Black Diamond: Mysterious Brilliance
If diamonds are a girl’s best friend, black diamonds are her sassy, sexy sister.
Cut, clarity, and color may be the standards of quality for white or colored diamonds, but black diamonds have their own rating system that reflects their unique beauty and value. Black diamonds are evaluated using the Gemological Institute of America (GIA) colored diamond grading system.
Is it any wonder that I would tackle this brilliant stone? I wanted to contribute something new and original to my craft. Something novel, something of substance, something unexpected.
My “Ah ha” Moment
Years ago, I was in a class at Parsons School of Design. I was a beginning metalsmith, and a friend asked if I could set a black diamond as a gift for her mother. First, I had no idea how to set any kind of stone, let alone a diamond. Second, I didn't even believe it was a diamond. I suspected she had been duped, and it was something else.
The minute she showed me the stone, I was in love. This dark black sparkled in the most amazing way. The only other time I'd seen that was with – well, a diamond. I had no idea what they cost, but I knew I wanted to learn to work with them.
At this point in my nascent career, I simply had no time to become attached to Black Diamond. There were so many other things I had to learn as my business grew. Working with black diamonds would be a difficult learning process, but when the time was right, I knew it would be worth the effort.
History of Black Diamond
You might wonder why black diamonds were not considered among the rarest of “fancy” diamond colors. Black Diamond is common in nature; however, it's often unsuitable for cutting due to its poor quality. High-quality specimens are a rarity. And, much like my first encounter with a black diamond, it’s largely an unknown gemstone.
The benchmark among black diamonds was well known both for its provenance, once belonging to a Russian princess, and for its size. At 67.50 carats, the cushion-shaped Black Orlov was reportedly cut from a 195-carat rough crystal. Another notable black diamond is the 202-carat Black Star of Africa.
Black Diamond Jewelry was formally launched in 1997, and Swiss luxury jeweler de Grisogono has produced more than 3500 pieces set with black diamonds. For an unfamiliar stone that is difficult to cut and was originally of little interest, the success of de Grisogono’s black diamond line should be enough to dispel all doubts.
Manufactured Black Diamond
The rarity of fine black diamonds affects their price, so it should be no surprise that counterfeiters would resort to a variety of methods to imitate these unique gems. Natural black diamonds have been mimicked in the lab, with hematite sometimes faceted to simulate them. One process involved exposing the stones to radium salts to achieve the desired color range. Thankfully, stones treated in this way can be detected as they reveal a deep green, brown, or red hue when examined under strong light.
Professional Jewelers understand that black diamonds have long been underrated. They know, too, that this gem deserves the interest it receives if only by reason of its deep lustrous color. The combination of the almost total absorption of visible light with a diamond’s inherent hardness gives polished black diamonds a luster that is often nearly metallic. Laboratory black diamonds simply don’t make the cut.
The Challenge of Cutting Black Diamond
Black diamonds are more difficult to cut than white diamonds. While black diamonds are not difficult to source, a quality cut is everything. The biggest obstacle to black diamonds' popularity is the difficulty of achieving a smooth, lustrous finish. Their shimmering color results from a myriad of microscopic graphite or inclusions that absorb light, giving the gems their inimitable luster.
A primary hindrance of cutting and polishing black diamonds is the irregular growth of the diamond crystals and the sparse occurrence of inner growth of multiple crystals. Special polishing wheels have been developed for processing black diamonds. The rough crystals often have uneven surfaces from inclusions, which slows down the polishing process and may even require different polishing directions on a given facet.
It is exceptionally difficult to anticipate the quality of the finished stone before beginning the cut. Professional experience, intuition, and plain luck all play a part in the process. All the while, the stonecutter is not sure what the result will be. To make black stones truly come alive and sparkle is a painstaking process and an accomplishment to be respected.
Black Diamond Properties
Black diamonds (carbonado) possess a maximum hardness of 10 on the Mohs scale, making them the hardest natural material, equal to colorless diamonds. It also has the same structure, form, and properties as a white or colored diamond. The stone's resistance to abrasion, or hardness, is the key physical property of a diamond. As the hardest of all minerals, a diamond can scratch other minerals but can only be marred by another diamond.
Composed of carbon in the cubic crystal system, it often contains traces of nitrogen and boron in numerous crystalline forms. Under a microscope, “birthmarks” may be observed embedded in the texture due to the presence of elements other than carbon.
A black diamond is more likely to splinter when cut than a white diamond. However, once cut, a black diamond is statistically harder.
What is an Inclusion
Inclusions are internal materials—solids, liquids, or gases—trapped inside a gemstone during its formation, also referred to as "birthmarks". These imperfections can be other minerals, cracks, or bubbles that help gemologists identify the stone's origin and authenticity. Inclusions are crucial for distinguishing natural gems from synthetic ones.
As diamonds form, inclusions and imperfections can occur during crystallization. In the depths of the earth, diamonds are subjected to variations in temperature and pressure, as well as contact with other materials.
Occasionally, inclusions are visible to the naked eye, but they are generally observed under a magnifying glass, where they occur as black or white “pits.”
There are three categories of inclusions.
- Sheet or fissure fractures, which resemble cracks in a pane of glass.
- Gaseous or liquid inclusions that affect neither cutting nor the value of the stone, although of course, people would debate this.
- Solid inclusions of various origins. These include crystallized or amorphous matter, as well as isolated or clustered material.
Black Diamond - A Secret Truth
Many clients do not even realize black diamonds exist. There is a small learning curve because everyone knows that with white diamonds, it is all about "cut, color, and clarity."
Clarity is not applicable to black diamonds; however, color tone is paramount. Black diamonds are rated using a specialized system that focuses on intense, uniform color rather than the traditional 4Cs used for white diamonds.
I do not think I have ever introduced my black diamonds to someone who was not surprised by their beauty and fascinated with them.
Black Diamond Color Tones
The color of black diamonds comes from their large number of light-absorbing inclusions, and the color is not always uniform. When the gem quality is good, these inclusions are brilliant; if not, they are dull and matte. Their color is further affected by the presence of nitrogen atoms, which replace carbon atoms.
All-natural black diamonds may appear to have a uniform dull black tone. However, they occur in four color tone quadrants: pale, bright, dull, and deep. The top quality is an intense, opaque black with a high, almost metallic luster. Those showing secondary hues, such as brown or green, may be less popular.
And since black diamonds don’t show tonal or saturation differences like pink, blue, or yellow diamonds, they’re simply assigned a single color grade: “Fancy Black.”
- Dull black diamonds contain no modifiers and are often referred to as ink or midnight black.
- Pale black diamonds contain gray and are often called charcoal or gun-metal black.
- Bright black diamonds may contain slight amounts of green, blue, or purple, which are usually detectable near the thin girdle edge with the aid of a strong lamp.
- Deep black diamonds contain a subtle brown color visible only under strong illumination.
Black is a true color. As Stephen C. Hofer noted in his 1998 treatise Collecting and Classifying Coloured Diamonds, “Black is a colour. It is in every way as definite and unique as red, blue, or white. From a visual viewpoint, the colour black denotes the absence or negation of colours; from a psychological standpoint, black is the darkest sensation evident to the eye and the mind.“
Why Take on the Challenge of Black Diamond?
In the nearly 30 years since black diamond jewelry was launched, black diamonds have truly come into their own. I was captivated by the deep, dark hue that enhances the vividness of all that surrounds it, and its enduring allure has only grown stronger in the years since I set my first stone.
A pure, intense, and uniform black color is the most prized and rare, making it the key factor in desirability and sending my design instincts into a joyful, intense process of designing a line that would celebrate black diamonds’ beauty, resilience, and mysterious brilliance.
While I abhor it when designers claim you can take a piece of jewelry from daywear to evening wear, it is absolutely true with black diamonds. I personally love a simple strand with a V-neck tee or sweater and jeans.
Yet, they are evening-elegant as well. Obviously, how you use design around a particular cut or stone is important, but I simply feel they look fantastic with almost anything. Set with 14k gold or white diamond accents, these gemstones offer endless design possibilities and endless opportunities to pair them with your favorite jeans or elegant evening wear.
Black diamonds and white diamonds are an ideal study in contrasts. After all, black and white share the same qualities. Black and white, darkness and light, yin and yang. The Black Diamond market is soaring beyond belief, and this is only a start. I hope you will treasure every piece in this collection as much as I do.
You might also like these blogs:
What's Your Origins Story - Origins Birthstone Collection
Gem Silica Beautiful, Brilliant & Bold
Fashion Tips for Women Over 50
0 comments