ALL ABOUT DIAMONDS

Diamonds are Forever; and Diamonds are a girls best friend; are the two foremost statements about Diamonds. Diamond is the hardest gem and they are relatively scarce. Diamonds can be highly polished which makes them sort after as gems and investment. Diamonds are also relatively less abundant than other gemstones but its supply in the market is controlled by a World Diamond Corporations, based on demand which keep prices sky high and an investment in Diamonds solid.

Wednesday, July 22, 2015

ALL ABOUT DIAMONDS

They say Diamonds are a girl's best friend. So isn't it customary for every girl to know to everything about their best friend? The following blog is all about what every woman should know about Diamonds!

At the very least, each and every woman should know the 4 C's of Diamonds, viz. Cut, Clarity, Colour and Carat. Diamonds comes in various shapes which is rather referred to as "The Cut". There are several cuts, among which are brilliant Round Cut Diamonds, Cushion Cut Diamonds, Marquise Cut Diamonds, Pear Cut Diamonds, Princess Cut Diamonds, Square Cushion Cut Diamonds, Asscher Cut Diamonds, Oval Cut Diamonds, Radiant Cut Diamonds, Emerald Cut Diamonds, Triangle Cut Diamonds, Straight Trillion Cut Diamonds, Baguette Cut Diamonds, Curved Trillion Cut Diamonds, Calf Cut Diamonds and Heart Cut Diamonds.

Diamonds are predominantly white but also comes in various colours which include blue, pink, red and yellow, etc. But White Diamonds comes in many shades which are graded from "Colour" D to Colour Z" in groups of a few letters as seen below. Group D, E and F are considered Colourless and fetch the highest price.

Most Diamonds fall between Group G to J and Group K to M are near colourless or faintly yellow. Category N to R Diamonds are very yellow but the difference between M and N are hardly noticeable. Diamonds in group S to Group Z tend to have a much lower monetary value than the higher groups.

Diamonds have "Clarity" which refers to transparency, luminosity and brilliance with the least amount of unformed carbon specks inside of it. Category FL-IF stands for Flawless and Internally flawless and commands the highest price tag. categories VVS1&2 and VS1&2 are the most commonly used Diamonds for jewelry especially solitaire wedding and engagement rings.

SI1&2 tend to be smaller stones with a lower price tag yet are very beautiful stone. The imperfections inside of them can hardly be seen with the naked eye whereas category I1&2&3 imperfections are visible to the naked eye but are none the less valuable. Having said that, it is far, far, far better to invest in a category I diamond than in a "fugazi", fake, cubic zirconia.

The Diamond shapes below gives you an idea of the pavilions and culets of the various cuts and the image above is a mix of various shades of clear diamonds.

Some of the popular diamond cuts

So whether you say dimons, diamonds or diamonds we know what you mean. The image below constitutes 10 carats of Diamonds, a sight very few people has ever seen. If all these mini diamonds were a single 10ct Diamond, Colour D, Clarity FL and Brilliant round cut it would certainly be valued at approximately two million USD of more. As can be seen the chips below come in various colours, hues, reflections and shades, thus needs to be sorted before it can be used as pave.

Most people have never seen a collection of 10 carats of Diamonds.

The image below shows the geometry of a diamond with its various areas labeled for sake of making conversation about Diamonds. This is what every woman should know about diamonds.

The labels of diamonds

The phyical width of the girdle is tiny but often serves as a name / number plate for the more upscale expensive / exclusive diamonds. Serial numbers and valuation certificate numbers are sometimes inscribed thereon with a lazer.

A diamond laser inscription is often also a combination of letters and numbers etched in a diamond's girdle which serves as a unique ID number which would assist in identifying any particular stone if needs be. Inscriptions help identify your diamond among other stones if stolen or exchanged by unscrupulous diamond merchants.

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TWO TONE JEWELERY

TWO TONE JEWELRY

Jewelry has been around for eons. Mankind has adorned himself with necklaces, wrist, ankle and neck bracelets of every kind since time immemorial. Be it animal bones, sharks teeth, rabbits foot, glass beads, copper plate, silver of gold. Precious stones and noble metals has always been a gift of love.

Jewelry made of Indian Red Gold or Yellow gold has always been a favourite especially for use with coloured stones, like Amethyst, Ruby, Diamond, Sapphire, Tanzanite, Garnet, Topaz, Emerald, Tourmaline etc.

White gold became the favorite for jewelry made to showcase white and clear stones such as White Diamond, white Topaz, White Sapphire, Colorless Zircon, Silver Topaz, Colorless Sillimanite etc, because they are the most versatile choice for jewelry since they complement any and every outfit.

However, two tone gold jewelry has taken the world by storm and it is here to stay. They are exceptionally versatile for both coloured stones and clear stones and has become a clear favourite with new brides. Not only does it look stunning, the workmanship is pure works of art and the finished product, a piece of value to be treasured.

The following pics are just some of the jewelry pieces favoured by brides both young and old. I think two tone jewelry has stood the test of time and will never look dated or unfashionable. If you in the market for a wedding or engagement ring, a dress ring or even a watch, it is high time that you invested in some two tone jewelry with a stone of you choice to the value that you can afford.

Without a doubt two tone jewelry is much more appraised than monotone jewelry. The proof speaks for itself which is seen worn more and more by wedding couples who we photograph.

Rolex watches were one of the first to embrace two tone jewelry before the fashion world caught on. Today you'll find rings in two tone gold bit also two toned stones. Tanzinite and White diamond is a universal favourite and comes in tennis bracelets, rings, pendants broaches, hat pins and even cuff links. Yep fashion jewelry isn't exclusive to women folk, the men folk has cottoned to the beautiful jewelry for the purpose of adornment and investment.

Tuesday, March 31, 2015

DIAMONDS GOING GOING GONE

DIAMONDS ON AUCTION

For quite some time now, I've been shopping around for a very specific nikon telephoto lens for my wifes nikon camera. One could say its like shopping for that perfect diamond. So after checking out several auction sites I finally found what I was looking for, however I decided not to bid because the auction still had two days and a few hours to run. My strategy was to bid a few minutes before it ended. Meanwhile I was looking through some of the other goodies on offer. I saw a coffee mug replica of a canon lens which I was going to buy for R45 as an outright purchase but after reading the small print and the post and packaging information I decided against it. Packaging was an extra R100, more than twice the price of the cup which in the first place I thought was bit expensive, yet I was still willing to buy it. Ya, that underhandedness just put me off.

So I looked at the jewelery since I occasionally buy loose diamonds, wedding and engagement rings. There were several diamond rings even tanzanite and diamond ones. So I looked at the bid price which was really low, so I ticked it as "watch" item. The following day I logged-in once more, only to see that the solitaire diamond ring didn't gain much interest. So I thought I'll make a bid. But first I had to check out the small print and postage and packaging info since some suppliers lose money on the product they sell and try to make up their losses by charging exorbitant postage and packaging fees. The solitaire diamond looked stunning. It was a 1.25 carat stone with 4 double claws. It was a must see.

However looking at the specs it turned out to be a simulated diamond. Not even a CZ. It was fake, a fugazi very cleverly passed off as diamond. Fortunately I didn't bid "on this sudo "diamond". But then again I wouldn't have if I didn't verify the product and even checkout the supplier's record to see what other diamond rings he / she may have sold. I felt a bit disappointed and logged off. Much later, when I realised that the nikon lens auction came to end, I logged in but was too late. The auction had ended but the nikon lens was sold for almost twice as much I was willing to pay.

Anyway to get back to the forgazi "diamond". It is far better to buy a flawed diamond with a visible speck like an I-2 diamond or even an I-3 diamond, than waste any money on a Cubic Zirconia, a lab diamond, or simulated diamond because they have no resale value. They are just a waste of time and money. Besides would you want a "diamond" ring from your man that is worthless? So insist on a real diamond even if its just a speck. It is far better and far more valuable that any of those make believe pieces of worthless bling. Remember that diamond, even just a speck, is already 3 billion years old and you and I will never be able to outlive it. So it is the perfect heirloom to hand down because Diamond is the hardest substance known to man and nobody can outwear it. Diamonds are forever and diamonds are a girl's best trend.

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Thursday, October 30, 2014

BLOOD DIAMONDS

"Diamonds are Forever" and "Diamonds will last an Eternity" are two absolutely true statements that we have come to associate with Diamonds. Hence, we give our loved ones Diamond Jewelry especially when getting married, because we want our marriages to last as long as Diamonds do. Some couples even exchange Eternity rings after a few years of marriage with the intentions and the hope that their love and marriage will last an "Eternity". Every Diamond is also absolutely unique and giving a Diamond or Diamonds to your betrothed shows that you value their uniqueness as a person. Essentially a unique gift for a unique person.

A Flawless Diamond as small a one carat (+/- 6mm girdle) is worth a lot more than the average car, an by giving a diamond as a gift signifies the value we attach to the recipient. However, in conflict zones human life is worth a lot less than even a little diamond. The following book depicts such a situation.

Blood Diamonds by Richard MacAndrew

Blood Diamonds is an Award-winning fiction for English learners of English covering levels from Starter to Advanced. The story line covers Diamonds smuggled from the bloody civil-war zones of Africa and traded illegally for weapons. Hence these Diamonds are known as "blood diamonds". Blood Diamonds is written by Richard MacAndrew. The full feature movie by the same title starring Leonardo DiCaprio as a diamond smuggler depicts what conflict diamonds are all about. It is a worthwhile movie to view and even though fictitious, has enough truth in it to read between the lines.

Diamonds and Tanzanite rings are the in-thing today hence brides are insisting on them and grooms are keen to supply since they cost quite a bit less than an all diamond ring.. However there is a very great likelihood that Tanzanites are going to outstrip diamonds in value in the near future. The logic behind this, is that Diamond mines are found in numerous countries across the globe whereas Tanzanites are only mined in Tanzania. When the Tanzanite mine in Tanzania doesn't produce anymore, the prices of Tanzanite is going to skyrocket because of its scarcity. Currently De Beers / Anglo America is controlling or rather limiting the amount of diamonds that hits the markets so that the prices stay high. Besides the value of the raw diamond, it is the "value add" the cut, the polishing and the setting that ultimately gives a diamond wedding or engagement rings its true value. Diamonds has been a hot topic for some time and carol Channing tells us that "Diamonds Are a Girl's Best Friend".

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Wednesday, June 26, 2013

WHAT EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW ABOUT DIAMONDS

DIAMONDS ARE A GIRLS BEST FRIEND

But the most fascinating fact about Diamonds is, that virtually each and every Diamond is at least a billion or more years old some as old as 3.3 billion years. According to gemmological scientists, the world's oldest known Diamonds found in Western Australia are 4.25 billion years old. Diamonds started to form inside the Earth's mantle more than 3 billion years ago due to extreme heat and pressure. In this environment, the carbon atoms inside a Diamond uniquely bond in pyramid crystalline structures; it is this composition which makes Diamonds so vital for industrial applications. These and other unique properties are what makes Diamonds the most sought after gems in the world so much so that its demand outweighing its supply.

The hardness Diamond has been superseded by two new materials. The first called OACC (Ordered Amorphous Carbon Clusters) and the second ADNRs (Aggregated diamond nanorods).

Blue and White Diamond, Wedding and Eternity Rings in White Gold.

Diamonds can roughly be described by four descriptors viz, Carat: which refers to the weight of the diamond. 1 carat equals 200 miligrams. Colour: which refers to how white a gem is and ranges from D to K or even L to M, The best Colour is D which is called Ice White and referred to a River Diamonds. Cut: refers to to the shape of the Diamond which could be a Princess Cut, Brilliant round cut (RBC), Emerald cut, Marquise, etc... RBC being the most common shape. Clarity: refers to the quantity of carbon particles inside the diamond that will inhibit light reflection. The code for clarity ranges from F for Flawless, IF for internally flawless, VVS for very very small inclusions, VS for very small inclusion. F to VVS inclusions are not visible to the naked eye and a 10x jewelers loupe is required to see them. I stands for inclusion, and any Diamond with grading I, I2 I3 or any other grading implies inclusions that are visible with the naked eye. But more about this later.

Modern diamond mining started in the 1870s in South Africa, after the Star of South Africa
Diamond (83.5 carats) was found on the banks of the Orange River. This started the Diamond
rush by 1888 in Kimberley. Soon prospecting increased and more diamonds were discovered
in other Southern African locations. The diamond industry has since expanded across
Southern Africa, making it the primary global location for diamond sources today.

The old adage "Diamonds are Forever", is a truism that few realize. Diamonds have been around virtually forever and will definitely still be around for a long, long time after the demise of you and me. Diamonds therefore makes the best heirlooms, ever appreciating in value. Diamonds are scratch resistance because it's the hardest natural material known making Diamonds the hardest gemstone in the world. Diamonds can cut glass and even steel which makes them sought after for industrial applications among which are cutting, drilling, grinding and electronic superconductor applications. Diamonds are so hard they are almost indestructible.

Not every diamond mined will end up on a engagement or wedding ring, necklace, broach or other jewelry item. Only about 30% of all Diamonds are sold for their gem quality, the remaining 70% of Diamonds are sold for industrial applications. Regardless of this, Diamonds are very, very expensive because of the exorbitant cost incurred in mining to recover them from the its blue rock (kimberlite). But that's beside the cost of expertise to assess the rough Diamonds prior to cutting and polishing. The value add of cutting and polishing is what brings out the Diamond's magnificence, glitter and luster. Essentially the more perfect the cut the better the light reflection and the greater the luminance.

The Perfect Diamond is completely transparent without any color, but in reality virtually no gem-sized natural rough diamond is absolutely perfect or transparent, they tend to have inclusions, which actually make each one unique. Inclusions are imperfections and pin pricks of black carbon visible inside Diamonds. Every Diamond doesn't have the same luminance, brightness and colour, hence they are divided by Colour and Clarity. In fact there are thousands of different categories into which Diamonds can be sorted, dependent on size, shape, quality and colour. The majority of natural Diamonds however fall within a range from colourless and a subtle yellow tint. As such Diamonds with a less than subtle color difference towards yellow are normally discounted in price, whereas the colour intense Diamonds known as "fancies" are dramatically more valuable. "Fancies" range from black, to gray, to blue, to orange, to red, to pink, to yellow, to purple, to champagne, to brown, to green or to white.

Red Diamonds are the rarest but Blue Diamonds are highly prized. The famous 45.52 carat Hope Diamond is steel Blue with a current estimated value $300 to $350 million US. The 273.85 carat Centenary Diamond is the highest grade White Diamond totally colorless, both internally and externally flawless. It is also 6 times the carat weight of the Blue Hope Diamond but valued at $100 million US, a mere third or the Hope Diamond. Pink Diamonds are however the most expensive.

Diamonds are found in many countries around the world, but the majority (approximately 65%) are found in Africa. The main Diamond producing countries are South Africa, Botswana, Angola, Namibia, Democratic Republic of Congo, Australia, Canada and Russia. This gives rise to the Diamond industry which currently produce an estimated $13 billion US worth of rough Diamonds annually with approximately $8.5 billion US worth originating from Africa. Globally Diamond jewelry sales exceed $72 billion US annually and employs approximately ten million people around the world, ranging the spectrum from mining to retail.

Thursday, June 20, 2013

DIAMONDS ARE A GIRLS BEST FRIEND

INTRODUCTION TO DIAMONDS

The "Big Hole" Kimberley is probably the most famous Diamond mine on the planet. The Kimberley "Big Hole" is so aptly named because it is the largest man made hole in the "hole" wide world. Anglo American now owns 85% of De Beers DTC who owned the Kimberley Diamond Mine amongst so many other Diamond mines in South Africa and dominated the Diamond business globally until their monopoly officially ended in 2001. De Beers DTC had been buying up all global production of rough uncut diamonds in order to influence Diamond prices.

Huge multi carat rough uncut diamonds in various colours and crystal types.

However, numerous lawsuits were filed in the Law Courts of America, alleging that De Beers willfully and unlawfully bought-up Diamond stockpiles and monopolized the world's Diamond supplies, conspired to raise, control and fix Diamond prices, and misrepresented the Diamond trade with false and misleading advertising. Diamond prices today are still based on the four C's, viz: Carat, Clarity, Colour and Cut but prices are also heavily influenced by gemologist certification. There are several gemological societies / associations in the world, each having their own standards often incompatible with one another. Among them are EGI (European Gemological Laboratory International), GIA (Gemological Institute of America), IGI (International Gemological Institute), AIG (American International Gemologists), AIGS (Asian Institute of Geological Science), AGS (American Gem Society), GII (Gemological Istuitute of India) to mention but a few.

But to come back to the mine, the size of the Kimberley hole cannot be imagined, it has to be seen to believe how big it really is. Underground mining ceased in 2005 after a 134 years of constant mining. The visible blue/green water inside the big hole is highly toxic and corrosive and several people who committed suicide by jumping into the acidic water were later found totally unrecognisable since the acidic water consumed their skin especially their features.

Buildings on the periphery dwarfed by the size of the big hole Kimberley.

Diamonds are in abundance but with modern day mining methods, it only seems financially viable to mine them if a yield 21 carats of diamonds per 100 000 tons of rock crushed and sorted can be made. This process calls for huge earth moving machinery and manpower which comes at a huge expense. Each diamond unearthed was pushed up through the earths crust from at least a 150kms, to end up in blue rock kimberlite pipes and is more than a billion years old. Diamonds are also the hardest known gem and measure 10 on the Mohs scale. Gem quality polished Diamonds also have the most amazing luster and brilliance. It is these unique properties of Diamonds that makes them special, sought after and very, very expensive. For example a 54 facet 10 carat solatair round brilliant cut (RBC) diamond colour D, with VSS clarity can fetch a price of up to and even exceeding $450 000 US subject to other factors. Hence most wedding / engagement rings normally come in the .05 caret - 1.0 caret range or perhaps a bit more. A 2.0 ct solitaire diamond ring would cost way more than the average person would be willing to spend unless it is bought as an investment.

The Kimberley Big Hole - The largest man-made hole in the whole wide world.

Three other open mines in Kimberley are still in production and the tailings of the big hole mine is still being reprocessed to this very day collectively producing some 1.8 million carats at its peak.

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