Q. What is a diamond?

A. 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?
A. 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?

A. 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?

A. The mining methods are very diverse, depending on how diamonds present themselves at the earth's surface. Mining of Kimberlite pipes involves "open-pit" or "underground mining". When freed by erosion from the Kimberlite 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?
A. 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?

A. rough diamond obtains its final shape and brilliance by a succession of manufacturing processes : cleaving, sawing, bruiting and polishing.

Q. What is a “Carat”?
A. 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”?
A. 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”?
A. 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”?
A. 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?

A. 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?

A. 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?

A. 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?

A. 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?

A. 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).