The history of precious trinkets – where did the coloured diamonds originate?
Diamonds are a special, extremely rare type of a gemstone. For this reason, they are very valuable. They can become the cause of disputes and rows, and in pop culture – often even crimes. What is so special about them and where did the coloured diamonds actually come from?
Memories of a diamond spell
Precious trinkets have accompanied man for many, many centuries – so it seems that being a "magpie" (being drawn to glistening elements) is in human nature. The use of jewellery was initially common mainly among men (especially the privileged, in high positions in a given community), and over time it also spread among the female part of the society.
Cut diamonds began to gain more and more popularity since it was discovered that the hard mineral that was extracted from the mine, after being subjected to appropriate processes, works fantastically also as an ornament. When do coloured diamonds date back to? Sources say that it is around the 6th century, in Southeast Asia, and more precisely - in India. Then already, specific shades were assigned to the appropriate social strata (i.e. Indian castes). Not everyone could wear precious jewellery then, and if they did - the colour code had to be strictly followed.
At that time, a colourless diamond was considered the most perfect, the most expensive and the most valuable. While in fact this distinguished mineral has its class and value, coloured diamonds that have remained in the shade for years also deserve their five minutes. Today, they are mined in many places on earth, and the colour itself - like other parameters of gemstones - is strictly classified. Nowadays, in Central Europe we can fortunately not worry about conventions and wear anything that’s playing in our soul.
Certified diamond - a woman's best friend
The best quality diamonds are obtained in various places around the world. Probably not everyone knows that until recently the mining process itself was quite a controversial issue - these precious stones were often called “blood diamonds” or, in other words, “conflict diamonds”. The reason is simple but at the same time quite dark – the areas where diamonds are mined are often subject to war and internal conflicts, and the lucrative business then becomes a source of financing for military operations.
To avoid a moral dilemma, it is worth choosing certified gemstones. Thanks to the KPCS, a standardized government certification process (known as the Kimberley Process), you obtain a guarantee that the trinkets you choose do not have ethically questionable sources and have been approved for legal distribution. Strict rules and professional jewellery evaluation allow you to choose the best selection of coloured diamonds, which then with the greatest care are turned into dedicated jewellery just for you.
As Marilyn Monroe sings - Diamonds are a girl's best friend. While we are right to take this phrase with a pinch of salt, it is a better idea to choose a close company for years knowing how it affects society and the situation in the world. When buying, it is easy to check these parameters looking at the accompanying certificates.
Extraordinary coloured diamonds
Even though the knowledge of diamond mining is fairly widespread, coloured diamonds are somewhat of a mystery. Meanwhile, the answer to the question of where the coloured diamonds come from is very simple - the same coal deposits that have been buried underground for many million years and emerge, for example, with a volcanic eruption (and e.g. are mined in order to later reach us) do not have to be transparent.
Some people believe that the most beautiful and genuine diamond is the one as transparent as water from the purest mountain stream. Meanwhile, it turns out that colourless diamonds (with varying degrees of transparency) are much more common than coloured ones. The unusual and delightful shades of gemstones are due to the presence of various elements that affect the colour of the material. A diamond’s colour is determined by a special classification system. The most popular among these rare birds are yellow diamonds, pink, brown and champagne. We will also meet noble black and variations of the above.
The 4C’s of dimaonds – deciphering the puzzle
● carat – the unit of mass of a diamond, which corresponds to 200 mg. It has a direct impact on the value of a gemstone.
● colour – a colour that is described by a specific shades and tones, brownish pink for example.
● clarity – the degree of cleanliness of a given item, assessed on the basis of the presence of inclusions, that is, internal birthmarks and all kinds of external blemishes.
● cut – the cut, that is the careful preparation of a diamond for a jewellery use. It determines how a given stone reflects light (and shines) and therefore how it will look like in a piece of jewellery.
From diamond to brilliant - how these concepts differ
So what is a brilliant (diamond)? It is a diamond that has already undergone a process of appropriate treatment, has been classified and - above all - polished. In the case of the most rigorous assessment, only diamonds with the so-called brilliant cut, i.e. the most classic form, are considered to be diamonds. However, it is commonly accepted that all cut diamonds, which are intended for the production of jewellery elements, are called diamonds.
To sum up, the hardest known substance in the world, diamond, has a simple and natural origin (apart from a very long time of its formation). At the same time, it is an extremely desirable object with a very high value, which is influenced not only by the necessity to be mined, but also by a number of other factors ranging from those related to the ethicality of the process and ending with precise, microscopic jewellery operations that it is subjected to – all performed in order to allow it the commercial circulation in the form of a diamond. And above it all, each single stone tells a unique story of its own!
