A Buyer’s Guide To Black Diamond Quality

Black Diamonds (also known as Carbanado) are the toughest known form of natural diamonds. Certain researchers are of the belief that the gem actually has extraterrestial origins, given the traces of nitrogen and hydrogen found in the rock. In this blog we teach the user about standard vs superior quality black diamonds. The best quality Black Diamonds are jet black, devoid of any visible white lines, and should be brilliantly cut.

Historically, Black Diamonds were not always highly valued or regarded. It only in the 20^th century that jewelry consumers started to show interest in the stone, with designers using them in contrast settings alongside colorless Diamonds.

Quality Factors

Naturally occuring Black diamond gemstones are an even rarer occurrence than natural, colorless Diamonds. Hence, most Black diamond gemstones available on the market today are laboratory-treated, which is an accepted industry practice.

Shop: Lab Diamond rings for women

Since Black Diamonds fall outside the color range of GIA’s International Diamond Grading system, they are evaluated using the Color Grading System for Colored Diamonds.

In short, a consumer can identify an average Black Diamond from a high quality Black Diamond, in the following way –

An average Black diamond gemstones; will have visible lines (typically white), on the surface of the stone, and will not be completely opaque.

At Diamondère, we only use these Natural AAAA jet black diamonds which are brilliantly cut and constitute the top 10% of Black Diamonds mined globally.

Color

Natural Black Diamonds are actually colorless or entirely opaque stones, with large quantities or ‘clouds’ of mineral inclusions like graphite. Unlike White Diamonds, which are typically found in 1 large crystal, these gems are made up of multiple smaller crystals. Furthermore, the black color we see is due not only to the inclusions in the stone, but also to the nature of the minerals structure, which absorbs light, rather than refelcting it. Typically, Black Diamonds are mostly low quality White Diamonds that have been heat treated or ‘burnt’ in the rough state, to acheive the desired black colour.

Cut

The high graphite inclusions in naturally occuring Black Diamonds makes them a tricky stone to cut and / or polish, without fracturing them. This results in the process being time-consuming, and highly intensive. A customer should always opt for a brilliantly cut Black Diamond.

Clarity & Luster

Given their naturally occuring state of being opaque and heavily included, Black Diamonds do not qualify to be graded on the GIA Clarity Scale.

This is not important however, as given their black color the stones do not in any case, refract light as well as their white counterparts.

The surface of a Black Diamond should sparkle with high lustre, giving an almost metallic appearance, with uniform color through the stone.

Carat

Black Diamond is one of the rare coloured gemstones where a user can expect the same shade of black across any size / carat of stone.

Source

Natural Black Diamonds are extremely rare, and therefore highly expensive, only being found in very few locations, including Brazil and Central Africa.

Cleaning

While the best way to clean any Diamond is with a professional jeweler, you can always clean your stone at home – take a bowl of warm water, and add liquid handwash or any other mild soap to it. No hard detergents are recommended. Brush gently with a soft toothbrush, and rinse. Do keep in mind, that due to it’s numerous inclusions and fractures, Black Diamond is more susceptible to breakage if handled roughly.

Famous Black Diamonds

The Eye of Brahma is one of the few most famous Black Diamonds, said to have been found in India, weighing in, in the rough at a whopping 195 carats. Eventually, the gem was refashioned to a 67.50 carat stone, and renamed the Black Orloff after one of its owners – Russian princess Black Vygin-Orloff.

How was your first Black Diamond jewelry buying experience? Share your story with us at www.facebook.com/Diamondere