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Q.
What is a diamond?
Ans. Diamond, the
hardest known material is pure carbon, crystallized under a very high
pressure and temperature. In nature, such an environment exists only at
depths of 150 to 200 km below the surface of the earth. Volcanic eruptions
drive the diamond bearing rocks called "Kimberlitic" and "Lamproite" to
the surface of the earth where the diamonds can be
extracted.
Q.
Where do diamonds come from?
Ans. Diamonds are mined in
many parts of the world, but 80% of the stones on the market today come
from Angola, Australia, Botswana, Namibia, South Africa, Russia and Zaire.
All of these sources might appear to indicate great availability; most of
the rough extracted from the ground is not suitable for gems; only about
20% of all rough diamonds are suitable for gem cutting.
Throughout
history India was the only source of
diamonds in the world. In the second
half of the 19th century, the first
diamonds were discovered in Africa and
soon after a "diamond rush" started. The
first diamond diggers worked
individually by hand, but when the pits
became deeper large mining companies
were established, exploiting the diamond
mines with mechanical equipment. Today,
the most important diamond supplying
countries are Australia and Congo for
industrial diamonds and Southern Africa,
Australia, Congo, Russia, Namibia and
Botswana for gem quality stones.
Q. What
determines the value of a gemstone?
Ans. There are several
factors that determine the value (and price) of a
gemstone: Color - The strength
and purity of a gemstone's color is of prime importance. There is no
established "right" or "wrong" color, and there are literally thousands of
shades of red, blue and green, for example. Therefore, you should make
your selection according to your own personal taste.
Cut - The cut of a
gemstone is of extraordinary importance. The proper cutting emphasizes the
richness of the gemstone's inherent color, which is the focal point of the
gem's beauty that attracts the eye.
Clarity - While the
clarity of a gemstone is an important feature, it is equally important to
remember that completely "flawless" gemstones scarcely occur. Inclusions
are inherent to practically every gemstone and are nature's way of adding
variety and individuality to a gemstone. Even the most expensive contain
some inclusions.
Karat
Weight -
Obviously, the size or weight of a gemstone also affects its
value.
Q. How
are diamonds mined?
Ans. The mining
methods are very diverse, depending on how diamonds present themselves at
the earth's surface. Mining of Kimberlitic pipes involves "open-pit" or
"underground mining". When freed by erosion from the Kimberlitic matrix,
diamond crystals are carried along by rivers. Riverbeds are dug away and
the river silt is sieved. This technique is called "alluvial mining".
"Marine mining" is the exploitation of sandy coastal strata by dredging.
Finding diamonds can thus be the result of large industrial operations,
but also of small-scale methods, or even manual labor. Diamonds are rare.
It is usual that 250 tons of rock, sand and gravel must be processed to
yield one carat of diamond. The annual world production amounts to
approximately 100 million cts of which only 20% are of gem
quality.
Q. What
are the “Four C’s” of diamond quality?
Ans. The key to a diamond’s
value is its rarity, and no two diamonds are alike. Rarity is determined
by a diamond's unique characteristics as measured by the Four Cs: Cut,
Color, Clarity and Carat Weight. Using these criteria, a small diamond of
exceptional quality will likely be more valuable than a larger diamond of
lower quality.
Q. How
are diamonds transformed from rough to
polished?
Ans.
rough diamond obtains its final shape
and brilliance by a succession of
manufacturing processes : cleaving,
sawing, bruiting and polishing.
Q. What is a “Carat”?
Ans. Diamonds are weighed in carats. One carat
equals a fifth of a gram. This means that a diamond of 50 points weighs
0.50 carats. The name "carat" comes from a seed of the carob tree. The
seed was called "carubis" and had an approximate weight of about 0.2
grams.
Q. What
is “Clarity”?
Ans. Created by nature, most diamonds contain unique
birthmarks called “inclusions” (internal) and “blemishes” (external).
Diamonds with few birthmarks are rare —and rarity affects value.
Q. What is “Color”?
Ans. Colorless diamonds are
extremely rare and highly valued. Most
diamonds are nearly colorless with
yellow or brown tints. Diamond Grading
System uses letters to represent colors,
beginning with D (colorless) and ending
at Z (light yellow or brown). If a stone
shows a natural yellow color slightly
deeper than the Z master, its color is
designated as "fancy light yellow" on
the Diamond Quality Analysis Report.
Q. What is “Cut”?
Ans. The
mere fact that there are traditionally 58 tiny facets in a diamond, each
carefully cut and sharply defined, and may be only two millimeters in
diameter, strikes many in the buying public as little short of miraculous.
But this precision is essential to the potential beauty of a diamond. As a
matter of fact, overall appearance – the brilliance, fire, and
scintillation that makes diamonds uniquely beautiful – depends more on cut
than anything else. Finish includes polish and details of facet shape and
placement.
Q. What makes a
Gemstone valuable?
Ans. Several factors play a role in determining value: beauty,
rarity, durability, cut, desirability
(demand) and color. If a gem is not
beautiful, few people will desire it.
One may be drawn by a
gem's beauty, but rarity gives the gem
its exclusivity. The gem must be durable
enough to
endure over the time. The degree of
cutting finesse makes the difference
between a dull stone
and a brilliant Gemstone. Though color
preference is very personal, what appear
to be subtle color difference to the
layperson can be translated into
significant monetary differences? The
interplay of all these complicated
attributes sets the value.
Q. Which
color is best?
Ans.
Color preferences vary with the
individual. What moves one person may
not stir another. Nevertheless, there
are trade standards for preferred colors
which translate into varying prices. Buy
the color that speaks to you, but buy
from a professional who is familiar with
the colored gemstone market, has your
interests at heart and can advise you
accordingly.
Diamonds are graded according to absence of color.
Colored gemstones are more complex, and several colors may be present in
one gem with varying intensity. What may seem like slight differences in
these colors may have a great impact on price.
Q. Can
you tell us more about birth stones?
Ans. Birthstones are gems associated with each month
and are believed to bring luck to people born in that
month.
Q. Can
you tell us more about gemstones?
Ans. Gemstones are the general term used for a
variety of natural minerals that are formed in nature. Some commonly used
stones are Amethyst, Aquamarine, Citrine, Diamond, Garnet, Lapis, Opal,
Pearl, Peridot, Ruby, Sapphire, Topaz, Tourmaline, and
Turquoise.
Q.
What's the difference between
"semiprecious" and "precious" stones?
What stones fall into each category?
Ans. Traditionally, only stones such as diamond,
ruby, sapphire, and emerald were considered precious. However, the terms
are essentially meaningless now, and "semiprecious" sounds to me a lot
like "semi worthless." One can easily find low quality diamonds, rubies,
sapphires, and emeralds that are worth pennies per carat, and so-called
"semiprecious" stones such as garnet and tourmaline can easily be worth
thousands of dollars per carat (as in tsavorite garnet and Paraiba
tourmaline).
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