Author: Leslie M. Quesenberry

Have you really thought about where the diamonds on diamond rings come from? Or better yet, has it ever crossed your mind how long it took for this precious gem to evolve and become the “tiny, brilliant, d�cor” that women have on their necks as an ornament? Can one ever imagine what it takes for this so-called “woman’s best friend” to finally exist and be one of the most sought-after possession one would wish to have?

The requirements for a diamond to form are one part “natural”, one part “scientific” and one part “laborious.” The process for this “precious and rare element” requires many long, tedious, and intricate stages. Not to mention that to have the most brilliant cut of a diamond, you will have to ask “mother nature” to “vomit” one and require a human hand to sculpt it such.

Geologists say that first diamonds reached the earth’s surface 2.5 billion years ago.

The formation of diamonds originates from the melting of prior existing rocks in the earth’s upper mantle, commonly, the carbon element. Not all carbon atoms become diamonds during the procedure of transformation. They either melt or totally dissolve when the temperature rises too high.

Diamond’s journey starts from the asthenosphere, the earth’s layer lying 75-125 miles below the crust. Diamonds come to the earth’s surface when volcanic activity forces it and other rock minerals to go upward through a massive explosion underneath. This explosion will then create an opening, known as the volcanic pipe. This pipe then becomes the “depository” of the diamond and other rock minerals that have been shot upward and have fallen back to the pipe by the volcanic explosion. Not all the diamonds in the pipe remain in it and become discovered by miners. Most of the deposits are washed away either by rock erosion or water splashes emitted during the volcanic activity.

With all the conditions that have to exist during the formation of diamonds, some diamonds come up differently. Diamonds usually form as rounded octahedral and twinned octahedral, depending on the conditions that they have been formed in. Because of the diamond’s crystal structure, diamonds normally have cubic arrangement of the atoms. With its varying ways of formation, diamonds have developed numerous facets, such as cube, octahedron, and tetrakis, hexahedron to name a few.

Diamonds are billions of years old which is part of their mystique and their charm. There’s only so many natural diamonds in the earth and when they are all gone there will be no more.

Author: Gregg Hall

Diamonds are a woman’s best gift and are the perfect gift for a wedding or an engagement, one of the most precious and valuable stones of today. Diamonds are a symbol of love, romance and power. However the groom-to-be finds it very difficult to choose the perfect diamond ring for his bride. Knowing the four famous Cs, which are cut, color, clarity and carats of a diamond is not enough to choose the ideal ring. So, one should know exactly how to choose the precious stone.

The style most popular today is the polished round one. It was one of the first cuts and carves that was developed and it depends totally on mathematical equations to create a stone with fire. It is one of the most brilliant creations of the early lapidates.
Brides always want the best and most unique ring for their special day. These days diamonds are available in many shapes and sizes. For instance, they are pear shaped; heart shaped, diamonds shaped like a tear drop, oval shaped, emerald and so on. We have so many choices today, that it has become very difficult for us to choose our diamonds. We even have the choice of getting our diamonds cut according to the shape we choose. There is unique faceting of the stone also available, like the square princess cut diamond.

There are a few patented authentic cuts that are available too, such as the long Ashoka diamond, Arprey and Garrad Eternal cut diamond, Elara which is a square cut diamond, whose corners are rounded, Asscher diamonds which are square with rounded facets, Couples diamond which are diamonds that form the shape of the circle of hearts, or arrows, a symbol of love and romance.

Though diamonds are not a very rare precious stone, its distribution has been controlled by the market, thus making it a very valuable and high priced gem. Diamonds are ranked according to their clarity. It should have a mirror like effect. The clearer the diamond, the more expensive it is. Diamonds are priced according to their carat weight. The prices keep fluctuating in the market; however the purest form of the diamond is very high priced. A one carat diamond costs more than 10point diamonds and two carat diamonds cost double the price of one carat diamonds.

A diamond is the ultimate gem stone. It is a polymorph of the element carbon. It is one of the most powerful gems and is a pure symbol of love, romance and power. It absorbs the negative energy that comes to the body. It calms the brain, making us very relaxed. It is known to take away nightmares. It is a sign of prosperity. A diamond can be enhanced with accompaniments such as baguettes and trillions.