Each
Carbon is strongly bonded to four others
in a cubic crystal structure to form
a tight, right structure. This makes
diamond extremely hard, making it the
hardest of all known substances.
Under very high pressure, and temperatures
up to 2000°C pure carbon crystallizes,
creating the most desired gemstone;
the DIAMOND. The annual world production
amounts to approximately 100,000,000ct.,
of which only 50% are of gem-quality.
Each diamond is unique, therefore it
has to be studied in detail in order
to determine the most advantageous manner
of processing it, with a minimum loss
of weight while obtaining the best possible
clarity.
Diamonds
burn brightly as symbols of love.
For centuries, they have conquered
hearts, launched romances, marked
anniversaries. Kings and queens covet
them. Movie stars flash them. Some
of the planet's hottest and coldest
spots produce them. In story and song,
the desire for diamonds is as enduring
as diamonds themselves.
Sifting
mountains of rock, in the harshest
of climates, produces rough diamonds.
A ton of diamond-bearing rock may
yield half a carat. The frozen wastes
of Siberia, the desert outback of
Australia, thousands of feet below
ground in Southern Africa, the desolate
reaches of Northwest Canada--these
are the crucibles of today's diamonds.
If it is earth's ability to squeeze
carbon into the hardest substance
known, it is the hand of man that
coaxes out its luminous personality.
Slip
a diamond on your finger and you wear
a piece of geological history 70 million
years old. Though diamonds are cut
to rigorous standards, nature endows
each with its own identity. Tiny quirks,
most invisible to the naked eye, exist
in the form of specks, bubbles and
feather-like lines. Among the millions
of carats mined each year, truly flawless
diamonds number in the hundreds. These
rarest of beauties are the costliest.
How
diamonds are cut affects their brilliance.
Traditional cuts radiate an almost
incandescent spark of light. A modern
version called the Ideal cut is said
to trigger a rainbow of fire-like
color. Debate over "light"
and "fire" rages on. Which
to buy is in the eye of the beholder.
Both can be dazzling.
Diamond Properties:
| Color
Possiblilities: |
Colorless,
Yellow, Orange, Brown, and black.
In some very rare cases: Red,
Blue, Green, and Purple |
| Chemical
Composition: |
Carbon
- C |
| Chrystal
Structure: |
Cubic
- Isometric |
| Hardness: |
10 |
| Specific
Gravity: |
3.52 |
| Refractive
Index: |
2.42
- Singly Refractive |
| Dispersion: |
0.044 |
| Fluorescence:
|
Photoluminescence
- A natural occurrence of some
diamonds, the emission of a visible
glow stimulated by invisible wavelengths,
UV light. Diamonds can flouresce
any color; the most common color
is blue. The strength of flourescence
is described in the following
terms:
None: Also known as inert
Faint: Occurs around the
girdle's edge
Moderate: The body glows,
but not strongly
Strong: The whole stone
glows brightly |
Diamond Optical
Beauty:
The way a diamond reflects and refracts
light is dazzling to the eye of the
beholder. There are four factors that
determine the optical beauty of a
diamond:
Luster: The quantity and quality
of light reflecting from the surfaces
of a diamond.
Brilliance: The amount of white
light returned to the eye from the
diamond.
Dispersion: The amount of rainbow
colors returned to the eye from within
the diamond.
Scintillation: The sparkle,
which is the combination of luster,
brilliance, and dispersion when there
is movement by the wearer or light
source.
|
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