Black diamond in nature. Black diamond is a precious asset of the planet. Black Diamond Jewelry

Have you heard that there is such a stone - black? Many people know that there are white and colored varieties, and that they can be quite expensive, especially in large sizes. But people usually have no idea what black diamonds are. The exception is, of course, jewelry lovers and regulars of jewelry salons.

In this article we will answer the question of what these mysterious black diamonds are. Generally speaking, 20 years ago not even every jeweler knew this. They were not considered particularly expensive. But today, black ones (they are also called “carbonado” because of their external resemblance to coal - Spanish carbon) have become more widespread and are gradually gaining popularity, despite their current high cost.

Description

One of the main reasons for the popularity of carbonado is the version of its cosmic origin. The fact is that they are not present in kimberlite pipes, in which future white and colored diamonds of volcanic origin are usually mined. Pristine black diamond (meaning natural) can only be found closer to the surface. Based on this, scientists decided that its deposits appeared due to the collision of the Earth with a huge meteorite about a billion years ago . Carbonados can now be found on different continents because they were not previously separated by oceans. This story is what makes it unique.

However, some researchers believe that this stone is still volcanic . But the version of a space alien was actively used as a publicity stunt that determined the value of black diamonds. In addition, its unusual color is attractive.

The fact that it appeals to the public was first discovered by designer Fravaz Gruosi, known for his jewelry house De Grigosono. Previously, it was believed that black minerals did not sell well. Despite this, Gruosi liked the mysterious stone and its color, and the first small batch of jewelry with it entered the market, presented accordingly. The effect was amazing - every piece of black diamond jewelry was sold in record time. Since then, the refined black diamond has fallen in love with interested people.

Price

One pure black diamond (ennobled) weighing two carats () can cost more than half a million rubles or more. However, there are buyers for both the 2-carat mineral and those that weigh more. But still this price is not as high as that of.

Carbonados of lower cost and with more inclusions are common in non-luxury products. There are also minerals that have a rather grayish color and a porous structure. But they all bear the name black.

The complexity of its processing also adds to the price of this “guest from outer space”. Up to two-thirds of the material is lost during cutting. This happens because it has a very high strength coefficient. It is not amenable to all tools, and even with highly professional processing using the latest technologies, a significant part of the mineral is simply lost - after all, black diamond chips are not valued as highly as white ones.

Fakes

It is very easy to accidentally buy a fake black diamond because it is almost impossible to distinguish it from a real one at first glance. Counterfeits are made from ordinary diamonds by firing at high temperatures and irradiation. Sometimes simply low-quality crystals are used for these purposes.

You can distinguish a fake mineral through examination.

Typically it includes:

  • examining a stone under a microscope (an artificially colored diamond is more spotted than a natural one);
  • placing it under bright light from a lamp, usually LED (the edge of the fake changes color to greenish or brownish);
  • conductivity test .

Only if your purchase has successfully passed all these examinations can we say that this is an original.

Black diamond - properties of the stone

As a rule, the untreated mineral is matte. During the process of refining, the stone acquires a special shine, something like an inner glow. In this case, the type of cut is not important. Refined carbonado looks extraordinary - of course, if we are talking about a pure sample. The more foreign inclusions there are, the less evenness there is, and the lower, accordingly, the price.

Perhaps people are attracted not only by the color and the cosmic reason for its occurrence, but also by some of the healing and magical characteristics of this mineral. Refined black diamond is worn to improve sleep and prevent mental illness, restore male strength and increase immunity.

They also say that this stone protects against the evil eye and gives its owner incredible energy, promotes rapid career growth and the development of leadership qualities. In a family, a black diamond revives fading feelings between husband and wife, making them the same as during the candy-bouquet period. But for this it is necessary that he does not have a more valuable frame. And it is better if it is generally used separately from other metals and stones.

Perhaps these properties are just a placebo effect, but there are testimonies of people who claim that this type of mineral really helps them with all of the above.

We hope that we have answered the question of what is a black diamond. Whatever it is - refined or not, pure or with inclusions - in any case, it will be a wonderful decoration for you or a powerful ally in your affairs.

Diamonds represent success, prosperity and luxury. Every woman dreams of them, choosing a stone of special purity, size and cut quality. Today, colored diamonds have become popular, including a mysterious and enigmatic gemstone. Let's figure out what a black diamond is, and why are it and carbonado two different stones?

What is a carbonado and how is it different from a black diamond?

The name of a black gemstone in jewelry often sounds like “carbonado”, although in reality it is more often a black diamond. Pure black diamonds are rare in nature, carbonados are even rarer. Jewelry with such gems looks unusual, mysterious and bewitching. That is why the cost of black diamonds and carbonados on the jewelry market often reaches astronomical amounts.

Lately, fashionistas are increasingly interested in the name of the black stone in jewelry or what kind of stone it is - a black diamond or carbonado? After all, you won’t surprise anyone with simple diamonds. And admirers of esotericism will also be glad to know that the magical properties of the black diamond stone are as strong as those of its ordinary counterpart.

Scientists are still puzzling over the origin of carbonado, suggesting that the stones contain a substance of unearthly origin.

The statement put forward by scientists can explain the unusual properties of carbonado. It is a hard stone, so it is difficult to cut and polish, but easy to grind and drill. If in a simple jewelry store they offer you a product with a cut black or dark stone and say that it is carbonado, do not believe it: this gem will not withstand cutting, but will simply crumble. The only processing method that carbonado can withstand is grinding.

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Carbonado stone color

A black diamond is an opaque-looking crystal with multiple inclusions of graphite. Thanks to graphite inclusions, black gemstones acquire a wide range of shades. The color varies from dark gray to bluish-black. Rarely, transparent black gemstones are also found. Photos of a black diamond can be easily found on the Internet, but the natural stones themselves are extremely rare and incredibly expensive.

At Christie's in New York, a 489-carat unnamed black diamond sold for $1.7 million.

It is worth noting that non-natural black diamonds are used in jewelry, and it is clear why: the prices are too high. Jewelry black diamonds are obtained from standard ones through special chemical manipulations.

In addition to the black diamond, there is also a brown diamond, the color of which is also defined as “cognac”. And if the latter in a piece of jewelry looks quite transparent, then a black diamond looks exactly like a dark diamond.

How to distinguish a black diamond from a fake?

To obtain a natural black diamond, two methods of processing cut diamonds are used: high-temperature firing and irradiation. With their help, a black diamond is obtained from graphite stones of a dark color - dark brown or dark green. How to determine the authenticity of a black diamond and distinguish natural stones from processed diamonds? You can do this in three simple ways:

  1. examine the edges of the stone under the light from an LED source. A natural diamond is evenly colored, but a processed stone has brown or dark green edges.
  2. look at the stones under a magnifying glass with tenfold magnification. Natural carbonado is uniformly colored, while processed stone appears motley.
  3. test the stones with a special device. When receiving a new color, a diamond can change its electrical conductivity, which proves that it is unnatural.

Carbonado cut

As stated above, carbonado cannot be cut; the stone simply will not withstand such action and will crumble. Carbonado is polished. The goal of cutting a diamond is to achieve the greatest internal reflection. The process of cutting a black stone is complex and labor-intensive: during processing, carbonado crumbles, and cut black diamonds become matte and do not emit shine. A ray of light passing through dark facets is not reflected or refracted, so the shape of the stone’s cut does not play any role.

But sometimes carbonado shines. To do this, a large number of facets are applied to the stone and a diamond shine is deliberately created. Thus, a black diamond called “Amsterdam” has 145 facets, which is twice the number of facets of a colorless diamond. When cutting carbonado, it is important to apply clear edges to it in a certain sequence, so the process itself is painstaking and time-consuming. This in turn affects the price of the cut stone.

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Weight of some black diamonds

Jewelers manage to process some carbonado and natural black diamonds. Here are just a few of them:

  • natural black diamond “Black Orlov” (weight – 67.5 carats) – originally from India; is one of three parts of one large diamond found in the 19th century.
  • The largest carbonado, weighing 3,167 carats, was found in the Brazilian state of Bahia in the east of the country in 1895 and was given the name Sergio.
  • The Spirit of de Grisogono is a black diamond found in the Central African Republic. Even after processing, its weight was over 312 carats.
  • The Amsterdam diamond was found in the early 70s of the last century in South Africa and weighed 55.85 carats. After cutting, the weight changed to 33.74 carats, which is equal to 6748 g. The stone is pear-shaped and was sold in 2001 for $352,000 - the maximum amount at auction for this type of stone.
  • The weight of the “Black Star of Africa” after the jewelers worked with it was 202 carats.
  • The black carbonado found in Siberia weighed 88 carats.

This gemstone is rarely used in jewelry. But just by looking at it, everyone understands: this is a real treasure, because the beauty and energy of the stone are mesmerizing.

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Jewelry with black diamonds

Carbonado can be found in absolutely any type of jewelry, including engagement rings. It would be creative to choose an engagement ring made of white gold with a black diamond, or you can stick to a simple classic - rose gold and diamond. If you prefer originality to classics, choose any engagement rings with a large black diamond, and no one will accuse you of mediocrity. Just look at any photo of a black diamond ring to confirm this.

Besides the rings carbonado will look great in earrings, and due to its classic color (but not appearance, of course) it will suit any eye color. Earrings made of white gold with black diamonds will create an excellent tandem and contrast with each other. Studs with a black diamond or carbonado will look no less original - again, the shape is classic, but the stones are far from being from this “series”: they cannot be called classic stones in jewelry.

Conclusion

Thus, when you buy a piece of black diamond jewelry, you are buying a regular diamond that has been specially treated. After all, real black diamond and carbonado are extremely rare and very expensive products. But you shouldn’t immediately classify a ring with a black diamond as an outsider: in any case, it is a natural diamond, moreover, carefully processed and inserted into a metal frame; and look how beautiful black diamonds look in any piece of jewelry!

Today, many jewelry stores can boast that their windows display a variety of jewelry with black diamonds. These stones look great when cut with white gold or platinum, combined with other precious stones, and are quite popular among lovers of original jewelry.

It is worth paying attention to the fact that a couple of decades ago, jewelers were new to black diamond.

History and features of black diamond

The very first black diamond was found by Brazilians, and the next one by Africans. It is noteworthy that the deposit of the mineral in question always has a separate geography and rarely coincides with deposits of other diamonds.

Scientists put forward two theories regarding the origin of black diamond:

The only thing that scientists agree on is the fact that black diamond is several billion years older than all precious stones and is considered the most unique and beautiful mineral on earth.

The unusual black color of the diamond is due to graphite, magnetite and hematite, which are part of the stone. Due to the presence of many inclusions, black diamond is almost always opaque, lacking shine and “play.” The polycrystalline base is responsible for the incredible strength of the stone, which is often the main obstacle to the use of the mineral in the jewelry industry.

From the time the first stone was found until the mid-20th century, a black diamond was very rarely mistaken for jewelry and was practically not considered an object of interest to jewelers.

A polycrystalline diamond, which is formed from a large number of tiny diamonds soldered onto a silicon base, is commonly called carbonado. The joint itself is not always homogeneous, which explains the porosity of the mineral. A black diamond lacks shine because the crystals do not reflect light, but absorb it.

Technology does not stand still, so today black diamonds can be made from carbonado and weigh from 1 to 10 carats.

In addition to polycrystalline diamonds, there is another type of black diamond on the planet. This is a black single crystal that has all the properties of an ordinary jewelry diamond. Such stones are, in fact, very black, because they contain a large amount of graphite.

These diamonds also include minerals of a dense dark gray, brown or green color, which look completely black when reflected light. All of them are either weakly or not at all transparent. Due to the fact that they contain quite a lot of inclusions, they are quite difficult to process.

It is worth considering the fact that if the diamond has an even shade and there are no defects inside, then it can become a first-class black diamond.

How is the purity of diamonds determined?

All diamond jewelry has several indicators on its tag: cut type, clarity, and color. The first value depends entirely on human work, but the second two depend only on nature. There is no need to hide the fact that all natural stones have some inclusions and cracks.

A stone that has no defects inside can be safely called flawless, because external defects are always corrected by polishing. From this comes the conclusion: the fewer “flaws” a diamond has, the higher its purity.

The most popular rating scale, GIA, has 11 main groups.

In Russia, a slightly different scale is used. For example, if you want to find the clarity of a stone weighing less than 0.29 carats, then it is customary to take into account groups from 1 to 6. In the case when a black diamond has the same weight, but differs from others in shape, then groups from 1 are used to 9. All large and medium-sized stones are rated on a scale from 1 to 12. The number indicates the number of defects: the larger it is, the less “clean” the stone is.

A diamond in Group 5 is considered average. It has either several small cracks, or 3 dark inclusions, or 6 light inclusions.

Types of Cuts of Black Diamonds

Currently, there are 5 main options for cutting precious stones in the jewelry business:


In addition, there are two more cutting methods: full and single. The first option indicates the round shape of the diamond and the presence of 57 - 58 facets. The second option involves a round cut, but a smaller number of faces – 17-18.

It takes less time to perform a single cut, which is why such stones are somewhat cheaper. And fully cut stones are correspondingly more expensive.

The principle of cutting cabochon diamonds

The type of cut that was once considered round is today called a cabochon. This is a specific grinding of a convex shape, during which the edges and edges are not clearly expressed. Cabochons are commonly used for cutting inserts into precious items made from opaque minerals.

Currently, this type of finishing is not appropriate if polycrystalline diamond is to be processed. It is used for semi-precious and ornamental stones, which “bloom” with the help of cabochons.

There are several main types of cabochons:


Stones that have undergone cabochon processing are round, oval multifaceted, oval irregular and heart-shaped.

This cut is appropriate when working with opaque stones: jade, turquoise or tugtupite. In addition, it can be used to process stones that have the effect of asterism, cat's eyes or opalization.

The cabochon makes it possible to see the star in the asterical stone and conveys the play of colors on the opals.

What is more expensive: black or white diamond?

A white diamond has many shades: from completely transparent to yellow-brown. It is generally accepted that the greater the clarity of a white diamond, the more unique and expensive it is.

The black diamond has recently been considered precious because it is composed of graphite, completely black and completely opaque. It contains many different inclusions and elements. Due to the fact that the stone is not transparent, it does not transmit the sun's rays and does not refract them. This suggests that polycrystalline diamond can reflect rays exclusively from its own faces located outside.

Despite all the nuances inherent in a black diamond, it is gaining more popularity and demand every day. This is because the stone is rare and looks better in jewelry. Based on this, we can conclude that it is more expensive than a white diamond.

Precious jewelry with black diamonds is called unique creations of modern art.

They pair perfectly with precious metals in any style and design.

Today, jewelers use carbonado in various jewelry: rings, earrings, pendants and necklaces. Gold, silver, and platinum are ideal for diamonds. Such works look aristocratic, respectable and chic. They always remain at the peak of fashion and will never lose their grace.

There are several interesting points about the gemstones in question. Here are some of them:

  1. The first mention of diamonds dates back to 3000 BC.
  2. A real diamond cannot be captured by x-ray, which is the main way to verify its authenticity.
  3. Scientists managed to create an artificial diamond from the ashes of animals that were cremated. The process was called "LifeGem".
  4. We managed to find out that diamond rains periodically occur on the planets Jupiter and Saturn.
  5. Diamond is a very hard mineral. It can only be broken with another diamond.
  6. More than half of the mined gemstones are not suitable for creating jewelry, so they are used in industry.
  7. To find just one carat of carbonado, workers have to sift through about 200 tons of earth.

It is worth taking into account the fact that black color and perfect clarity are not enough for an ordinary diamond to become an expensive diamond. “What is a black diamond?” - this is a stone that includes dark-colored diamond chips - a waste product during the production of valuable diamonds; porous carbonado with polycrystalline texture; pique diamond, which has a monocrystalline structure and many impurities. Only these stones are commonly used in modern jewelry.

Hello, our precious readers! Let's plunge back into the world of rare and unique stones from the depths of our planet. Expensive cut stones have always attracted attention and decorated not only the crowns, but also the necks of beautiful and powerful women. Such an unusual stone can also include a black diamond, which deserves a separate discussion, since its uniqueness evokes admiration.

You will find out what is its uniqueness and other interesting facts by reading this small but very useful article. We wish you a pleasant and exciting reading!

How did black diamond appear?

There are two main theories about the origin of black diamond, which deserve trust, since there are plenty of supporters of both. Both of them have a right to exist.

According to the first It is believed that these rare black minerals appeared thanks to extraterrestrial friends - meteorites. At a time estimated tens and millions of years ago, a supernova exploded near planet Earth. The first meteorites flew to our planet.

When a meteorite stone comes into contact with the earth's surface, a vacuum layer is formed that quickly disappears over time, in which enormous pressure is present. The physical processes that arise during this process allowed the formation of such precious minerals.

According to the second theory, a rare black mineral originated when magmatic deposits reached the surface during volcanic eruptions and the subsequent long cooling of lava.


Why are these completely different theories still considered relevant? The fact is that most black diamond deposits are, firstly, located at or close to the surface. Secondly, the deposits are located in different places on our planet, often not where the “main” diamond deposits are located.

The very first deposits of black diamonds were found in the vast expanses of Brazil, and very little time later similar deposits were found on the African continent.

Varieties of Black Gem Minerals

Mother Nature brought a surprise even among these wonderful and amazingly beautiful black diamonds. How can there be two different and significantly different types of them? Everything is very simple.

  • The first type of black diamond is beautifully called carbonado. This name comes from the Spanish word “carbon”, which translated into Russian means “coal”. He actually resembles him. An inexperienced person may indeed confuse him.

Carbonado has been known since the beginning of the 18th century and is not found in deposits with other diamonds, which emphasizes its uniqueness. It itself has a porous base and a multicrystalline lattice, which is formed from tiny diamonds and “welded” using silicon and a compound known as magnetite (a mixture of graphite and iron compounds).


This type of diamond is not only distinguished by its inherent incredible hardness, but also has a unique strength. The porous base and the properties listed above allow it to be used only for technical and production purposes.

This mineral element is very difficult to cut and polish (and about 60 percent of the total weight of the stone is lost), as a result of which it has practically no value for jewelry and also has no monetary value.

  • Another type of stone is called "pique". It is also called natural or natural black diamond. Unlike the previous type, it has found its application in jewelry because it is a true brother of the original diamonds with the same structure.

It comes not only in black, but also in grey, green and brown. Sometimes color combinations of all these shades are possible. This unusual color mixture arose as a result of dusty inclusions of graphite or other impurities and formations entering the structure of the diamond during its formation.


The value of black diamonds and diamonds in jewelry

Black natural minerals, in contrast to “standard” diamonds that play in the light, are assessed according to the “3C” system, since it is almost impossible to see the play of the same light in them.

The cutting of these diamonds allows the jeweler a lot of imagination, since it is not necessary to select a certain number of facets, as in colorless types of diamonds. Design solutions can be the most unusual and varied. Instead of the standard 57 facets, you can cut it with 118 facets or, for example, 154 facets. Therefore, their different incarnations attract attention and add value.

Today, the value and demand for black diamonds is constantly growing. In combination with their colorless and fancy counterparts, they allow you to create truly stunningly beautiful jewelry (necklaces, bracelets, pendants, rings, earrings, signets, etc.).

One of the little known facts. Black diamonds can rarely be found in the possession of wealthy entrepreneurs and ordinary wealthy people from India, since black is considered an unkind color among Indians.

"Black Prince" and other copies

Among black precious minerals there is a TOP-10. One of these is the “Black Prince” diamond, which deserves special attention. The more complete and official name is “Prince of Johannesburg”. This beautiful and delightful stone is set in a diamond necklace as the main stone in the central pendant.

Just imagine, experts now value this decoration at $5,000,000.


The largest single crystal black diamond was named in honor of the 700th anniversary of the city of Amsterdam, weighing only 33.74 carats. To estimate the value of such a “small” miracle, it is enough to indicate the price for which it was last sold at auction in Geneva - $352,000.

Of course, such numbers are amazing!

What kind of black diamonds and diamonds are sold in jewelry stores?

The recent increased demand for black precious minerals in the jewelry market has led not only to a tendency to increase their production, but also to a slight decrease in quality. There are some tips on how to distinguish a real black diamond from a fake, which we will talk about a little later.

According to stubborn statistics presented by the world's famous gemological experts, the vast majority of the market now contains precious minerals with large defects and with brownish or yellow inserts and inclusions. Of course, this is reflected in their cost, but it is unlikely that the inexperienced eye of a friend or relatives will be able to immediately distinguish a high-quality fake from an original stone.

Real black diamonds should be looked for either in famous and large jewelry houses, or at auctions. True, you will have to immediately prepare to shell out quite a large sum for them.

The methodology of artificial technological change of the same brown color of a stone into black is also popular.


How can you detect a fake?

There are several techniques to help distinguish a fake stone from a real black diamond:

  • Expertise. Expensive pleasure. As a rule, it is used only when purchasing large and expensive minerals, where later detection of a fake can play a cruel joke or such an expensive event is justified.
  • LED lamp. A universal and inexpensive tool that helps you almost immediately see the difference between a fake and an original stone. True pique, when clear, is opaque, with a gray-thick or smoky “filling”. A fake can be finely transparent. You can also see brightly colored specks of brown or green. If the stone is still opaque, pay attention to the corners of the edges, where the color of the painted inclusions may be visible.
  • Tenfold magnification using a microscope. A method used in the evaluation of any cut precious mineral of jewelry value. If you look at a stone under a microscope, the original stone will be uniformly opaque in color, while the fake will be covered with stains that are noticeable under this magnification, resulting from chemical and technological influences.
  • Testing a stone for electrical conductivity. A physical property of any original diamond or diamond that does not change with time or with the amount of testing. A fake has not developed this property. The method is interesting, but requires special measuring instruments and laboratory conditions.


We hope that we have helped you at least a little to protect yourself from fakes and low-grade non-original black diamond minerals that have become so widespread lately.

We have tried to make this fascinating material as easy to understand and read as possible. Tips, interesting materials and facts, we are sure that you will need them in life. Thank you very much for your interest and attention!

Team LyubiKamni

18.11.2016 Dragstones

Black Diamonds have completed their transition from supporting roles to leading roles. They now compete with other stones for the center stone in wedding or engagement rings. It is worth taking a closer look at what lies behind the unique appearance of this mysterious gem.

A Brief History of Black Diamonds

So-called “fancy black” natural diamonds were of little value in the very recent past. Author J.R. Sutton wrote in his book in 1928: “The ordinary black diamond is not much different from black sealing wax. Opinions differ in assessing its merits as a precious stone."

There are only a few known black diamonds. The most famous of them is the 67.50 carat Black Orlov, which is also called the Eye of Brahman. It is said that this stone was stolen from an idol in India in the early 1800s and was therefore cursed. The power of this curse was such that many owners of this gem committed suicide. As a result, Black Orlov was recut to break the spell.

Consumers showed little interest in black diamonds until the late 20th century, when designers began using black diamonds in jewelry as a counterpoint to tiny, colorless pave-set diamonds.

Black diamond engagement rings came of age when Mr. Big gave Carrie a 5-carat black diamond engagement ring at the end of Sex and the City 2 in 2010. This stone attracted even more attention from the press when a couple of years later, Carmen Electra and Kat Von D showed the public their black diamond engagement rings. Interest in this stone continues to grow.

Why are black diamonds black?

The reason for the black color in these mysterious stones has only recently been explored. It is now known that natural black diamonds get their color from large clouds consisting of microscopic inclusions of minerals such as graphite, pyrite or hematite, which are dispersed throughout the stone. These diamonds also often contain numerous cracks that appear black due to graphitization. It is the concentration of all these internal inclusions that makes a diamond black.

Natural black diamonds are typically completely opaque, with a high luster that gives these stones an almost metallic appearance. Due to the many inclusions, polishing these stones can be a very difficult task. They should also be attached to the decoration with great care.

Most black diamonds used in jewelry and engagement rings have been treated to improve the color. Many of them were originally gray diamonds, with many inclusions, which were subjected to high-temperature processing, which turned their color black. Irradiation with fast particles in a linear accelerator can also turn a gray diamond into black, or rather a rich dark green, but such stones, although they look black, usually remain partially transparent.

How are black diamonds valued?

The GIA 4Cs™ system of international nomenclature - (color, clarity, cut quality and carat weight) - only grades colorless or nearly colorless diamonds from colors D to Z. Black diamonds do not fall within this range and are therefore graded based on GIA color grading system for colored diamonds.

Because black diamonds are opaque due to the large number of inclusions, they cannot be classified using the GIA clarity grade. Secondly, due to their complete opacity, these stones do not have any variation in tone or saturation (unlike, for example, pink, yellow or blue diamonds), so only one shade description class is used - “fancy black”.

Due to this fact, GIA does not issue full gemological certificates for black diamonds. Instead, GIA issues special documents for them: reports on identification and color origin. In these documents, black diamonds are described as “fancy black”, and the origin of their color is noted: natural or obtained as a result of refinement.

Caring for Black Diamonds

The nature of a black diamond is such that it can contain hundreds, if not thousands, of microscopic fractures. Although a diamond is prized for its superior hardness, these multiple internal defects make black diamonds more vulnerable to fracture than colorless diamonds.

Caring for and cleaning black diamond jewelry is the same as for any other delicate gemstone. Steam cleaners and ultrasonic baths should not be used. These methods may cause the stone to fracture

Black diamonds have a unique, dramatic beauty. And if your couple's relationship fits this description, the black diamond is your and your spouse's birthstone.

Also, if you are attracted to black diamonds, then perhaps you will be interested in another mysterious colored diamond - white.