A form of carbon compressed over literally millions of years, diamonds have been used as adornments or for decorative purposes for thousands of years.
The use of large diamonds by royalty and other upper classes, as well as for religious purposes, has been proven through found artifacts dating back to ancient India.
The diamond has properties that make it unique and highly-valued in the gemstone world, including hardness (it is said that nothing can scratch a good diamond except a better diamond), crystal properties, refractive index, cleavage and color-or lack thereof.
More than anything, the hardness and clarity of the diamond lend to its much-desired presence.
A fair diamond is more beautiful than many emeralds, rubies or sapphires, and a brilliant diamond is truly something to behold.
The refractive index and perfect cleavage allow for light to be reflected perfectly, and the better a diamond is cut, the more beautiful it is.
This brilliance allows the diamond to be well-worn upon the finger.
The use of a diamond ring for engagements or even promise rings may seem like a somewhat modern trait, but again evidence of the practice has been found dating back hundreds to thousands of years.
Any diamond is generally a good diamond, but of course, some are much more highly valued than others.
Clarity of the diamond is important-a foggy or contaminated diamond will not reflect light as well as a clear one.
Size (or carats) is one indication of how much a diamond is valued, but don't be fooled-half-carat perfectly-cut, clear diamond would be much more expensive than a one carat, pale yellow, poorly cut diamond.
Diamonds are tinted through natural exposure to other minerals and gases through the compression process in the earth.
Nitrogen is the most common contaminant and will result in a yellow or brown-toned diamond.
Other contaminants result in different colors.
But not all tinted diamonds are lower on the value chart-very deep-toned browns (aka chocolate) as well as deep yellows, pinks, reds and other colors can make a diamond really pop, and these colors are highly-desired.
Rare deep-toned colors aside, the one "C" (the others being clarity, carat and color) that is the most important is cut.
Since cut is a man-made factor, there is little excuse for a poorly-cut diamond.
A well-cut diamond will shine brilliantly in a ring, and will acquire value more value over time than a poorly cut one.
The use of large diamonds by royalty and other upper classes, as well as for religious purposes, has been proven through found artifacts dating back to ancient India.
The diamond has properties that make it unique and highly-valued in the gemstone world, including hardness (it is said that nothing can scratch a good diamond except a better diamond), crystal properties, refractive index, cleavage and color-or lack thereof.
More than anything, the hardness and clarity of the diamond lend to its much-desired presence.
A fair diamond is more beautiful than many emeralds, rubies or sapphires, and a brilliant diamond is truly something to behold.
The refractive index and perfect cleavage allow for light to be reflected perfectly, and the better a diamond is cut, the more beautiful it is.
This brilliance allows the diamond to be well-worn upon the finger.
The use of a diamond ring for engagements or even promise rings may seem like a somewhat modern trait, but again evidence of the practice has been found dating back hundreds to thousands of years.
Any diamond is generally a good diamond, but of course, some are much more highly valued than others.
Clarity of the diamond is important-a foggy or contaminated diamond will not reflect light as well as a clear one.
Size (or carats) is one indication of how much a diamond is valued, but don't be fooled-half-carat perfectly-cut, clear diamond would be much more expensive than a one carat, pale yellow, poorly cut diamond.
Diamonds are tinted through natural exposure to other minerals and gases through the compression process in the earth.
Nitrogen is the most common contaminant and will result in a yellow or brown-toned diamond.
Other contaminants result in different colors.
But not all tinted diamonds are lower on the value chart-very deep-toned browns (aka chocolate) as well as deep yellows, pinks, reds and other colors can make a diamond really pop, and these colors are highly-desired.
Rare deep-toned colors aside, the one "C" (the others being clarity, carat and color) that is the most important is cut.
Since cut is a man-made factor, there is little excuse for a poorly-cut diamond.
A well-cut diamond will shine brilliantly in a ring, and will acquire value more value over time than a poorly cut one.