| Diamonds Are Forever |
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The world famous diamond is the gemstone of Venus and the most expensive gemstone in the category of gemstones. Placed on a ring and offered during marriage proposals, the diamond stone has become a synonym of auspicious houses and a symbol of love and power. But how come and everyone in the world dreams to posses, at some point in their lives, at least one of these precious gemstones? Being a mineral form, the diamond is formed by carbon's prolonged exposure to high pressure and temperature. As experts attest, due to its extreme hardness, the diamond gemstone makes an excellent abrasive, since it can be scratched only by other diamonds. In fact, the diamond is the hardest known natural material widely known for its industrial and jewelry applications. With an annual mined production of about 130 million carats (26,000 kilograms), the diamond industry is one of the most affluent ones, resulting in a total venue of nearly USD 9 billion per year. Known for at least 2,500 years, diamonds were used as engraving tools very early in human history. But their popularity has risen during the 19th century as advanced mined techniques were introduced and supply increased. Today, the majority of the diamonds are produced in southern Africa (49%), while other production units include the countries of India, Canada, Brazil, Russia and Australia. Furthermore, as the years passed, jewel professionals advanced their cutting and polishing techniques and improved the appearance of this beautiful stone. Economic growth and successful advertising campaigns introduced by producers and retailers, managed to create a dynamic diamond market, whose audience mainly focuses on this valuable gemstone's shape and clearness. Among its multiple exceptional physical characteristics, the transparent attribute of the diamond's crystal is the main quality upon which its name was based. Derived by the Greek word "adamas," which means "invincible," the diamond gemstone became famous worldwide as it was the focal characteristic in jewelry and embellishment items. But the quality and the worth of a diamond depends on the famous four Cs: carat, clarity, color and cut. The carat is simply the weight measurement of a diamond's mass. All else being equal, a diamond's value increases exponentially in relation to its size. A diamond's clarity depends on the number of internal defects, called inclusions and created during a diamond's formation phase. The less number of inclusions a diamond has, the higher its clarity and thus its commercial value. But a diamond's color is another matter. While a chemically pure and structurally perfect diamond should be totally transparent and no hue or color should exist, this is something totally impossible. Thus, depending on a diamond's hue level and coloration, the value of a diamond might increase or decrease. Pink and blue diamonds, for example, are much more valuable than white ones, while white diamonds that have a yellowish hue worth less than clearer, more transparent cousins. Finally, a diamond's cut is widely considered the most important of the four Cs in determining the beauty and thus the price of a diamond. According to experts, the human act of cutting a diamond from a rough mineral stone is a crucial factor of a diamond's value later on. In fact, the angles in which a diamond is cut denote the quality of workmanship and create the diamonds different shapes and styles -like point, table, old single, mazarin, peruzzi and old European cuts. Whether worn by "aristocrats" or "peasants," diamonds have been the subject of envy or joy. Displayed on wedding rings or crowns, diamonds are considered more than ever to be a powerful gemstone that requires special attention from the prospective buyer; not only because of their symbolism, but mainly due to their investment value. |