Understanding the Beauty and Prestige of the Green Diamond Ring

All green precious stones are emeralds, right? At least that’s what many people think. In fact, however, they are quite wrong if they do.

Emeralds are certainly beautiful gemstones. And they make wonderful jewellery. However, as jewellers and gem connoisseurs know there is a green stone more precious than any emerald; green diamonds. And while emerald rings are beautiful, a green diamond ring is often even more so.

Green diamonds are far from common. In fact, they run close in rarity to blue diamonds, like the one which constitutes the legendary Hope Diamond. This means that a green diamond ring is something truly special.

Why are Green Diamonds Green?

Scientists, diamond mining experts and jewelry professionals worldwide have spent a great deal of time and money investigating the exact cause(s) for the various colors diamonds inherit as they develop beneath the earth. And they really haven’t reached a complete agreement as to why this natural phenomenon occurs, but there are some widely held beliefs that are now generally accepted as ‘right’.

In the case of green diamonds, the coloration in most of them is believed to be due to natural radiation from nearby rocks, which traps electrons to create a green surface color.

Brown-tinted diamonds can also turn green, or reflect a greenish color, if the rough diamond ore manages to reach excessively hot temperatures as they continue to develop.

The Challenge of Cutting Green Diamonds

Most natural-color green diamonds have a color that is only “skin deep.” This prevents many of them from being cut into faceted gems that retain a distinct green color. Diamonds with a green color that is evenly distributed through the stone are exceptionally rare.

When the green color is confined to a thin layer just below the natural surface of the rough, the shape of the finished diamond must be carefully planned to preserve as much green color as possible. Often the diamond is cut to preserve green color around the girdle of the stone or sometimes to preserve color in the culet. With a small volume of color to start and sometimes only a portion of it remaining, these green diamonds are a special challenge to cut and can really only be handled succesfully by very experienced professionals.

Green Diamond Color Variations

Green diamonds can be found with single, pure color, but most often contain one or even two secondary hues. The various overtone colors of a green diamond found are Yellow, Yellowish, Blue, Bluish, Brown, Brownish, Grey, Grayish, Gray Yellowish, and Grayish Yellowish.

The green color, whatever the secondary hue is extremely unique. So much so, that it is actually somewhat difficult to determine whether a green diamond is natural or treated. Many polishers purposely leave what is referred to as a Natural along the girdle of the stone. The purpose of the Natural is so any diamond associations, such as the GIA, can identify the natural color of the stone and thereof award it a certified diamond certificate without too much difficulty.

Do Green Diamond Rings Have a Meaning?

Many people like to assign ‘meanings’ to precious gemstones and green diamonds are no exception. The ‘meaning’ of a certain green diamond ring may depend on its actual shade of green. The green diamond, in general, has a very strong emotional correspondence with safety as it is probably the most restful color for the human eye. Green also suggests both stability and endurance. However, aqua green is associated more with emotional healing and protection while olive green is the traditional color of peace.

As an engagement or anniversary ring, a green diamond ring can be considered very special indeed. Not just for all the reasons we have just stated, but also simply because they are truly beautiful and unique.

The post Understanding the Beauty and Prestige of the Green Diamond Ring appeared first on Asteria Magazine.

source http://blog.asteriadiamonds.com/2018/09/24/understanding-the-beauty-and-prestige-of-the-green-diamond-ring/

How to Buy Diamonds From a Jewellery Show: Expert Tips

Imagine there was an event that brought together some of the top diamond experts and jewelers in the world in a space that is completely devoted to the beauty of jewellery in its many forms. Stop imagining, there actually is. It’s called the International Jewellery London show and recently, Asteria Colored Diamonds was proud to be a part of this globally recognised gathering and jewellery show.

Staged this year at the Olympia in London, the IJL (as it is more commonly known) is an annual event that has been staged for over 60 years (the first show was held in 1955 at the Royal Albert Hall) and several generations of exhibitors and visitors have been part of IJL for decades, coming back each and every year to be inspired, marvel at the jewellery and the craftsmanship behind it, meet the industry ‘ people’, and much more.

IJL may be over for this year but if you were to go next year, with an eye towards making a diamond purchase as well as admiring everything on offer just what should you be looking for? How do you best go about doing so at a jewellery show? While they are many things to consider – and amateur buyers should always seek expert advice where they can from jewellery show exhibitors for themselves – here are just a few pointers to keep in mind:

Remember to Evaluate All of the 4Cs

Various very important characteristics of diamonds are graded and categorized by the diamond industry in a standardized way. To learn about diamonds in general, you first need to learn about the “four C’s” of diamonds — those four characteristics which are considered the most important in determining a diamond’s value.

These are the criteria jewelers use when grading diamonds, and they’re the ones you’ll need to understand to buy the right diamond for you at any jewellery show (or in general)

Cut

In the diamond industry, we use the term “cut” in two rather different ways. We use it in the first instance to describe the shape of a diamond – an “emerald cut” diamond for example and then the term is also used to describe the reflective qualities of a diamond.

This second usage (the reflective qualities) is the one that is graded is given a score on diamond certificates.

Clarity

Very few diamonds – especially colored diamonds – can be said to be completely flawless. So they are graded according to the number and type of flaws that they do contain. Grades range from Flawless – those rare diamonds which are completely free of blemishes and inclusions to Included 3, which are diamonds that demonstrate significant blemishes that are visible to the naked eye. Obviously, the ‘higher’ on the scale a diamond scores the more expensive it is likely to be.

Color

When jewelers speak of a diamond’s color, they are usually referring to the presence or absence of color in white diamonds. Fancy colored diamonds, the kind that Asteria Diamonds specialise in and showed at the Jewellery Show, are exempt from this ‘rule’ however because it is their color that makes them valuable and desirable.

Carat weight

A carat is the unit of weight by which a diamond is measured. Because large diamonds are less common than small diamonds, the price of a diamond rises exponentially to its size.

There is a Fifth C to Keep in Mind

Even after you have evaluated the 4Cs of a diamond at a jewellery show like IJL there is a fifth C to keep in mind. That fifth C stands for Certificate and every high-quality diamond has one. It is a complete evaluation of the diamond that has been performed by a qualified professional. Each stone bears its own recognizable, individual characteristics, which are listed on the certificate. It’s like a report of sorts and something that, if you are buying a diamond at a jewellery show you should always ask to see.

Original Source: https://www.prlog.org/

The post How to Buy Diamonds From a Jewellery Show: Expert Tips appeared first on Asteria Magazine.

source http://blog.asteriadiamonds.com/2018/09/17/how-to-buy-diamonds-from-a-jewellery-show-expert-tips/

What You Need to Know About Pink Diamond Engagement Rings

Years ago, way back in 2002 in fact, Hollywood actor Ben Affleck caused quite a stir when he proposed to singer/actress Jennifer Lopez, especially as the normally slightly staid Bostonian did so with a 6.1-carat pink diamond engagement ring in hand. It’s doubtful if Mr. Affleck actually intended to influence the popularity of pink engagement rings when making his grand (and ultimately doomed) romantic gesture, but he did.

Once the world’s media picked up on Jennifer’s ring the interest in pink diamond engagement rings skyrocketed, and that interest remains very much alive today. But what is the appeal of the pink diamond? Do pink diamond rings have a special meaning? What should you know about them and just how much do pink diamond engagement rings cost? Let’s take a look and see.

What are Pink Diamonds?

Of all the colored diamonds pink is not only one of the rarest but also one of the most mysterious. Just why they are pink, for example, is still a matter of considerable debate in both the diamond buying and scientific communities.

The current consensus is that diamonds take on a pink hue when forming diamonds are subjected to unusually great pressure. This is a theory gaining ground as 80% of the world’s supply of pink diamonds comes from the Argyle Mine in Kimberley, Western Australia. The area was once subject to a series of very intense seismic shocks and scientists and gemologists who have studied both the mine and the diamonds believe that those shocks propelled colorless diamonds to the surface prematurely, changing their molecular structure, giving them their attractive pink color.

The “Meaning’ of Pink Diamond Engagement Rings

Most people know that certain ‘meanings’ are usually attached to gemstones of all kinds. These are not at all scientific of course, just general lore. In the case of the pink diamond, because it is so rare, pink diamond engagement rings are said by many to not only denote luxury but the ‘rarity and beauty’ of the recipient. Some also say that they enhance creativity and confidence and, according to some, may even ‘ward away evil’. Whatever you think of them, however, there is no doubt that pink engagement rings are beautifully eye-catching and a joy to wear.

Buying Pink Diamond Engagement Rings

In reality, because they are so very rare, finding a completely flawless pink diamond is almost impossible. In fact, at the moment there really is only one pink diamond that experts classify as truly flawless is a diamond known as the Pink Star, a diamond which, after changing hands several times was finally sold at an auction in Hong Kong for USD 71.2 million in 2017.

Because of this lack of perfection, any pink diamond engagement ring will have at least tiny ‘flaws’. Not flaws that can be seen by the naked eye, but flaws that can be detected by experts with relative ease.

When buying a pink diamond engagement ring the diamond buying ‘basics’ should still come into play; cut, color, clarity, and carat weight. While the cut is of huge importance – as it really does influence the diamond’s ‘sparkle’ in the case of a colored diamond like a pink diamond color is obviously crucial.

Many pink diamond engagement rings are crafted using diamonds that vary in both color intensity and in secondary hue. Many pink diamond engagement rings that boast a secondary hue are still extremely beautiful and valuable and have a unique appeal all of their own. And it almost goes without saying that when shopping for pink diamond engagement rings it is always best to work with an expert jeweler and insist that all diamonds are GIA certified, the standard for the finest diamonds in the world.

The post What You Need to Know About Pink Diamond Engagement Rings appeared first on Asteria Magazine.

source http://blog.asteriadiamonds.com/2018/09/12/what-you-need-to-know-about-pink-diamond-engagement-rings/