Romancing our gems: Diamonds

Rough Diamonds

You see a rough diamond octahedron embedded in kimberlite, a type of volcanic rock that carries diamonds to the Earth's surface.  Octahedron is the most common diamond crystal shape.  But, most mines produce only 1 part diamond to 1 million parts host rock. That’s a lot of dirt and extremely hard work.

Diamonds are the hardest material on earth.  GIA notes diamond is 58 times harder than anything else.  Amazing.

Color Diamonds

Diamonds can be found in many colors the rarest being red, purplish red, and purple. What denotes the rarest of any color diamond is the depth of color or saturation, the clarity, and size as measured in carats.

“There are less than 20 red and purplish-red diamonds over 2 carats in the whole world,” says David Shara, owner of New York City–based Optimum Diamonds. As these diamonds go to auction...“I’ve seen quotes from $7 million to $10 million. I think it’s going to go for a massive number—and someone may blow everybody out of the water.”  

More common colors are yellows browns blues, and pinks.  

White Orchid Studio used Champagne diamonds (considered brown) in our earrings “Dancing by Candlelight.”

We also set clasps and earrings with diamonds.  Our bracelet “Night of a Thousand Stars” twinkles black diamonds on the clasp.

Our necklace “Night of a Thousand Stars” twinkled colorless diamonds on the clasp and on spacers.