Market Conditions

The world has many diamond mines. The world also has laboratories creating gem-quality diamonds. Realistically, supply is very high, and the addition of a few more laboratories or a new diamond mine should not impact the diamond ring prices. Additionally few people realize that the diamond market is not a ‘perfect market’ like that for stocks and bonds—it is a near monopoly that for more than a century has been controlled by the Oppenheimer family through their majority stake in the DeBeers holding company. Today the Oppenheimer family shares majority ownership with a global mining conglomerate Anglo American. Founded in 1888, DeBeers managed to gain a monopolistic position in the world’s rough diamond markets in the 1930’s by tightly controlling the supply of rough stones to the diamond market. They achieved this through ownership of or strict partnerships with all the largest diamond mines in Africa (primarily Botswana, Africa’s largest diamond producer) and, at some point, with Russia.

Even if there were a sudden spike in the number of engagements requiring diamond rings, the demand would not likely impact diamond ring prices in the open market. Realistically, couples get divorces. Others pass away. Some inheritors of diamond rings return them to the market, selling them to jewelers or whoever makes a decent offer.

The only possible shock to market conditions that would significantly impact diamond ring prices would be either a huge anti-diamond ring movement or a major breakup of the DeBeers monopoly on rough diamonds supply. DeBeers monopoly has been gradually diluted over the last two decades as Russia’s Alrosa, a giant diamonds producer based in Siberia, has been largely refusing to play by DeBeers’ rules. However, Alrosa has also learned that dumping stones into the market is not in its own interests. So, it started pricing diamonds at or close to DeBeers’ own prices, which effectively established a duopoly in the market when both players divided the market share and managed to keep the diamond prices largely intact.

However, market conditions do have an impact on the price of metal used for the ring setting. Gold, platinum, and palladium all cost money. The amount of metal used in a ring setting is a factor in the diamond ring price overall. Often an increase in ring size, for some sellers, will include an additional cost to cover the extra bit of needed metal.

To estimate the value of the setting’s metal, find out its exact weight, and then look up the current market price for that particular metal. If you don’t know the exact metal type, look inside the ring band for a stamp describing the setting’s metal. A stamp such as “10 K,” “14K,” “18K,” “585,” “750,” “900,” “950,” “PT,” and “Plat” describe the metal used.

Setting Style (Craftsmanship)

There are many different diamond ring setting styles, and there is an infinite number of individual embellishments that can create the diamond ring’s style. The more time the jeweler needs to craft the setting, the higher the labor-related portion of the cost should be. A ring that requires unusual skill to craft or will take longer due to intricacy will naturally cost more than a diamond ring set in a standard setting.

Conception

Diamonds have been dug out of the ground for centuries. Diamonds have been grown in laboratories for industrial purposes for mere decades. As laboratories perfected their techniques, they were able to produce gem-quality stones, diamonds impossible to differentiate from natural diamonds without sophisticated testing.

Most jewelers can’t tell the difference—until they look for the brand name inscribed on the diamond girdle or read a brand name on associated packaging. There are a few indicators, though. Natural diamonds are more likely to have internal flaws. Fancy color diamonds—very rare in nature—are more likely to have been cultured in laboratories. Nonetheless, both natural and man-made diamonds can be certified by major gemological laboratories and are held to identical standards. There is, however, one large differentiating factor: price. Natural diamonds command a price premium over “man-made,” “laboratory grown,” “cultured” diamonds. So, if you have your heart set on a diamond pulled from the dirt in a diamond mine, expect to pay more for it.

Certification

Diamonds can be sold with or without certificates authenticating their 4Cs. Diamonds without certificates should cost less than their certified counterparts. For example, one popular jewelry retailer sells a round, one-carat solitaire diamond in a 14-karat white gold ring for $3,100. The same jeweler sells a ring with the same description, plus the word “certified” for $4,800. Both diamonds are I-color, I1-clarity, one-carat, round. So, they may be exactly the same diamonds, except one is certified.

There are many sources of certifications, from world-known gemological institutes to jewelry store in-house gemologists. Diamonds certified by well-known laboratories such as GIA and AGS carry a premium, so they will naturally cost a little more than diamonds certified elsewhere. If you are certain the diamond’s qualities are being accurately represented, you can always send the diamond for certification after its purchase, usually for much less than the price difference between certified and uncertified diamonds.

Transparency (Cloudiness)

Colorless, transparent diamonds are valued more highly than white, milky, or cloudy diamonds. However, transparency is not specifically graded during certification.

To test for transparency, view the diamond from several directions, including the sides, to judge whether you can see through the diamond like you would through a clear glass of water.

Transparency is often confused with clarity. Clarity describes inclusions and surface blemishes; a white cloud is one type of inclusion that can impact clarity grade. However, some diamonds are white or cloudy throughout. These non-transparent diamonds will not have the same sparkle as transparent diamonds; at one time they were considered industrial grade, not worthy of cutting into gemstones.

Transparency is sometimes confused with color. When a dealer requests certification for a cloudy diamond, he can ask that clarity grade not be included. The resulting evaluation may determine the diamond is “fancy white” in color.

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. If you want a white diamond, buy a non-transparent diamond. It may be the perfect piece in your diamond ring’s design. And it may help lower the overall diamond ring price.

Shape (Cut Design)

All diamond shapes are not created equally. Some require larger rough diamonds from the start. Others waste more rough diamond than their peers. And some require jewelers with higher levels of expertise.

Round cuts, which remove more of the rough diamond than most other cuts, are more expensive to produce. By comparison, an emerald cut diamond with similar grades in carat weight, color, clarity, and cut, may cost 30% less than its round cut counterpart.

However, since over 75% of the diamonds sold are round cuts, if the diamond ring may ever need to be resold, it should be easier to resell if the stone is a round cut.

What is a Blood Diamond?

A “blood diamond” (also known as conflict diamond, war diamond, dirty diamond, hot diamond, or converted diamond) is mined or produced in unethical conditions, including in war zones to finance insurgencies.

In 2003, the UN-backed Kimberley Process began requiring participating countries to certify that their exported diamonds were conflict-free. According to the World Diamond Council, this program has been very successful, with 99% of the world’s diamond supply certified as conflict-free. Some other estimates are not as optimistic, but the Kimberly Process does seem to work—the amount of blood diamonds in the market is estimated to have dropped from 15% before the Kimberly Process was introduced to less than 5% today.

Some retailers also offer “conflict neutral” diamonds. The retailer or the consumer makes a donation to a relevant charity, with the expectation that the good works promoted by that donation help balance against the negative works in the diamond industry.

An alternative to purchasing a new diamond is to “recycle” a diamond—purchase or be gifted someone else’s older diamond. While there is always the chance that the diamond was originally mined as a blood diamond, at least reusing it does not add to the funding of recent conflicts. A reused family stone carries the additional bonus of sentimental value.

Where Do Diamonds Go?

Diamonds are most often associated with jewelry, but their strength is highly sought in a variety of industrial applications: to cut, polish, and grind hard surfaces; to manipulate concrete, metal, ceramic, computer chips, eyeglasses, stones, and other gems; and as parts of surgical blades, heat spreaders, and specialty windows.

Even though 80% of the natural diamonds mined each year go toward industrial purposes, four times as many diamonds are synthetically created to also go toward industrial use. Approximately 25 million carats of natural diamonds go toward jewelry each year, another 80 million carats of natural diamonds go toward industrial use, and an additional 570 million carats of lab-manufactured synthetic diamonds are created for industrial purposes.

This does not mean synthetic diamonds should not be considered for jewelry. Prices are much lower than natural diamonds, and the quality can be worse or better than a natural diamond.

Laboratories

“Manmade diamonds” are actually more prevalent than natural diamonds. Since 1950s, laboratories have manufactured diamonds, either by forcing carbon atoms to juncture under extreme heat and pressure or by reducing methane gas. Depending on the particular company’s formulation, the process can take days to weeks. Though the process is sped up, diamond formation is still a sensitive process where conditions fluctuate, yielding diamonds just as flawed and unique as those found in nature.

Where do diamonds come from?

How are diamonds formed? What is the geographic origin of my diamond? What is a blood diamond? How do I know whether my diamond is conflict-free? How effective is the Kimberly Process? Answers to these questions are covered in this article.

Loose Diamonds Buying Guide

What is important to you as a diamond buyer: shape, size, quality, store’s brand name, ring setting design? Learning about these attributes will help you decide exactly what you want in a diamond. Once you narrowed it down, the DiamondPriceGuru.com search engine will help you do the rest.

Tensile Strength:

Diamond has the highest tensile strength of any material, at 2.8 gigapascals. However, that does not quite translate into the strongest rope or cable, as diamond has cleavage planes which support crack propagation. The strongest ropes can likely be made from another material, carbon nanotubes, as they should not suffer from the effects of cracks and break. Still, if a long, thin, perfect crystal of diamond could be manufactured, it would offer the highest possible pulling strength (in a straight line - don't try to tie it in a knot!)

Hardness

Diamond is a perfect "10", defining the top of the hardness scale, and by absolute measures four times harder than sapphire (which is #9 on that scale).

What Is a Diamond

Diamond is the ultimate gemstone, having few weaknesses and many strengths. It is well known that Diamond is the hardest substance found in nature, but few people realize that Diamond is four times harder than the next hardest natural mineral, corundum (sapphire and ruby). But even as hard as it is, it is not impervious. Diamond has four directions of cleavage, meaning that if it receives a sharp blow in one of these directions it will cleave, or split. A skilled diamond setter and/or jeweler will prevent any of these directions from being in a position to be struck while mounted in a jewelry piece.

How Expensive !

Quality for quality, fancy pink diamonds are more expensive than ordinary near-colourless ones. We have seen astronomical prices quoted for pink diamonds, but we manage to source small numbers at reasonable prices. Most pink diamonds, even enhanced ones, are more expensive than white ones of similar quality. Natural pinks are more valuable than enhanced, deep intense colours are generally more expensive than pale pinks. There are obviously many different varieties of pink, the "nicest" pinks are the most desirable and most expensive.

Pendants & Ear-Rings

We have also made a few pendants, and are about to produce our first pair of pink diamond ear-rings. Because of the variation in colours, and the small numbers of pink diamonds we get to see, it is not easy to find matching pairs of pink diamonds for ear-rings. Watch this space. Actually look out for new links near the top left of this page.

Overseas Production

Argyle Diamonds also sends a proportion of its rough diamonds, especially those in smaller sizes, overseas for polishing.

Diamond Polishing

Argyle Diamonds carefully selects the best quality diamonds for polishing within Australia or by overseas cutting centres.

Diamond Sorting

Upon reaching Perth, the rough diamonds are sorted. In order to deal with the huge volume of diamonds, Argyle Diamonds has developed new technology. Sorting begins mechanically: the first size sorting of rough diamonds takes place through a series of mechanical sieves.

The huge diamond shipments from the Argyle Mine are sorted at the Western Australian capital of Perth, the headquarters of Argyle Diamonds. The modern cutting and polishing facility is also located here however, only top quality gems from the mine are polished at this facility.

Argyle Diamonds

Argyle Diamonds fall into three main categories: pink, champagne, and white diamonds. The 4C's guide to quality and value applies to coloured diamonds just as it does to white diamonds. However, coloured diamonds are graded for their intensity of colour, not lack of it.

Argyle diamonds have two very unique and outstanding features: they are harder than other diamonds and may fluoresce blue under ultra-violet light.

Argyle Diamond Mining

The Argyle diamond mine covers an area of 45 hectares. The diamonds are recovered from the main pipe as well as from, to a lesser extent, alluvial deposits in nearby Smoke and Limestone Creeks.

The Argyle diamond pipe is a linear body, 1600 metres along and varying in width from 150 to 600 metres. In addition to being the world's biggest diamond producer and only reliable supply of intense pink diamonds, the Argyle diamond mine is unique in a third way: the diamonds are recovered from a host rock call lamproite, not kimberlite which is the traditional host.

Argyle Diamond Production

The Argyle diamond mine has firmly placed Australia on the top as the world's biggest producer of diamonds in terms of volume. As well as being Australia's only major diamond producer, the Argyle diamond mine is also one of the most technologically advanced mines in the world.

Since its inception, annual production has steadily increased from 29 million carats in 1986, the mine's first full year of production, to 40.9 million carats in 1993. The average annual production since 1994 has been over 35 million carats.

The Argyle Diamond Mine

In 1983, construction work began on the main open-cut mine and process plant. In the meantime, diamonds began to be recovered by an alluvial plant at Smoke Creek and Limestone Creek. Some 15 million carats of alluvial diamonds had been recovered by the time the main Argyle plant was commissioned in 1985.

Discovery Of The Argyle Diamond Mine

The Argyle diamond story has its origins in the early 1970s, when one of the world's most significant find of diamonds was made at Smoke Creek in the remote north of Western Australia, over 2000 kilometres from Perth, the state capital.

Although significant, it is certainly not the first discovery of diamonds in Western Australia. Diamonds had been recovered in the Pilbara region as far back as the 1890s but the primary source of any of these diamond finds had never been located.

THE AUSTRALIAN DIAMOND INDUSTRY

Australian Argyle Diamonds are internationally reowned for their unique brilliance and stunning array of colours. Unearthed in the rugged Kimberley region in the far north of Western Australia, Argyle Diamonds thrill in shades of exotic pink, sparkling champagne, rich cognac and dazzling white.

From the rare pink diamond to the classic white and natural champagnes, Argyle Diamonds are firing the world's imagination. And why shouldn't they? The Argyle Diamond Mine is the world's biggest producer of natural diamonds and contributes approximately one-third of the world's natural supply.

ARGYLE NEWS

Business Review Weekly Vol.21, No.10 22 March 1999

Mines and marketing : Cheeky Argyle dazzles De Beers
By Tim Treadgold

BRW reports on Argyle Diamonds' subversion of the South African's carat-and-stick approach with the 'shocking' idea of giving people what they want.

Click here to read the article: http://www.brw.com.au

DIAMONDS AS AN INVESTMENT

Customers when deciding to purchase diamond jewellery will often ask whether it is a good investment. In actual fact, jewellery should never be purchased for investment reasons, only for its beauty. The appeal of diamonds lies in their dazzling beauty and endurance, and their ability to provide a lasting memento of a special occasion. Although diamond jewellery is usually bought for emotional reasons, the value of the diamond content will appreciate in time. Unlike some other commodities, the prices of diamonds have remained stable over the years. As the cost of living rises, so does the average price of diamonds. Diamonds will purchase the same now as they did last year, five years ago, or twenty years ago. Diamonds have lasting value.

Some extra helpful hints to keep diamond jewellery looking at its best.

• It is better not to wear diamond jewellery when doing rough work or the dishes. Despite the durability of a diamond, it can be chipped by a hard blow along its grain.

• Take care when doing the housework, not to let diamond jewellery come into contact with chlorine bleach, as it won't harm the diamond but can pit or discolour the mounting.

• When placing diamond jewellery in a jewellery case, be sure to wrap them individually as they can easily scratch each other as well as other gem jewellery. Be sure to take all types of precious mounted jewellery to a jeweller at least once a year to check for loose settings and signs of wear.

CARING FOR YOUR DIAMONDS

Diamonds need caring to keep them looking at their brilliant best. They should be cleaned at least once a month to keep away the "dullness" that can be caused by skin oils, soap, cosmetics and even cooking grease. The only substance that does not stick to a diamond is water. A clean diamond will reflect better light.

There are several ways of keeping diamond jewellery clean.

The detergent bath is performed with a small bowl of warm suds using any mild liquid detergent. Immerse jewellery pieces in the suds and brush gently with a tooth brush. Rinse under warm running water and pat dry with a soft, lint-free cloth.

The quick dip method uses one of the liquid jewellery care products available. Follow the instructions on the kit.

The latest jewellery-cleaning device is the sonic jewellery cleaner. It is electronically operated and comes with its own solution and directions.

Carat

A carat is the unit of measure used to determine the weight of a diamond. The term "carat" is derived from the original method of using carob tree seeds to weigh diamonds. One seed from this tree was equivalent to one carat.

The actual weight of one carat is now established at 0.2 grams. To assist in accurately describing the weight of diamonds each carat is divided into 100 points. Diamonds of less than one carat in weight are known as "pointers". For example, a 0.15 carat diamond would be called a "15 pointer".

Diamonds are usually weighed prior to setting for more accurate measurements. Diamonds are priced per carat, according to their size and quality. Although the carat weight of a diamond is indicative of its size, it is not necessarily indicative of a diamond's quality. Therefore, where two diamonds have the same carat weight, the one of better quality will command a higher price per carat.

Clarity

During the formation of a diamond it is possible for minute particles of non-crystallised carbon or non-diamond crystals to be caught within the diamond. These imperfections are called inclusions and provide each individual diamond with unique characteristics.

Inclusions may not always be visible to the naked eye, however they do interfere with the passage of light through the diamond. Therefore the fewer inclusions a diamond has, the more valuable it is.

Like colour, clarity is also categorised using international grading scales. The categories of clarity are based upon the number, size and position of the inclusions within the diamond.

PINK

It has also been suggested that combinations of dislocations, vacancies, and non-nitrogen impurities cause the much sought-after colouration in pink diamonds. However these theories are still being developed.

Brown

It has been suggested that dislocations in the regular lattice of atoms, caused by severe forces deep in the earth, may be responsible for the brown colouring of champagne and cognac diamonds. The dislocated bonds may affect the light wavelength, thus producing a diamond which is coloured, but which contains no impurities.

Green

A vacancy in the regular lattice of atoms within a diamond results in a green colouring. Carbon atoms being knocked out of their regular position by other particles cause vacancies. The depth of colour usually extends about 2mm below the diamond's surface. At extremely high temperatures the vacancies can become mobile and can combine with nitrogen to form other colours such as mauve, orange, blue or gold.

Blue

The elements of boron may also be substituted within a diamond during its formation. Boron absorbs red light, hence in the absence of nitrogen, diamonds containing boron are blue in colour. An example of a diamond containing boron is the famous Blue Hope diamond. Diamonds containing boron also exhibit unusual electrical properties and are semi-conductive in nature. Hydrogen is another impurity that, in high quantities, can cause grey or blue colouring in diamonds. However, these diamonds are not semi-conducting.

Yellow:

When nitrogen combines with the diamond crystals during the formation stage it causes a surplus electron in the bonding. This surplus electron absorbs blue light, thus giving off a yellow colour. Yellow diamonds also occur when aggregates of three nitrogens combine and cause surplus bond.

Colour

A diamond's colour is one of the most important factors in determining its value. The nearer a white diamond is to being absolutely colourless, the more rare and valuable it is. The graduations in colour are so subtle that intricate international grading scales have been devised.

Diamonds are graded into categories defined by letters. The colour range from exceptional whites (categories D, E and F) to tinted colours (categories M to Z). The best way to pinpoint a diamond's true colour is to place it next to another diamond that has previously been graded.

There are also fancy coloured diamonds and these are graded according to their intensity of colour, not lack of it. There are a variety of reasons for diamonds to be coloured. The most common causes, or suggested causes, for the colours yellow, green, blue, brown and pink are described below.

CUT

A diamond in its natural, uncut state is described as a "rough diamond". Its natural appearance so resembles a glass pebble that most people would pass it by without a second glance. It is the skill of the diamond cutter that unlocks the brilliance for which diamonds are renowned.

If two identical diamonds are placed side by side and one is less brilliant and fiery than the other, the fault lies in the cutting. Such a stone cannot demand as high a price as a well-cut diamond.

It is important to distinguish between cut and shape. Some of the more popular shapes of diamonds include Round Brilliant, Oval, Marquise, Pear, Heart and Emerald. Within each of these shapes, however, it is the cut that determines the quality of the stone. For example, most diamonds are cut with 58 facets, regardless of their shape.

VALUING DIAMONDS

The quality and value of diamonds are measured by four characteristics known as the 4C's. The 4C's relate to a diamond's cut, colour, clarity and carat weight. The quality of a diamond is measured by its cut, colour and clarity. The carat weight measures the size of the diamond. Of all the 4C's, cut is the characteristic directly influenced by man; colour, clarity and carat weight are all dictated by nature.

Diamond Polishing

The polishing of the diamond begins; one by one, facets will be ground on to the stone. A facet is the tiny plane or surface that traps the light and makes a diamond sparkle. Most diamond cuts have 58 facets.

The facets are applied to the diamond on a "turntable", made of porous iron, which has been coated with diamond dust and oil. The diamond is set into a holder and held against the turntable as it revolves at a very high speed.

A diamond has been cut well when its facets are clean, sharp, and symmetrical, and the proportions above and below the girdle are correct. A diamond is correctly proportioned when one-third of the total weight of the gem is above the girdle and two thirds below. A well-cut diamond will be fiery, brilliant and beautiful.

Diamond Cutting

As every diamond is different, a stone must first be carefully examined by the cutter and then marked for cutting. Of all the cuts, the most popular is the round brilliant because of its ability to give a stone the greatest possible brilliance and fire with the most minimal amount of weight loss. The following cutting and polishing procedures uses the round brilliant cut as an example.

The rough diamond is divided into two parts by sawing or cleaving. Most stones are sawn across the "grain" (visible evidence of the diamond's crystal structure) by a paper-thin metal disc coated with diamond dust revolving at high speed or by laser. The stones that are marked for cleaving are split along the grain by a single blow from a steel blade.

After cleaving or sawing, the corners of the diamond are rounded off by a process known as bruting or girdling (only round brilliant cuts require this step). The stone is cemented into a "lathe", a holder that fits on a turning shaft. Another diamond is cemented to the end of a long rod held under the bruter's arm. As the lathe rotates, the two diamonds are brought together and grinded to shape. Diamond dust is produced from this action and is used in further sawing and faceting.

The brilliant now has a girdle-a sort of rim at the widest part by which it is usually set. The size or position of the girdle should not change throughout the rest of the diamond cutting process.

Diamond Cutting and Polishing

The history of diamond cutting and polishing has its origins in India, where it was discovered a long time ago by Indian lapidaries that a diamond could be made to glisten simply by grinding another diamond against it.

Nowadays the diamond and its powder play an important role in the cutting and polishing of diamonds. Over time modern machinery has replaced traditional diamond cutting tools.

Diamond cutting and polishing requires anywhere from several hours to several months to complete. During this process, a diamond will lose on average half of its original weight.

Alluvial Mining

This process involves the extraction of diamonds from riverbeds or ocean beaches. Millions of years ago, at the time the diamond pipes were formed, some diamonds were weathered out of the pipes and carried great distances along rivers and even into oceans.

In order to extract these diamonds from beaches, a wall is built to hold back the surf. Up to 25 metres of sand is bulldozed aside to reach the diamond-bearing level. Once reached, the diamond-bearing earth is removed and transported to screening plants.

Diamond Mining

Diamonds are recovered by way of pipe or alluvial mining.

Pipe Mining
Pipe mining refers to the extraction of diamonds from volcanic pipes. Typically, a very large area has to be covered. An average of 250 tonnes of ore must be mined in order to produce a one-carat gem quality polished diamond.

In most countries, a diamond pipe mine is composed of kimberlite, or blue ground. Initially kimberlite is dug from the surface of the pipes in rough opencast mining. Once the surface deposits have been exhausted, shafts are sunk into the ground at the edge of the pipes, and tunnels are driven into the deeper parts of the pipes. After the diamond-bearing rock is brought to the surface, it is then transported to a screening plant where the diamonds are separated from the host rock.

MINING DIAMONDS

Of all the diamonds mined in the world each year, less than half are gem quality; the rest fall into two other main categories known as near-gem quality and industrial quality diamonds.

Gem quality diamonds display a high standard of excellence in quality and are used in jewellery. The clarity of these diamonds ranges from flawless through to visible inclusions.

Near-gem quality diamonds represent those stones of a quality between gem and industrial, that in fact can be used as either depending on the individual stone. These stones have clarity grades ranging from visible inclusions through to industrial.

Industrial quality diamonds are low quality or badly included stones and are suitable only for industrial use; for example, they are used in dentist's drills and earthmoving equipment.

DIAMOND MINE LOCATIONS IN AUSTRALIA

Today, diamonds are mined in at least 20 countries around the world; the majority of diamonds are found in Australia, Zaire, Botswana, Russia and South Africa.

The Argyle Diamond Mine, the world's largest diamond-producing mine, is located in the Kimberley Region of north Western Australia.

ABOUT DIAMONDS

Diamonds have been a source of fascination for centuries. They are the hardest, the most imperishable, and the brilliant of all precious stones. The word "diamond" comes from the Greek word adamas, meaning "unconquerable".
A diamond is a transparent gem made of carbon, one of the earth's most common elements. The formation of diamonds began very early in the earth's history, when the condensation of solid matter into a sphere caused the centre of the planet to become subjected to incredible extremes of temperatures and pressure.

It was these conditions that caused deposits of carbon to begin to crystallise deep in the earth. As the earth's surface cooled, volcanic activity forced streams of magna (liquid rock) to the surface, carrying with it the diamond crystals. Later, the diamond-bearing rock hardened, encasing the diamonds in vertical volcanic "pipes".

But not all diamonds are found where they first came to the surface. Subsequent erosion of the topsoils over millions of years washed some of the diamonds into streams and rivers, and sometimes as far away as the sea. It is highly probable that they were first discovered in areas such as these, far away from their original location.

Recent Times

During the mid-nineteenth century, diamonds were also being discovered in eastern Australia. However, it was not until late 1970's, after seven years of earnest searching, that Australia's alleged potential as a diamond producer was validated.
On October 2nd 1979, geologists found the Argyle pipe near Lake Argyle: the richest diamond deposit in the world. Since then, Argyle has become the world's largest volume producer of diamonds, and alone is responsible for producing over a third of the world's diamonds every year.

The Middle Ages

During the Middle Ages more attention was paid to the worth of diamonds, rather than the mystical powers surrounding them. Due to the heightened public awareness of the value of diamonds, mine owners perpetuated myths that diamonds were poisonous. This was to prevent the mineworkers swallowing the diamonds in an attempt to smuggle them out of the mines.
The popularity of diamonds surged during the Middle Ages, with the discovery of many large and famous stones in India, such as the Koh-I-Noor and the Blue Hope. Today India maintains the foremost diamond polishing industry in the world.

The Dark Ages

The diamond was also used for some time as medical aid. One anecdote, written during the Dark Ages by St Hildegarde, relates how a diamond held in the hand while making a sign of the cross would heal wounds and cure illnesses. Diamonds were also ingested in the hope of curing sickness. During the early Middle Ages, Pope Clement unsuccessfully used this treatment in a bid to aid his recovery.

Early History

The first recorded history of the diamond dates back some 3,000 years to India, where it is likely that diamonds were first valued for their ability to refract light. In those days, the diamond was used in two ways-for decorative purposes, and as a talisman to ward off evil or provide protection in battle.

HISTORY

From myths about valleys of diamonds protected by snakes, to the production of millions of carats in rough diamonds each year, the history of diamonds is one of mystical power, beauty and commercial expertise.

Places Where Diamond is Found

Approximately, half of the total amount of diamonds originates from Central and Southern Africa. In addition to this, Canada, India, Russia, Brazil, and Australia also accounts for considerable amounts of diamonds. The Argyle Diamond Mine which is located in the Kimberley Region of North Western Australia is famed as the world's largest diamond-producing mine.

Colors

Diamonds are available in a number of exquisite colors ranging from yellow, grey, brown to blue, pink, green, black and red. They can also be colorless to transparent white. The transparent ones are the purest form of diamonds.

Cuts and Clarity

Clarity and Cut are very important for a diamond because they determine the quality of the diamond. Clarity of diamond refers to its purity by bringing out all its defects. Diamonds are basically mined out as rough stones and they are given their popular shape only by cutting which is done both scientifically and artistically.

Uses of Diamond

Diamonds are most popularly used as gemstones for making jewelries from time immemorial because they form the finest ornaments. They have great significance in the industrial sectors also due to their toughness. They are used as appropriate cutting and milling instruments. Their industrial utility is further enhanced by the fact that diamonds are excellent abrasives.

Physical Properties

Coming to its physical properties, it is known to be the hardest natural material to be found. It is known to have ‘four directions of cleavage’. If it is hit in any of these four directions, diamond will break easily. Its melting point is 3820K. Its density is measured as 10 in the Mohs hardness scale. It is also an excellent thermal conductor but is a poor conductor of electricity. It can be burnt if exposed to high temperature and oxygen together. It is marked with negative electron affinity due to which it resists water but easily accepts wax, grease and other hydrocarbons.

Types Of Diamonds

Diamonds are classified broadly under the categories of Natural Diamond, Synthetic Industrial Diamond and Thin Film Diamonds on the basis of their process of origination.

Diamonds remain to be the most fascinating gift that a woman can ever dream about. The word “diamond” is derived from a Greek word “adamas” which stands for “invincible". Due to its atomic structure, diamond is the hardest natural matter. This expensive and translucent gem is made of carbon.

Green Diamonds

Fancy green diamonds are also available. Usually, penetration of the colour is not very deep and is often removed during the fashioning of the stone.

A limited quantity of fancy green diamonds is recovered from the Argyle mine.

Blue Diamonds

Fancy blue diamonds are available in a wide range of shades, from the blue of the sky to a more "steely" colour than sapphire.

Limited quantities of fancy blue diamonds are recovered from the Argyle mine.

Yellow Diamonds

Fancy yellow diamonds come in a broad range of shades ranging from light yellow to a rich canary colour.

A limited quantity of fancy yellow diamonds is recovered from the Argyle mine.

Pink Champagne Diamonds

Attractive champagne diamonds with secondary pink colour are also available and command a higher price per carat than champagne diamonds. These stones display slight to bold flashes of pink in their fire.

Argyle Pink Champagne Diamonds are available in three ranges of shades, from light pink champagne to medium and dark pink champagne.

As pink is one of the rarest colours found in diamonds, even secondary colours demand a higher price depending on depth and strength of colour.

Champagne Diamonds

Champagne diamonds are naturally coloured diamonds that are produced in a wide range of colours from light straw to rich cognac.

The 4C's of colour, cut, clarity and carat weight apply to coloured diamonds just as they do to colourless diamonds except the intensity of colour, not lack of it, plays a greater part in the valuation. Argyle Diamonds created the following scale specifically for champagne diamonds. The diamonds are graded on a C1-C7 colour scale. C1 and C2 represent light champagne, C3 and C4 medium champagne, and C5 and C6 dark champagne. The fancy cognac diamond is graded C7.

White Diamonds

White diamonds are produced by mines all over the world in a wide variety of shapes and sizes.The white diamonds recovered from the Argyle mine are particularly brilliant and of high quality.

Pink Diamonds

The pink diamond is the world's most rare and valuable diamond.The Argyle mine is the world's foremost source of unrivalled intense pink diamonds, producing 95% of the world's supply. However, an extremely small proportion of Argyle Diamonds production is Pink colour, in fact less than one tenth of 1% is classified Pink.