FACET FACTS
BY REBECCA SCHAEPER
the natural ROMANCE of a diamond
Presented by Ofer Mizrahi Diamonds The earth provides endless beauty and wonder, but there is something particularly remarkable about a diamond.
1. Made of the Earth Hidden in the upper mantle, 100 miles or so beneath the earth’s surface, resides a special pressure cooker of carbon. Here, nature produces some of the earth’s most spectacular creations - diamonds. The weight of the world above paired with the extremely high temperatures below, offers the perfect opportunity for the earth to form various versions of crystalized matter. This matter is found so deep in the earth that it is not humanly possible to reach. So, how do we find diamonds? During the earth’s history, a deep-seated, violent volcanic eruption pitted in the heat of the upper mantle forced its way through the surface. Mounds of volcanic matter piled and eventually cooled – with it, were the already-formed diamonds we see today.
Modern Mining - Today, Canada is the world’s third largest source for conflict-free diamonds - Canada.Ca
2. The oldest thing you’ll ever touch The delicate dance of nature’s spontaneity and the perfect organic conditions create some of the earth’s most remarkable natural marvels. The diamond is renowned worldwide as one of the most precious materials, billions of years in the making. The specific amount of time it takes to form a diamond varies. The crystallization process may begin in a period of weeks or even millions of years, but the process will experience interruptions. A change in temperature, pressure, or source of carbon impacts the diamond’s process. When these conditions realign with the crystallization process, they begin formation once again. We are able to date diamonds by looking at inclusions of other minerals. Most diamonds we see today were likely created in the first couple billion years of the earth’s history, when the planet had hotter conditions. 3. Diamonds The conditions of the earth have drastically changed, and the formation of natural diamonds as we know them has ended, meaning real diamonds grow rarer by the day. The extremity these tiny pieces of pressurized carbon go through to be discovered makes for a difficult journey. And of those that are found, only about 50% are high enough quality to be considered the diamonds we share today. But, quality isn’t the only aspect that makes diamonds rare, the size of a diamond also becomes more and more rare - with a diamond over one carat being one in a million. are Rare
Architects of the Cut To hold a diamond is to hold a piece of natural history. Encompassed within those sparkling facets is matter as old as the earth, so perfectly compacted at the precise time and temperature necessary to turn a simple crystalized carbon into a wonder of the world. But, the artistry behind your precious stone does not stop there. As early as the Romans, people have had an affinity for diamonds. From enhancing the stone’s natural shape with an expert polish, to aiming for brilliance following the stone’s angles and shape, there are many traditional and fancy ways to cut a diamond. In modern gemology, diamond cutters use state-of- the-art technology to assist with the analysis and calculations to identify a rough diamond’s fullest potential. The diamond cutter’s devotion to studying each rough stone ensures every single natural diamond remains a truly unique piece of history.
A. Namibia is home to the Diamond Board of Namibia committed to ensuring a sustainable future for the South African diamond sector.
4. Unbreakable Deriving from the Greek word “Adamas,” diamond is known as the hardest natural material to date. The extraordinary hardness of the diamond is representative of its most well- known symbolic meaning - everlasting love. The diamond’s ability to reflect and bend light in colorful bursts offer the “fiery” attribute associated with the romance of love and devotion. Beautifully flawed with brilliant uniqueness, gifting a diamond is unlike anything you can manufacture. It is as individual as a snowflake and spectacular as a distant star; romance lies in the sparkle of a diamond, but ever more so in the cultural gesture behind giving such a precious stone.
42 RICHTER & PHILLIPS JEWELERS MAGAZINE
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