Unlike most diamonds, these gems absorb light rather than reflect it and, therefore, they don’t possess that signature sparkle. However, once the stone has been placed, it is almost indestructible. Cutting them can only be done with another diamond, which takes great skill as they risk being fractured during the shaping process. In fact, before they were recognised as gems for jewellery, they had many industrial uses because of their durability. Their unique crystalline structure makes them the hardest of all diamonds. This does not affect the diamond’s authenticity, but merely applies the same process that would have occurred naturally over thousands of years. This is usually done either by exposing the diamond to extreme heat, or through irradiation, which physically alters the diamond’s crystal lattice to change the colour. Many are treated to enhance their colour. The majority of them are not solid black, but rather have shades of grey running through them due to their varying amounts of sulphides and imperfections. Black diamonds are mostly mined in Central Africa and Brazil, however, because of the large amount of hydrogen in their chemical composition, it is believed they actually originated in space and were brought to earth by an asteroid around 2.8 million years ago. They owe their dark hue to the presence of graphite in the crystalline structure during their formation. What are black diamonds?īlack diamonds, or carbonados, bear little resemblance, chemically or physically, to other coloured diamonds. From celebrity engagement rings to understated stud earrings, these inky jewels are the perfect combination of attitude and class. Gemstones A Guide to Jewellery Inspirationīlack Diamonds are one of the hottest trends to hit the market in the past few years.
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