Diamond in nature. Diamond - description and properties of the stone. Known analogues of natural diamonds
Diamond- the hardest mineral, cubic polymorphic (allotropic) modification of carbon (C), stable at high pressure. At atmospheric pressure and room temperature, it is metastable, but it can exist indefinitely without turning into graphite, which is stable under these conditions. In a vacuum or in an inert gas at elevated temperatures, it gradually transforms into graphite.
See also:
STRUCTURE
The crystal system of diamond is cubic, space group Fd3m. The unit cell of the diamond crystal lattice is a face-centered cube, in which carbon atoms are located in four sectors arranged in a checkerboard pattern. Otherwise, the diamond structure can be represented as two cubic face-centered lattices, offset relative to each other along the main diagonal of the cube by a quarter of its length. A structure similar to diamond has been established for silicon, a low-temperature modification of tin, and some other simple substances.
Diamond crystals always contain various defects in the crystal structure (point and line defects, inclusions, subgrain boundaries, etc.). Such defects largely determine the physical properties of crystals.
PROPERTIES
Diamond can be colorless, translucent or colored in various shades of yellow, brown, red, blue, green, black, gray.
The color distribution is often uneven, patchy or zonal. Under the action of X-ray, cathode, and ultraviolet rays, most diamonds begin to glow (luminesce) in blue, green, pink, and other colors. It is characterized by exceptionally high light refraction. The refractive index (from 2.417 to 2.421) and strong dispersion (0.0574) determine the bright brilliance and multi-colored "play" of faceted gem diamonds, called brilliants. Shine is strong, from diamond to greasy. Density is 3.5 g/cm 3 . According to the Mohs scale, the relative hardness of diamond is 10, and the absolute hardness is 1000 times higher than the hardness of quartz and 150 times that of corundum. It is the highest among all natural and artificial materials. However, it is quite fragile and breaks easily. The fracture is conchoidal. It does not interact with acids and alkalis in the absence of oxidizing agents.
In air, the diamond burns at 850 ° C with the formation of CO 2; in vacuum at temperatures above 1.500 ° C, it transforms into graphite.
MORPHOLOGY
The morphology of diamond is very diverse. It occurs both in the form of single crystals and in the form of polycrystalline intergrowths (“board”, “ballas”, “carbonado”). Diamonds from kimberlite deposits have only one common flat-faced shape - the octahedron. At the same time, diamonds with characteristic curved shapes are common in all deposits - rhombic dodecahedroids (crystals similar to a rhombic dodecahedron, but with rounded faces), and cuboids (crystals with a curvilinear shape). As shown by experimental studies and the study of natural samples, in most cases, crystals in the form of a dodecahedroid arise as a result of the dissolution of diamonds by a kimberlite melt. Cuboids are formed as a result of the specific fibrous growth of diamonds according to the normal growth mechanism.
Synthetic crystals grown at high pressures and temperatures often have cube faces and this is one of the characteristic differences from natural crystals. When grown under metastable conditions, diamond easily crystallizes in the form of films and columnar aggregates.
The sizes of crystals vary from microscopic to very large, the mass of the largest Cullinan diamond, found in 1905. in South Africa 3106 carats (0.621 kg).
Several months were spent studying the huge diamond, and in 1908 it was split into 9 large pieces.
Diamonds weighing more than 15 carats are rare, and those weighing over a hundred carats are unique and are considered rarities. Such stones are very rare and often get their own names, world fame and their own special place in history.
ORIGIN
Although diamond is metastable under normal conditions, due to the stability of its crystal structure, it can exist indefinitely without turning into a stable carbon modification - graphite. Diamonds brought to the surface by kimberilites or lamproites crystallize in the mantle at a depth of 200 km. and more at a pressure of more than 4 GPa and a temperature of 1000 - 1300 ° C. In some deposits, deeper diamonds are also found, taken out of the transition zone or from the lower mantle. Along with this, they are brought to the Earth's surface as a result of explosive processes accompanying the formation of kimberlite pipes, 15-20% of which contain diamond.
Diamonds are also found in ultrahigh pressure metamorphic complexes. They are associated with eclogites and deeply metamorphosed garnet gneisses. Small diamonds have been found in significant quantities in meteorites. They are of very ancient, pre-solar origin. They also form in large astroblems - giant meteorite craters, where remelted rocks contain significant amounts of fine-grained diamond. A well-known deposit of this type is the Popigai astrobleme in northern Siberia.
Diamonds are rare, but at the same time quite widespread mineral. Industrial diamond deposits are known on all continents except Antarctica. Several types of diamond deposits are known. For several thousand years, diamonds have been mined from alluvial deposits. Only towards the end of the 19th century, when diamond-bearing kimberlite pipes were first discovered, did it become clear that diamonds were not formed in river sediments. In addition, diamonds have been found in crustal rocks in associations of ultrahigh pressure metamorphism, for example, in the Kokchetav massif in Kazakhstan.
Both impact and metamorphic diamonds sometimes form very large-scale deposits, with large reserves and high concentrations. But in these types of deposits, the diamonds are so small that they have no industrial value. Commercial diamond deposits are associated with kimberlite and lamproite pipes confined to ancient cratons. The main deposits of this type are known in Africa, Russia, Australia and Canada.
APPLICATION
Good crystals are cut and used in jewelry. About 15% of mined diamonds are considered to be jewelry, another 45% are considered to be near jewelry, that is, they are inferior to jewelry in size, color or clarity. Currently, the global diamond production is about 130 million carats per year.
Diamond(from the French brillant - brilliant), - a diamond, which, through mechanical processing (cutting), is given a special shape, a brilliant cut, which maximizes such optical properties of the stone as brilliance and color dispersion.
Very small diamonds and fragments, unsuitable for cutting, are used as an abrasive for the manufacture of diamond tools necessary for processing hard materials and cutting diamonds themselves. A cryptocrystalline variety of black or dark gray diamond that forms dense or porous aggregates is called Carbonado, has a higher abrasion resistance than diamond crystals and is therefore especially valued in industry.
Small crystals are also grown artificially in large quantities. Synthetic diamonds are obtained from various carbon-containing substances, mainly from graphite, in special. apparatuses at 1200-1600°C and pressures of 4.5-8.0 GPa in the presence of Fe, Co, Cr, Mn or their alloys. They are suitable for technical use only.
Diamond - C
CLASSIFICATION
| Strunz (8th Edition) | 1/B.02-40 |
| Dana (7th edition) | 1.3.5.1 |
| Dana (8th edition) | 1.3.6.1 |
| Hey's CIM Ref. | 1.24 |
PHYSICAL PROPERTIES
| Mineral color | colorless, yellowish brown fading to yellow, brown, black, blue, green or red, pink, cognac brown, sky blue, lilac (very rare) |
| Dash color | no |
| Transparency | transparent, translucent, opaque |
| Shine | diamond, bold |
| Cleavage | octahedral perfect |
| Hardness (Mohs scale) | 10 |
| kink | uneven |
| Strength | fragile |
| Density (measured) | 3.5 - 3.53 g/cm3 |
| Radioactivity (GRapi) | 0 |
| Thermal properties | High thermal conductivity. Feels cold to the touch, which is why a diamond is called "ice" in slang |
Good afternoon, dear connoisseurs of precious stones. Many of you have probably held some piece of jewelry with a diamond encrusted in it. This mineral simply fascinates with its appearance, shimmering in the light with its many facets. However, few people know how a diamond is formed in nature, and even scientists do not have a common opinion on this matter. In this article, we will discuss several hypotheses and facts that scientists provide us regarding the origin of the world's most famous gems.
The earthly origin of diamonds
Almost all crystals are of igneous origin. They appeared long before the existence of man or animals.
Some research institutes believe that gems originated from one hundred million to two and a half billion years ago deep (about 200 km) in the bowels of the earth. Through exposure to a high temperature of a thousand degrees and a pressure of fifty thousand atmospheres, the carbon bonds became very tight. Today, diamond pebbles are one of the hardest materials in the world. What is the formation of minerals in igneous rocks? There are three theories:
It is worth noting that rough stones are found in deposits and kimberlite pipes quite often, but they still remain in demand and are quite expensive. How to find such stones? If in places of deposits it is necessary to carry out a huge amount of archaeological work, then with magmatic emissions it is easier. Some locals who live in places near volcanoes go on a “hunt” a week or two after the emissions. In hardened lava, one can often find small unsightly lumps, breaking which a person finds a jewel.
"Alien" origin
Sometimes a diamond found in nature is characterized as alien. This happens because particles (or even large stones) of crystals of excellent quality are found in the fragments of meteorites. In one of the craters after the fall of a meteorite in the United States, gems were found on the walls, but in structure they were somewhat different from the earth. How to determine that they are from meteorites? Pebbles from Earth have a cubic crystal lattice structure, while aliens have a hexagonal one. In appearance, they are practically indistinguishable.
What is their origin? There are two versions of the formation of meteorite diamonds:
- content in the meteorite itself. Some researchers believe that the crystals came to Earth along with a meteorite, or rather right inside it. When the meteorite split, some gems were on the surface of the soil. So, for example, an alien body that fell into the Devil's Canyon in the United States, initially weighed about thirty tons, but when it hit the ground, it broke into several parts. Over time, a small amount of rough diamonds was found there. After processing, these stones turned into excellent diamonds, which now adorn jewelry.
- Formation of stones during a fall. This hypothesis is not treated as skeptically as the previous one and, in fact, is preferred by most experts. When falling, the asteroid develops greater speed and, accordingly, friction against the atmosphere. For this reason, a high pressure of up to fifty thousand pascals and a temperature of over two thousand degrees are created. Under the influence of these factors, carbon is transformed into a diamond structure. That is why a significant number of gems are found in the asteroid belt. Sometimes craters after asteroids form huge deposits of minerals. This happened in the Russian Federation on the border with Yakutia. There, after the fall of an asteroid thirty-five million years ago, a huge crater for a hundred kilometers was formed, now known as the Popigai astroblem. This place has a huge amount of minerals, but they are quite small, therefore they are used exclusively for industrial purposes.
To date, most gems are of earthly origin.
How to distinguish diamond from quartz?
Since these two minerals are quite similar to each other, the question arises: how to distinguish diamond from quartz? There are several ways that you can carry out even at home. Here are some of them:
- Deformation. It is well known that diamond minerals have the highest density and hardness values are within 10 on the Mohs scale. Quartz, on the other hand, has only seven units of hardness on the Mohs scale. Although quartz cannot be called too fragile, it will still begin to deform under the influence of a serious load. You can take two five-kopeck coins and place a mineral between them. Then just press and make circular motions with your fingers. If scratches or cracks remain on the surface, then you have quartz or another transparent element, but not a diamond. After such actions, the hardest mineral will remain intact and intact without any defects.
- Although the photo of the pebbles is almost indistinguishable, but this can be done with a glass of water. A diamond gem, when lowered into a glass, will remain transparent, but will still have outlines. But with quartz, everything is different: it will simply disappear and cease to be visible to the eye. However, this procedure can only be done with transparent gems. Colored elements will be visible both in the first and in the second case.
- Diamond raw materials have excellent thermal conductivity. Take a crystal and douse it with steam or just breathe - there should be no condensation left on it. Quartz will retain droplets of condensate for a while. So by the way, you can check the jewelry in a jewelry store, especially when you doubt its reputation.
- Due to the content of certain substances in the gem, it is called "fat". This means that the liquid, when it hits its surface, should coagulate into droplets. Therefore, drop ordinary water on the crystal, and then with a thin object, such as a needle, try to pierce the drop. If it spreads over the surface, then it is quartz, and if it remains in the same state, then it is a precious stone.
- Light refraction. Take a plain piece of paper with text written on it. If you can distinguish the letters through the stone and read them, then you have an ordinary piece of glass in front of you. The precious mineral itself refracts light so strongly that it is simply not possible to read anything on a piece of paper.
In any case, always try to verify the authenticity of the gemstone. This will allow you to avoid being deceived when buying a precious piece of jewelry. You can also partially check the quality of the mineral itself without the involvement of specialists.
We hope you enjoyed this article on the origin of gemstones and found it useful and informative. Add it to your social networks so that others can get reliable information about diamonds.
Team LyubiKamni
Word diamond comes from the Greek "adamas" - unsurpassed. In the question of the origin of diamonds, scientists have not come to a consensus. According to the most popular hypothesis, the mineral was formed as a result of the cooling of silicates of the mantle of the earth's crust. And it owes its appearance on the surface of the planet to a series of powerful underground explosions.
Diamonds in nature are inclusions in mountain, serpentine and. In addition, they are sometimes found in river and sea coastal pebble placers, where they fall as a result of the destruction of volcanic rocks. To obtain one carat of natural diamonds, it is necessary to process about 250 tons of diamond-bearing ore. Considering that a nugget loses on average half its weight during cutting, the amount of ore needed can be doubled.
According to its chemical composition, it is one of the simplest minerals, it is pure carbon with minor impurities of calcium, magnesium and iron oxides.
Physical and chemical properties of diamond
- The chemical formula is C (carbon).
- Color - colorless, with shades of yellowness, less often - red, orange, green, blue.
- The crystal system is cubic.
- Hardness 10 on the Mohs scale.
- Density, specific gravity - 3.52 g per cm3.
- Fracture - conchoidal.
- Refractive indices - 2.417.
- Cleavage - perfect, octahedral.
- Habitus, shape of crystals - octahedral, dodecahedral.
- Pleochroism is not.
- Transparency - from transparent to opaque.
Where and how are they obtained
The main diamond deposits are concentrated in Australia, South Africa, Congo and Russia. These countries account for about 60% of the world's mineral production. Botswana, Angola and Namibia also have significant reserves. Until the end of the XVII century. almost all diamonds were mined in the mines of India, but today they are almost completely devastated. Legend has it that in ancient times people used birds of prey to mine diamonds. Pieces of raw meat were thrown into deep crevices with precious placers, to which small crystals stuck. Feeling the smell of prey, the eagles descended into these crevices, grabbed food and carried it away in their claws. After that, it remained to follow the bird, sneak up unnoticed and grab the meat with the jewels stuck to it. The second method involved searching for eagle nests, around which a large amount of bird droppings gathered. People picked it up and took out diamond nuggets, sometimes reaching considerable sizes.
In fact, in the old days, diamonds were mined only from river and sea placers by carefully washing out pebbles and sand. The main tools of labor were a shovel, a sieve and a pick. An alternative to this method was the discovery at the end of the 19th century. - a geological body of a vertical shape, formed by a breakthrough of gases through the earth's crust. Kimberlite is a volcanic rock containing diamond crystals along with other minerals. Today, almost the entire diamond mining industry is built on the use of this natural phenomenon.
Diamond price
, which includes four main criteria: - 1. CARAT - stone weight;
- 2. CUT - cut quality;
- 3. COLOR - color;
- 4. CLARITY - purity.
The most important thing in determining the price of a stone is the quality of its cut. If the diamond is cut incorrectly, then there can be no talk of any play of light and beauty. A key role in processing is played by the ratio of the depth and surface area of a diamond to its diameter. The proportionality of the stone is assessed on a five-point GIA scale from benign to ideal.
Trade rules stipulate that only those diamonds that have exactly 57 facets can be called diamonds. According to experts, it is this cut that allows you to fully appreciate the light-refracting properties of the mineral. Instances processed using other technologies should be called diamonds, supplementing the wording with an indication of the shape: marquis, princess, and others.
The next factor affecting the value of a diamond is its color. According to the regulation approved by the World Association of Diamond Bourses, experts distinguish nine color groups of diamonds. Of those regularly found, the most expensive will be colorless stones and those that have a slight bluish tint. They are called pure water diamonds. However, the most valuable are stones of deep natural shades: red, green, blue, orange and pink. This coloring is called fantasy.
The number of diamonds of natural saturated colors does not exceed a few tens per million white stones. So, for example, the Russian Emperor Paul I gave 100 thousand rubles for a small red diamond. For comparison: a cow in those days cost 5 rubles. Inexpressive stones of yellowish and brown tones inherent in most nuggets are much less valued on the market.
The clarity of a diamond means the absence of various defects on the outside and inside of the stone. The concept of "defects" includes microcracks, scratches, crevices, air bubbles and foreign inclusions. Clarity is evaluated at a tenfold magnification of the diamond, which makes it possible to study its characteristics in detail. According to the results of the inspection, the stone is classified as one of eleven purity groups. Diamonds that do not have defects are included in the "internally flawless" group. Those defects that are visible to the naked eye are classified as "imperfect".
Each diamond has a unique structure and characteristics. Two identical stones, like two identical fingerprints, do not exist. The widespread myth that a diamond cannot be broken once played a cruel joke on the Swiss mercenaries of King Louis XI. During one of the many internecine conflicts, they seized the jewels of Duke Charles the Bold. Having heard about the extraordinary hardness of diamonds, the warriors decided to check the authenticity of the stones. The diamonds could not withstand the powerful blows of the hammer and crumbled. A huge amount of jewelry was thrown away because the Swiss thought they were fake. At the end of the XV century. The Archduke of Austria, doubting the bride's positive answer, heeded the advice to back up his intentions with jewelry. Since then, the custom of accompanying a marriage proposal with a diamond ring has been popular all over the world.
How to distinguish fakes
Without exception, all diamond buyers are afraid of being deceived. At the same time, they tend to pay for the stones the smallest possible penny. These conflicting feelings are successfully played by scammers and dishonest merchants. The most common ploy of intruders is to replace gems with cheaper counterparts. To imitate diamonds, transparent zircon, colorless sapphire, or ordinary crystal are usually used. To determine the fake, you need to look through the stone at the sun. A cut diamond reflects the rays in such a way that only a bright point can be seen through it. L imitators completely transmit light. In addition, sellers of fakes often mention the popular myth about the complete transparency of diamonds in water. In fact, this is fiction. The effect of invisibility can be achieved between those materials that have the same refractive index. The refractive index of water is 1, diamond - 2.4. Of all the diamond simulants, the closest in this characteristic to water is ordinary glass, the refractive index of which is 1.5. Thus, a real stone, lowered into a glass, will continue to sparkle, but a fake one will not.
It is almost impossible to distinguish a natural diamond from a laboratory-created one. Developed technology allows you to synthesize artificial diamonds weighing up to 15 carats. In such a situation, the buyer should be embarrassed by a clearly understated price, which can be ten times less than the real one. There are no objective reasons for selling diamonds for next to nothing.
An interesting way to detect fakes was invented by the French chemist Margot. The scientist proposed to determine the true diamond by passing an aluminum stick over its surface, after wetting the stone with water. On fake diamonds, the metal will leave a clear silvery line that is very difficult to erase. And on a natural diamond, no trace of aluminum will be visible. Only a professional appraiser can guarantee 100% authenticity of a diamond. Well-known advice and recommendations will help to identify only a fake of low quality.
Processing and use
Diamonds are widely used in the jewelry industry. But few people know that not every stone has a gem quality. No more than 15% of mined minerals are suitable for creating a diamond, another 45% of nuggets are considered conditionally suitable for cutting. The remaining 40% of diamonds are used as composite materials and superhard elements for industrial use. The most common cuts for diamonds are brilliant and rose. The first is used for processing large nuggets, the second - for small diamonds.Story
The idea of using diamonds was first born in India around 3000 BC. Hindus believed that the stone unites all five natural principles - earth, water, air, sky and energy. In those days, the place of the mineral in the hierarchy was far from leading. On the territory of modern Russia, the period of "minority" lasted until the beginning of the 17th century. In Europe, diamond jewelry became popular two centuries earlier. It was then that the level of technological development allowed a person to cut this mineral. The world history of diamonds (cut diamonds) has several dozens of unique stones that have become truly iconic for their owners. Each of them has its own name and destiny. One of the most famous processed nuggets is Kohinoor. The name of the stone in Indian means "mountain of light". A diamond weighing almost 800 carats was found in 56 BC. The first owners of the diamond were representatives of the Mughal dynasty. During its long life, "Kohinoor" was in the hands of several Persian monarchs, adorned the bracelet of the Indian king, and after the conquest of Hindustan by the British ended up in Foggy Albion, where it was cut in a new way. Since 1911 "Kohinoor" has adorned the small Royal State Crown of Great Britain and is considered the country's most famous jewel.
Another legendary diamond, named after Count Orlov, has no less royal fate. This nugget also comes from India - it was found at the beginning of the 16th century. After cutting in the form of a tall rose, the stone weighed 300 carats. Over the next 30 years, he adorned the throne of Shah Nadir, after which he was stolen and sent to Europe. In 1773, a favorite of Catherine II, Count Grigory Orlov, bought a diamond in one of the markets of Amsterdam of stunning beauty. The Russian queen, who was destined for "Derianur", ordered to insert a stone into the royal scepter and give it a new name. Today, the golden scepter crowned with this diamond is kept in the Diamond Fund of Russia.
Another legendary nugget with a unique sapphire blue color has gained fame as a fatal stone that brings misfortune to its owner.
The diamond was brought from India to France as a gift to King Louis XIV. It is believed that with him an epidemic of plague came to Europe. At different times and for various reasons, all those who were the owner of the stone died. The French princess de Lamballe was killed during the revolution, Queen Marie Antoinette was executed. The same fate was in store for the family members of the banker Hope, the last owner of the diamond. Hope's son was poisoned and his grandson completely ruined. Named after a wealthy financier, this stone is the most expensive in the world. Experts estimate it at 200 million dollars. With a mass of 45.5 carats, the cost of one unit of weight will cost a potential buyer almost $5 million.
Stone in literature and art
The pursuit of diamonds has formed the basis of the plot of many works of art. Suffice it to recall the intrigues of the insidious Cardinal Richelieu around the Queen's pendants in Dumas' Three Musketeers or the misadventures of Kisa Vorobyaninov in Ilf and Petrov's The Twelve Chairs. This stone is no less popular with filmmakers. Everyone knows that the interior of the ship in the movie "Titanic" is almost identical to the original. But not many viewers are aware that in history there is a real prototype of the diamond from the necklace of the main character.
The "Heart of the Ocean" stone was put up for auction by "Christie" in 1995. The price of the exclusive lot was 7 million 791 thousand dollars. The diamond really has a rare blue color and is cut in the shape of a heart. The only difference between the movie jewel and its prototype is in size. The real "Heart of the Ocean" weighs a little less than 14 carats, and the diamond that adorned the neck of the main character of the film looks to have a mass that is 30 times greater.
Cinematography also owes its appearance to the catchphrase about the best friends of girls. After all, this is originally a line from the song that Marilyn Monroe performed in the movie "Gentlemen Prefer Blondes." The stone, sparkling on the body of Monroe's heroine, was presented to the actress by the owner of a large jewelry company, Meyer Rosenbaum. The purpose of the presentation was to help the girl with the promotion of the picture on the screen. In 1990, the diamond was sold at one of the auctions for $297,000.
The main characteristics of diamonds
The basis for determining the value of a diamond is 4"C" system. This system greatly simplified the task by creating a strict framework for each component: carat - the weight of the stone, cut - the quality of the cut, color - color, clarity - clarity.Diamond color
Although diamonds are mostly colorless, some have shades of pale yellow, yellow, or brown of varying intensity. Absolutely transparent diamonds are said to be "pure water". Stones that do not have any color tint, with the exception of bluish, are most highly valued. 
Above is a table of color and clarity of a diamond. Developed at the GIA Institute.
Clarity of diamonds
Diamonds, like most other minerals, have natural inclusions and defects in their structure. The fewer of them, the more valuable the diamond. There are practically no absolutely transparent diamonds in nature, one can only talk about the purity of a diamond at a tenfold magnification. 
The distribution of light in a diamond, depending on the proportions, the depth of its cut.
It often happens that in the pursuit of weight, which is very important, a diamond is cut without observing strict geometric proportions. As a result, having received a larger stone, we get a diamond with an insufficiently beautiful play of light. The buyer may not pay attention to this, being tempted by weight. But only the seller will benefit from this. Therefore, it is better to try to buy a stone with the most correct geometric proportion. Especially when it comes to diamonds weighing more than one carat.
Diamond cut shapes
There are a number of different cuts for diamonds. The most common is the classical form - round with 57 faces. It is such a stone that is able to reflect almost all the light falling on it to the greatest extent, demonstrating a magnificent game, glow and shimmer.All other forms of cutting diamonds are called "fantasy". The most popular of them are "marquis", "princess", "oval", "pear", "emerald", "heart" and "baguette".
Mass of diamond
The mass of diamonds is measured with an accuracy of 0.01 carats. Stones weighing less than this limit are considered crumbs. The mass of diamonds is measured on special carat scales, and approximately it can be determined by the diameter of the stone. 
It is a grayish, sometimes brownish cloudy stone with a matte surface. Its distinguishing feature is the highest hardness on the Mohs scale - 10 units. A measure of the weight of a diamond is a carat, which is 0.2 grams. Diamonds are found in weights ranging from a few thousandths of a gram to many hundreds of carats.
What turns a diamond into a brilliant, elevates it to the most exquisite, expensive, and also sought-after items? Cut. At the same time, alas, losses are often up to half the weight, but its price soars up to thousands of times. And this is not to mention the unique in clarity, color, size of cut diamonds, the price of which is estimated at millions of euros.
On this page you will learn what real diamonds look like and you will be able to read their description.
Diamond specifications: 4 C gradation
With regard to a cut diamond, there are several types of characteristics.
European 4 C gradation:
- Cut-cut;
- Clarity - purity;
- color - color;
- Carat - weight, calculated in carats.
Diamond, being a natural creation, has in its composition inclusions, microcracks, graphite. The content of other chemical elements gives it a unique shade. There are blue, rare pink, yellowish, brown colors. Black diamonds have been very popular in the last decade. But the most expensive color of a crystal is the absence of color.
The highest grade is complete transparency without shades. The presence of blue or pink must be recognized by a panel of experts to confirm the status of the uniqueness of such a shade.
The paradox of evaluation is that, despite the most advanced diagnostic methods, the only tool for determining the characteristics of a stone is considered to be a 10x magnifying glass - everything that is not visible at 10x resolution is considered non-existent; as well as the eye and flair of the appraiser.
The European gradation of clarity (number of inclusions) has boundaries from F (Flawless) - flawlessly clean to SI1, SI2 - defects that are very easy to notice with a magnifying glass. With proper lighting, they can be seen with the naked eye across the site.
Cuts are round, as well as fancy. The shape is determined by the girdle - a belt separating the top ("crown") and the lower part of the processed crystal. The most popular, providing maximum refraction, is the round cut, which has 57 facets. Often, the cutter, wanting to keep the maximum weight of the finished product, uses fantasy shapes - “oval”, “marquise”, “pear”.
What do clear and black diamond rings look like?
What does a diamond look like, being such an attractive and expensive product?
Without poetic exaggeration, we can say that this is just a clot of sparkling light, a concentration of fire in a small volume. Be it pear, circle or oval.
Look at the photo of what a pear-shaped diamond looks like:
How does weight actually relate to the size of a crystal? To imagine a very expensive and popular size weighing 0.2 grams, you can imagine a circle with a diameter of 6 mm, covered by a custom holder. This is how a 1 carat diamond will look like, i.e., weighing 0.2 grams.
This photo shows what a 1 carat diamond looks like:
How to recognize a product with a real diamond - be it earrings, a ring, a pendant, what does it look like?
Alas, the brilliance, as well as the game, are not distinguishable for the consumer. Moreover, there is a group of synthetic analogues that even a special tester “misses”. Therefore, it is not necessary to rely on visual diagnostics.
It is not difficult to navigate what a diamond ring looks like among the windows of a jewelry store. As a rule, such products are located separately inside, and special lighting that enhances the brilliance of the stone will direct the buyer.
Here is a photo of what a 1 carat diamond looks like:
Until recently, black crystals were at the peak of popularity. What does a black diamond look like?
It is absolutely opaque, there is no play, only a glow from the black surface speaks of the high cost. But what a real diamond is valued for - the play of light, is missing. Although such a stone is not without charm.
What do 1 and 5 carat diamonds look like?
Jewelry practice allows you to summarize the weight of crystals of some characteristics. That. a scattering of small stones of the same weight and shape, with the same color / purity indicators can be recorded on the tag with one weight.
For example, a scattering of 100 round crystals of the same characteristics will be positioned as one carat of a diamond; what does that amount look like?
Like a cluster of sparkling dots that model the surface.
Someone asks the question: what does a 5-carat crystal look like, how valuable and beautiful will such a product be?
Valuable, yes. The number of inclusions, as well as the color will affect the price, but due to the size, its cost will be very high. But in the product, the 11 mm diameter will be unusual for the look. Only a good master can beat such a stone.
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Diamond is pure carbon with few impurities. A prerequisite for the formation is high pressure and temperature. From the deep bowels of the earth, this stone is extracted to the surface at the cost of incredible efforts, in order to subsequently shine with unrestrained light.
History of the diamond
Diamond became known to scientists long before our era. It is believed that with his age he can compete with our planet itself. From time immemorial, this unsurpassed stone is shrouded in legends and myths. India is considered its homeland, it was here that numerous travelers flocked one after another in search of a unique stone.
In India, the diamond was considered a commodity that was widely distributed in the domestic market. In those days, they had not yet learned how to process stones, they were stored in their original form in the vaults of the richest people in the country.
The diamond came to Europe thanks to the great commander Alexander the Great. He is known for his numerous campaigns, including in India. Having learned about the precious stones of incredible beauty that could be found there, he immediately organized an expedition. According to legend, snakes guarded the stones, but the commander managed to deceive them and take countless treasures.
Venice was then the center of European trade. In the 13th century, merchants traveled from there to Belgium with silk and diamonds. This trip served as the starting point for the city of Bruges as a center for the jewelry trade. The technology of brilliant cutting was also invented there (from brilliant - brilliant).
However, for a long time, the diamond was not an absolute favorite among precious fellows. For about a century, the technology remained classified. And only in the 14th century it was possible to publish a special technology that allows you to turn a stone into a diamond sparkling with all its facets. From this, the value of the stone has increased significantly.
The 16th century became the "diamond" century, the extraction of the precious stone grew to incredible volumes. In this regard, by the 18th century, reserves were depleted in India. The result was the investigation and discovery of new deposits in Brazil.
The uniqueness of a diamond lies in its very structure - no two identical stones can be found all over the world. Thanks to a special crystal lattice, it is incredibly durable. However, the myth that a diamond cannot be broken continues to exist. It was this delusion that sometimes led to the loss of the rarest specimens.
And what do brides all over the world dream of? Of course, about the diamond ring. This tradition has its own history dating back to the 15th century. As you know, the Archduke of Austria intended to propose to his chosen one, but was not sure of a positive answer. In order to impress his beloved, he gave her a diamond ring of incredible beauty. This was the beginning of an ageless tradition with a long history.
old name for diamond
As already noted, this stone has a unique history. Knowledge about it has accumulated over many centuries, leaving researchers food for thought. What kind of names were not given to the diamond by different peoples.
The Hindus called the stone “farium”, and the Romans “diamond”. The Greeks called the diamond “adamas” (“adamantos”), which can be translated as “indestructible”. The Arabic word "almas" can be translated into Russian as "the hardest".
In all languages of the world you can find your own name for this stone, which will reflect only one thing - the highest position among the jewels.
What color diamond is found in nature. Diamond colors
Diamond - healing properties
As noted earlier, a diamond is a stone with incredible energy potential. It charges the body with positive vibrations. They treat skin diseases, eliminate inflammatory processes in the body, put in order the liver, stomach, bronchi and lungs, as well as the bladder.
In the most positive way, the stone affects the mental state of a person, helps to cope with insomnia, irritability and even schizophrenia, and regulates the cardiovascular system.
Green diamond is considered a stone of motherhood - it helps with problems with gynecology.
The benefits of drinking the so-called "diamond water" are well known - a stone dipped into water for a day allows you to charge it and make it indispensable in the recovery processes after illnesses or operations.
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