The world’s greatest diamond mines!
Each and every beautiful dazzling diamond comes from somewhere; each one has a history and a place of origin. Certain terrains are home to the most fruitful mines in which diamonds, both coloured and clear, can be discovered. Mines are predominantly located in African countries, South American countries, India, Canada or Australia.
Here are a few of the world’s most impressive diamond mines which have produced some of the most exquisite sparklers!
The Catoca mine, Angola
This is boastfully the 4th largest diamond mine in the world, located in Angola, South-Central Africa. The mine sits on a kimberlite pipe and is owned by several international mining interests from Angola, Russia and Brazil.
The low-down on diamond inclusions
Everybody wants the perfect diamond! Unfortunately, it is extremely rare to find a diamond which does not exhibit any imperfections. Diamond inclusions are characteristics which exist inside a stone. They are most commonly referred to as flaws, because their presence creates a diamond which is not perfect. Perfect diamonds are available, but at a high price. Many of us will look at purchasing diamonds with varying types or numbers of both external and internal flaws.
Inclusions are often described to be like fingerprints, unique features which provide a unique signature. It is important to get familiar with your diamond, both inside and out, to personalise the gem, to help you identify and describe the gem, and to assess the gem’s clarity and value.
Inclusions may be crystals of a foreign material or another diamond crystal, or the prescence of structural imperfections such as tiny cracks that appear cloudy or white. The size, number, colour, relative location, orientation, and visibility of inclusions can all affect the relative clarity of a diamond. A clarity grade is assigned based on the overall appearance of the stone under 10x magnification.
35 Interesting Diamond Facts
We have always been facinated by the diamond, and continue to adore its beauty, brilliance and natural perfection. The diamond is the most wanted gemstone in the world. But why do we love diamonds so much? Here is some fun diamond trivia to highlight the wonders of our favourite gemstone.
- Diamonds are made of carbon
- A diamond is a semi-conductor
- Diamond is the best tool for cutting glasses
- Round cut diamonds have 58 facets
- Diamonds were originally mined in India over 2,800 years ago
- There are over 16,000 different classifications of diamonds
- Only one diamond in a million will weigh one carat or more
What are the differences between diamond grading labs?
Consumers need to be aware that there are variations between different diamond labs when making a diamond purchase. Although many reputable jewellers offer uncertified diamonds with their own brand name or appraisal included, ideally a diamond should come with a grading report from a well known and reputable lab.
Most diamonds sold come with a diamond certificate or grading report which authenticate a diamond’s attributes. These reports will include features such as cut, shape, carat, colour, clarity, dimensions, etc.
There are many different diamond grading laboratories, but no across the board standards so different labs can produce different reports for the same stone.
Several renowned grading agencies in the United States and Europe have high reputations and different levels of standards:
- Gemological Institute of America (GIA): The foremost authority on diamonds. They set the standard for accuracy in grading diamonds particularly based on colour and clarity. Labs from all over the world commonly use GIA master set stones to compare colours and clarity grades when they're uncertain on a grading.
What are ideal diamond proportions?
Proportions determine a diamond's brilliance (the amount of light reflected back to your eye), fire (the flashes of colour due to prismatic separation into the colours of the rainbow) and scintillation (sparkling movement of light as you move the diamond). If ideal proportions are used in the creation of diamonds, their overall excellence can be optimised.
In 1919 Marcel Tolkowsky was responsible for discovering the basis of what is now regarded as the “Ideal Cut” diamond. The Mathematician formed a Masters thesis on the proportions for round brilliant cut diamonds.
Supposedly, he conducted his research by asking Londoners to select the most appealing diamond from a small group. He combined these observations with those of his family’s Belgian diamond cutter business and then applied maths and physics to confirm why certain proportions produced the best looking diamonds.
The image shows a single example; in fact Tolkowsky’s theorem predicted a range of proportions with varying combinations of pavilion and crown angles that could enhance brilliance and fire. A variation on this was the Eulitz cut, developed in 1972 and considered to be ‘mathematically perfect’.
The Skinny on Diamond Fluorescence
Fluorescence can seem to be an intimidating subject when choosing a diamond, however armed with the correct knowledge it becomes clear that it's just another factor that needs to be taken into account and is ultimately owing to personal preference and budget.
What is Fluorescence?
In technical terms, fluorescence is the tiny particles in a diamond which most typically emit a blue light, when placed under UV lighting.
As graded by GIA, the fluorescence of a diamond is measured on a scale from None (no fluorescence), Faint, Medium, Strong and Very Strong. The strength of fluorescence in a diamond is not directly correlated to the colour or clarity of the diamond, meaning that the colour and clarity have no influence on the whether the diamond will have fluorescence or not. Diamonds of different colours and clarities can have exactly the same level of fluorescence.
Cushion Brilliants vs. Cushion Modified Brilliants
If you've been looking into purchasing a cushion cut diamond you may have noticed that the choice isn't as simple as just asking for a cushion cut diamond. Not only is it available in either a square or rectangular shape, but there are several different variations on the cut alone. In this post we'll explain the new descriptions being used to categorize the cushion cut.
The Cushion Debate
Recently there has been a debate in the diamond world involving the cushion cut and all its variations. The discussion stems over whether the newer, “Cushion Modified Brilliants” are in fact more brilliant than traditional “Cushion Brilliants”. Over a number of years different variations of the cushion shape have been cut and modified, with the intentions of either creating a unique style, preserving the most amount of diamond weight from the rough, or in an attempt to improve appearance. As more
A Diamond is Forever, and in Terms of Investment Value, Will Always Last
The phenomenon and lust of a diamond has stood the test of time. Diamonds were once believed to possess special healing and mystical qualities, and in 1477 a tradition was born when Archduke Maximillian of Austria gave Mary of Burgundy the first diamond engagement ring. Countless references in every aspect of modern culture engrain the tradition even more, ensuring that the popularity will never falter.
Hence, in this sense, it is reasonable to suggest that any purchase of a diamond is an investment. However, in terms of profit and business investment, it is much more specific. If the outcome of the investment of the diamond is set on millions of profit, such as stones that are seen auctioned at legendary Christie’s, for example, then size and quality does matter. Taking into account the Four C’s (for more information, please see our Diamond Buying Guide) is the most important factor as the rarer the diamond, the more sought-after and the more it is going to be worth in monetary value. D-coloured and Internally Flawless stones of a significant carat weight are going to be the money-makers. Fancy coloured diamonds such as Canary diamonds and pink diamonds will also be valuable, due to their rare beauty.
Introduction
Welcome, we hope this blog will help you gain a greater understanding about diamonds and diamond jewellery, helping you navigate through the common pitfalls of choosing a diamond or diamond jewellery and who knows, it could even spark a lifelong love affair with this rare and beautiful crystallized carbon gemstone, that is a diamond.
So if you are a novice or budding expert, interested in ethical jewellery, conflict free diamonds, latest diamond jewellery trends, naturally coloured diamonds or just curious what all the fuss is about, this blog is sure to have a little facet for you.
Who we are
Seventy Seven Diamonds is a collection of individuals that came together to form a new kind of jeweller dedicated to making diamond jewellery an affordable luxury. From diverse backgrounds, across jewellery, diamonds and web there is a collective knowledge and experience which brings you beautiful, sleek, classic and modern jewellery combined with one of the largest selections of diamonds, globally, at extremely competitive prices.
So what are you waiting for, dive in and find your own little piece of sparkle!
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