Diamonds before they go in your ring 

A diamond found in nature is made of carbon in isometric crystals. Eighteen percent of the human body weight is also carbon.  Diamonds are carbon atoms linked together for form a lattice structure.  Although diamonds are usually colorless, yellow, blue, green and black diamonds also exist.  Diamonds are the hardest substance known.  When a diamond is discovered, it is almost grey in color and needs polishing and the proper cutting before it becomes the brilliant stone placed in jewelry.  The following will give you a short insight into what goes into taking a diamond from the mines and producing the end product - a beautiful piece of diamond jewelry or engagement ring. 

Diamonds are as abundant in nature as any other gemstone.  The price of diamonds tends to be higher than other gems because of the amount of diamonds released into the market by the few diamond mine owners, like DeBeers, who control majority of the supply.  The supply and demand of diamonds creates the higher prices.  In order to cut back on this inflated cost, we have eliminated the middleman that most mall type diamond stores use.  We keep costs low so we can pass the diamond ring or jewelry savings onto you.  That is why we give you a 7-day trial period.  You can have your diamond ring or jewelry purchase examined by an independent appraiser who will not have a hidden motive to be influenced by making a sale to you.  If you are not satisfied with your diamond ring or jewelry purchase, simply return the diamond ring or jewelry for a refund.   

How are diamonds created by nature? 

Diamonds are the hardest element known.  The densely packed carbon molecules give diamonds their strength.  But how does the carbon in diamonds pack so densely?  Deep beneath the surface of the earth, the temperature increases. In the Earth's mantle, the pressure and heat from the molten rock allows carbon to transform into a diamond.  This whole process takes place about 100 miles below the Earth's surface.  The temperature and pressure needs to be just right of at least 750 degree Fahrenheit.  If these conditions are not met, graphite will be created instead of a diamond. 

Despite having the right conditions in place, it still takes millions to billions of years for the carbon to pack densely enough to become a diamond.  After a diamond is created, it has to move its way up from about 100 miles under the Earth's surface. A diamond is propelled from the Earth's mantle by magma eruptions.  Magma eruptions are like volcano eruptions (but more powerful), and it pushes the diamonds closer to the Earth's surface, where humans can easily reach the diamonds.  Most of these magma eruptions took place about 1000 million to 20 million years ago.   

Diamonds are also found in rivers and glaciers.  The magma eruptions from millions of years ago brought the diamonds up and then the water carried the diamonds great distances away.  Most of the diamonds found in Australia, Brazil, Russia and Africa did not necessary originate there, but were transported by geological activity and water. 

What happens to a diamond in the rough before it ends up in your ring?

A diamond in the rough does not sparkle or look nice and clear like it does in your ring.  Nor is the diamond the same shape that is seen in the finished product.  Instead, it looks like a very dusty grey diamond.  The diamond cutters have to use a variety of techniques to bring out the qualities of the diamond that makes it so appealable.   

A rough diamond is first examined by a planner to see what how to get the largest size, the least amount of inclusions and to optimize the diamonds brilliance.  By marking a diamond, the planner reduces the amount of diamond that is lost in the cutting process.   

Marking A Diamond 

Marking is the first step that a rough diamond goes through.  At this stage, the planner decides the cut, shape location of inclusions and the direction of the facets.  The diamond is then marked to show where the diamond will be sawed, laser trimmed or cleaved. 

Cleaving A Diamond 

When the planner has marked a diamond, the next step is to cleave or sawyer the diamond.  The cleaving process consists of hitting the diamond with a blade or hammer.  This is done along the grain of the diamond.  Any error by the planner or cleaver can ruin the diamond since it is easy to shatter it at this stage.  The cleaving process requires extreme attention to detail, skill and time. 

Sawing A Diamond 

Since a diamond is such a strong gem, it takes an immense amount of strength and power to saw it.  Only another diamond or laser can cut it.  A rotating phosphor bronze disk at the speed of 4,000 rpm is used to shape the diamond.  The diamond is securely clamped while the blade of the disk saws into it against the grain of the diamond.  Diamond dust gives the blade the power needed to cut into the diamond. 

Laser Sawing A Diamond 

Laser sawing allows more options when cutting a diamond.  In laser sawing, the cleaver can cut with or against the grain of the diamond.  This is unlike sawing with a blade, where the diamond must be sawed against its grain. 

Diamond Cutting (especially for an engagement ring or jewelry) 

Once the cleaver is satisfied that he has met the requirements of the planner by following his markings on the diamond, the diamond is then cut.  When a round diamond is cut, the process is known as girdling or rounding.  Again, since diamonds are so strong, another diamond is used to shape it into a cone shape.  Once the diamond achieves it conical shape, the first 18 facets are cut into the diamond by a blocker.  The remaining facets are cut by a brillianteer. 

Polishing a Diamond 

A polished diamond looks very different from its rough form.  A polished diamond is what you find set in your diamond ring.  When a diamond is polished, it is clamped down and sprinkled with diamond dust.  The coarseness of diamond dust polishes the diamond and gives it a smooth finish. 

A diamond engagement ring, now a tradition

The use of a diamond ring in wedding ceremonies originated with the 15the century nobility in Europe.  But the tradition did not pick up in the United States until the 1930's.  Prior to the 1930's, rubies, sapphires, opals and turquoise were given as engagement rings.  The advertising campaign launched by DeBeers changed American perception of diamond engagement rings.  Since the 1940's onward, diamond rings have become a symbol of a couple's engagement. 

What makes a diamond sparkle? 

Nothing makes a girl feel more special than a beautiful diamond ring on her finger.  All of her friends want to see and inspect the gorgeous ring that her loved one presented her when he "popped the question".  The sparkle of the diamond ring lights up her eyes and she gushes as her friends comment, "he must really love you" and "you've found a keeper".  But what makes a diamond ring so attractive?

Diamond rings are attractive because of physics, particularly the science of light.  Diamond rings are set to allow the facets to reflect the light that enters it from all sides.  Light enters a diamond ring from the top, but it bounces back and forth many times before it exits.  The ray of light reflects and bends inside the diamond ring.  The colors disperse to give a diamond ring its brilliance and sparkle.  Cubic zirconia and other diamond look-a-likes cannot disperse light like a diamond, and hence do not shine with the same sparkle either.  No other colored gemstone comes close to the brilliance of a diamond ring as it glitters with each ray of light.

Web design | Indian Weddings| Diamond  Ring |Courtroom legal Animation |  Charminar |  Cheap skate

Copyright © 2004 Diamonds Ring. All Rights Reserved.