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Category: diamonds

  • how to care for your diamond 201

    How to Care for Your Diamond

    Caring for a diamond takes more than
    occasional cleanings. Diamonds are forever,
    but they can be damaged if you are not
    careful. By learning how to properly care for
    your diamond, you will ensure that your
    diamond is indeed forever.

    First, you should take your diamond jewelry
    to a jeweler once a year. Have him check the
    mountings and prongs that hold your
    diamond in place. Have him make any
    needed repairs. This will prevent your
    diamond from falling out of its setting and
    becoming lost.

    Diamond jewelry that is not being worn, or
    diamonds that are loose should be stored in
    a fabric lined jewel case, or in a jewelry box
    where it can be kept separate from other
    jewelry. Each piece should have its own
    compartment. This will keep diamonds from
    becoming scratched, and it will also keep
    your diamond from scratching other jewelry
    as well.

    Remove your diamond jewelry when doing
    physical work. Diamonds can be chipped
    and scratched easily. Also avoid allowing
    your diamond to come into contact with
    bleach or other household cleansers this
    can damage or change the color of the
    settings and mountings, and it may even
    irreversibly change the color of the
    diamond!

    ()

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  • 30 How diamonds are mad

    30 How diamonds made

    Diamonds form between 75-120 miles below the earth’s surface. According to geologists the first delivery of diamonds was somewhere around 2.5 billion years ago and the most recent was 45 million years ago. The carbon that makes diamonds comes from the melting of pre-existing rocks in the Earth’s upper mantle. There is an abundance of carbon atoms in the mantle. Temperature changes in the upper mantle forces the carbon atoms to go deeper where it melts and finally becomes new rock, when the temperature reduces. If other conditions like pressure and chemistry is right then the carbon atoms in the melting crystal rock bond to build diamond crystals.

    There is no guarantee that these carbon atoms will turn into diamonds. If the temperature rises or the pressure drops then the diamond crystals may melt partially or totally dissolve. Even if they do form, it takes thousand of years for those diamonds to come anywhere near the surface.

    It takes millions of years to make a diamond. When you own a diamond, you own something which is a legend in the making. It has not been made in a factory just the other day. A diamond comes from the bosom of the earth. More interestingly not all the diamonds mined are made into jewelry. Only one fourth of the diamonds that are mined are made into jewelry. Every 100 tons of mud produces one carat of a diamond. And this one carat is not one stone! It could be anything from 0.005 ct to 1 ct. because much of the original stone is cut away in the process of cutting, shaping and polishing the diamond.

    Diamonds come in different rough shapes. The next time you look at your diamond, think about the amount of time, energy and resources have gone into making that one.

  • 47 Citrine

    47 Citrine
    Citrine is any quartz crystal or cluster that is yellow or orange in color. Although, often cut as a gemstone, citrine is actually somewhat rare in nature. Citrine is one of the most affordable gemstones, thanks to the durability and availability of this golden quartz. Named from the French name for lemon,”citron,” many citrines have a juicy lemon color, but like all gemstones, there is a range of colors that can be exhibited as citrine.

    Citrine colors include yellow, gold to orange brown shades of transparent quartz. It’s a cheery-looking stone, and affordable and is popular as a gemstone for jewely. In ancient times, citrine was carried as a protection against snake venom and evil thoughts.

    Although the darker, orange colors of citrine, sometimes called Madeira citrine after the color of the wine, has generally been the most valued color, in modern times, many people prefer the bright lemony shades which mix better with pastel colors. Citrine is generally more inexpensive than amethyst and is also available in a wide range of calibrated sizes and shapes, including very large sizes.

    Sometimes you will hear citrine referred to as topaz quartz, which is incorrect. This name was used in the past in reference to the color, which is sometimes similar to the color of topaz. Since topaz is a separate mineral, this type of name can be confusing and should not be used. However, citrine is considered an alternative to topaz as the birthstone for November.

    Since most citrine on the market started its life as amethyst which was heated to turn its color to gold, citrine jewelry, as well as amethyst jewelry, should be kept away from prolonged exposure to strong light or heat. With this precaution, citrine jewelry will last for many generations.

  • 50 Other

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     50 Other

    The appeal of diamonds and other precious gems has endured for eons. They confer on the wearer a feeling of beauty, value, status. We are drawn to them and we all have our personal favorites. Sometimes its our birthstone. For others, a particular stone reflects a favorite color. There is almost a magical feeling when you are near them, the energy they create it is palpable.

    While the clear diamond has been the traditional stone of choice for engagement and wedding bands, other stones are actually more valued and prized because of their rarity. The sapphire has often been the stone of choice for royal betrothal rings. When Princess Diana selected her 18-carat sapphire-and-diamond engagement ring, she selected one of the rarest stones on the earth. When Jennifer Lopez was engaged to Ben Affleck, she sported a 6-carat pink diamond ring. Camilla Parker-Bowles chose an emerald ring when she became engaged to Prince Charles.

    Weve become even more fascinated with beautiful jewelry because of the popularity of celebrity venues like award shows. Often this jewelry is on loan to the celebrity. At one time, we could only look at pieces like that a sigh wistfully. But with the creation of cubic zirconia, a nearly identical chemical twin to the diamond, we can satisfy some of our more extravagant whims without breaking the bank! And theres no reason to let on that maybe that fabulous new ring youre wearing isnt really diamonds. Let everyone think your boyfriend or husband got a financial windfall and spent it all on you!

    But when you can afford the real thing, theres really nothing like it, is there? Is there a prized piece in your collection? Do you wear it often, or only on special occasions? If you dont wear your jewelry often, give yourself a lift and start bringing that special ring out on regular occasions. It can certainly brighten up a dreary Monday when youre wearing something special!
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  • about diamond weights 204

    About Diamond Weights

    Diamonds are measured in Carat Weight.
    One carat weighs 200 milligrams. If a
    diamond is referred to as four grains, this
    also means that it is a one carat diamond.
    The word Carat comes from the word carob.
    A carob is a bean that grows on a tree in the
    Mediterranean. In times past, if a diamond
    weighed the same as a carob bean, it was
    one carob, or one carat.

    However, in the far east, where Carob trees
    do not grow, rice was used to measure the
    weight of a diamond. If a diamond weighed
    as much as four grains of rice, it was four
    grains or one carat as we know it to be
    now. The majority of diamond purchases
    are for diamonds that are 1/3 of a carat.

    Beware when shopping for diamonds that
    are already set or mounted. If more than one
    diamond is used in the piece, the tag on the
    jewelry will give the CTW or Carat Total
    Weight it does not tell you the carat weight
    of each stone in the piece. You need to ask
    the jeweler for the total carat weight of the
    largest diamond in the piece to truly
    understand what you are buying.

    ()

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  • 25 Spanish Inquisition Necklace

    25 Spanish Inquisition Necklace

    One doesn’t normally associate beautiful jewelry with the time of the Spanish Inquisition. But in the Smithsonian Institution’s collection of gems, there is an exquisite necklace of diamonds and emeralds.

    It is a spectacular double row of diamonds and emeralds ending in a chandelier of emeralds. There is unfortunately very little information about the provenance of this necklace. The large diamonds and Columbian emeralds were most likely cut in India in the 17th century. This would make them one of the earliest examples of cut gemstones in the Smithsonian’s Collection. There are really only legends surrounding this necklace. They indicate that it was worn at times by Spanish and French royalty. In the early 20th century, it was purchased by the Maharajah of Indore, whose son sold the necklace in 1947 to Harry Winston. Winston subsequently sold the necklace to Mrs. Cora Hubbard Williams of Pittsburgh. She bequeathed it to the Smithsonian in 1972.

    Emeralds are a form of crystal known as beryls. Beryls are normally clear crystals, but when infused with chromium or vanadium, they attain various gradations of green. The purest green are the rarest emeralds and many people actually prefer an emerald that has a blue-green tint.

    Before the 16th century, the only known emerald deposits were in Cleopatra’s Egyptian mines. But after emeralds were discovered in Columbia, those became the “gold standard” in emeralds. Columbian emeralds have been discovered by archaeologists among artifacts of such tribes as the Inca, Maya, Aztec, Toltec and the lesser-known Chibcha Indians. Emeralds are among the rarest of gemstones and can be more expensive per carat than even the finest diamonds! They are a hard mineral, with a Moh’s hardness scale of 7 or 8 (compared to a diamond’s 10). While most emeralds are found in Africa, Russia and Africa, there have been discoveries of emerald deposits in North Carolina!

  • famous diamonds 406

    Famous Diamonds

    Among the most well known diamonds is the
    Hope. This 45.52 carat steel blue diamond
    is currently on display at the Smithsonian.
    The legends of the ill-fortune and curse
    bestowed on the possessor of the Hope
    Diamond are many. This diamond was
    donated to the Smithsonian in 1958. The
    Hope was originally a rather flat, blocky
    110-carat rough.

    The Dresden Green stands out among the
    natural colored diamonds. It is the largest
    green diamond in the world weighing
    40.70 carats. This diamond is historic, large
    and has a natural green color with a slight
    blue overtone. These facts make it virtually
    priceless.

    The Conde Pink is a pear shaped and
    weighs 9.01-carats. This pink diamond was
    once owned by Louis XIII.

    The Tiffany Yellow diamond a beautiful
    canary-yellow octahedron weighing 287.42
    in the rough (metric) carats discovered in
    either 1877 or 1878 in South Africa. The
    gem after cutting boasts the extraordinary
    weight of 128.54 carats. And until recently,
    was the largest golden-yellow in the world.

    The Koh-I-Noor ( Mountain of Light ) is now
    among the British Crown Jewels. This
    diamond weighs 105.60 carats. First
    mentioned in 1304, it is believed to have
    been once set in Shah Jehans famous
    peacock throne as one of the peacocks eyes.

    The Agra is graded as a naturally colored
    Fancy Light Pink and weighs 32.34 carats.
    It was sold for about 6.9 million in 1990.
    Since this sale, it has been modified to a
    cushion shape weighing about 28.15 carats.

    The Transvaal Blue is pear cut. This blue
    diamond weighs 25 carats. It was found in
    the Premier Diamond Mine in Transvaal,
    South Africa.

    The Great Chrysanthemum was discovered
    in the summer of 1963, in a South African
    diamond field. This 198.28-carat fancy
    brown diamond appeared to be a light
    honey color in its rough state. However,
    after cutting, it proved to be a rich golden
    brown, with overtones of sienna and burnt
    orange.

    The Taylor-Burton Diamond is a pear-shaped
    69.42 carat diamond. Cartier of New York
    purchased this diamond at an auction in
    1969 and christened it “Cartier.” The next
    day Richard Burton bought the diamond
    for Elizabeth Taylor. He renamed it the
    “Taylor-Burton. In 1978, Elizabeth
    Taylor put the diamond up for sale.
    Prospective buyers had to pay $2,500
    each to view the diamond to cover the costs
    of showing it. Finally, in June of 1979, the
    diamond was sold for nearly $3 million dollars.

    ()

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  • 35 Corundrum

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    Corundum is the form of mineral from which sapphires and rubies are derived. The mineral is naturally clear, but can have different colors when impurities are present.  HYPERLINK “http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Transparency_%28optics%29” o “Transparency (optics)” Transparent corundums are used as  HYPERLINK “http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gem” o “Gem” gems, and if theyre red, then theyre rubies, while all other colors are called  HYPERLINK “http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sapphire” o “Sapphire” sapphire. The word corundum comes from the  HYPERLINK “http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tamil_language” o “Tamil language” Tamil kurundam Due to corundum’s hardness (typically 9.0) it is commonly used as an  HYPERLINK “http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abrasive” o “Abrasive” abrasive in machining, from huge machines to  HYPERLINK “http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sandpaper” o “Sandpaper” sandpaper.  HYPERLINK “http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Emery_%28mineral%29” o “Emery (mineral)” Emery is an impure and less abrasive variety, with a  HYPERLINK “http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mohs_hardness” o “Mohs hardness” Mohs hardness of 8.0. Youve probably used corundum hundreds of times when youve filed your nails with an emery board!

    Corundum is actually the second hardest substance on the earth, after the diamond, and as such has many industrial uses. Corundum is crushed, ground and screened to varying grain sizes. The grains are utilized in the manufacture of grinding wheels for flour and rice mills, and workshops. Grinding wheels are manufactured either by a mixture of corundum, clay and feldspar or by using sodium silicate as a bonding agent. Finer grains are utilized for the preparation of grinding-pastes for the automobile industry. Corundum paper and cloth finished to belts, discs, rolls, sheets and other shapes are prepared by giving a suitable coating generally of sodium silicate.

    Due to its hardness corundum also finds use in mortars, wire drawing dies, thread guides and gauge blocks. Gem varieties are sometimes used for pivot supporters in delicate scientific instruments, as jewel bearing in watches. Corundum in small quantities is used in the manufacture of special sparking plugs, mufflers, pyrometer tubes, rods and insulators for vacuum tubes of all kinds. Finely ground corundum, passing through 200 mesh, is used for the manufacture of the above products by giving them a bond of clay.
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  • 15 Clarity

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    Diamond clarity is one the 4Cs of diamond qualities. It refers to any flaws, or inclusions in the diamond, and how visible or detectable they are. Inclusions can be foreign substances, or minute cracks or flaws. It also refers to the appearance of any surface flaws or scratches. As with the color grading scales, clarity also has a grading scale, with FL used to denote a flawless diamond. What FL means is that there are no flaws or inclusions that can be seen when the stone is examined under 10X magnification, the standard for examining for flaws.

    Other clarity designations are:

    IF stands for internally flawless. This means there are no internal flaws or inclusions, although there may be small surface flaws.

    VVS1 and VVS2 stand for Very Very Slight inclusions that are difficult to see under magnification. VS1 and VS2 indicate Very Slight inclusions that can be seen under magnification but are invisible to the naked eye.

    SI1 and SI2 denote Slight Inclusions that may or may not be visible to the naked eye.

    I1, I2 and I3 are “imperfect”, with inclusions clearly visible to the naked eye. For I3, the inclusions impact the brilliance of the diamond and are large and obvious.

    In most cases, there is nothing that can be done about flaws or inclusions, although in recent years lasers have been used to enhance some inclusions or fractures in diamonds by filling them in, much the way small dings in a windshield are filled in.

    Certainly the most highly valued diamonds are those that are flawless FL – or internally flawless IF. But excellent values can be obtained at the VVS and VS grades, as these are flaws not visible to the naked eye, but only to an experienced grader under magnification.
    
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  • 40 Beryl colors

    40 Beryl colors

    As much as we love diamonds, we’re also in love with colored stones and gems like aquamarines and morganite, which can range from peach to lavender in color, are becoming more and more prevalent in gemstone jewelry.

    Beryl is the mineral from which emeralds are created. But beryl comes in a variety of colors, making it a versatile gem. Morganite is probably the most popular of the other beryls. It has a pastel pink to peach or lavender which is similar in intensity to the blue of aquamarine. Morganite has been marketed as “Pink Emerald” and “Pink Aquamarine” to emphasize the kinship to its popular cousins. It was first discovered in California. It was also discovered in 1908 in Madagascar. There are also deposits in Brazil, Mozambique, Namibia, Afghanistan, and Russia. However, morganite is relatively rare, which stands in the way of it becoming a jewelry stone.

    Heliodor, or golden beryl, is named after the Greek words for sun – helios – and gift – doron. The sunny yellow color of this beryl lives up to its name. Heliodor was discovered in Namibia in 1910 in a pegmatite that also produced aquamarine, which is also colored by iron. Heliodor is also found in Brazil and Madagascar. The largest faceted heliodor, 2,054 carats, is on display at the Smithsonian Institution in Washington D.C.

    Red beryl is the rarest member of the beryl family. It is mined in only one place: the Wah Wah Mountains in Utah. The color is stoplight red. Unfortunately this deposit produces only a small quantity of this gem. Most of the gems produced are under a carat in size, and many have inclusions. Specimens that are over a carat and clean are fantastically rare and are priced as such.
    Colorless beryl, which is also known as goshenite, is also relatively rare. It is named after a deposit where it was found in Goshen, Massachusetts. The Greeks used colorless beryl as lenses; the first spectacles were probably beryl.