamond with liquid nitrogen helps make its spectrum more visible.)
Fluorescence:  Typically inert or weak to strong blue, but might fluoresce any color under LW and SW.  LW response is usually stronger than, or equal to, SW. 
SG:  3.52 (+/-0.10)
Routine Treatments:  None
Additional Enhancements:  Laser drilling, fracture filling, HPHT (high pressure, high temperature), irradiation

diamond facts

Diamond
Close-up shot of a round brilliant cut diamond [Photo courtesy of Scott Papper, GIA GG, AJP, CMA (NAJA)]


​​Diamonds in the finest qualities command the highest prices per carat of all gems.
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Diamonds are composed of 99.95% carbon.  The other 0.05% can include 1 or more trace elements that can affect the color of the diamond crystal.
 
Diamond is a 10 out of 10 on the Mohs scale of hardness.  Their resistance to scratching, in addition to their beauty, is another reason why they’re so popular in jewelry.​
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Diamonds form under conditions of extremely high temperature and pressure that exist over 100 miles beneath the earth's surface.
 
The value of a diamond is determined by "The 4 Cs":  cut, color, clarity & carat weight.  What shape / how well is the diamond cut?  Is the diamond colorless or does it have a faint yellow tinge?  Does the diamond have any noticeable inclusions with the naked eye?  How much does the diamond weigh?
 
Diamonds are weighed in carats.  There are 100 points in 1 carat (60 points = 0.60 carat) and 5 carats in 1 gram.
 
Diamond is an April birthstone, is the traditional engagement gemstone, and is the 60th & 75th wedding anniversary gemstone.

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Click the buttons below for more information on each of the 4 Cs:​

Diamond Gallery


​All photos courtesy of Scott Papper, GIA GG, AJP, CMA (NAJA)

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treatments & synthetics