Diamond & Gemstone Guide
Diamond
Diamonds have captivated our hearts and imagination for thousands of years. Their billion-year-old beauty and supreme brilliance together with their unrivalled strength and durability makes diamonds the ultimate symbol of eternal love.
History & Formation
The ancient Greeks believed diamonds were the teardrops of their gods, mystical and powerful stones that influenced the heavens and the hearts. For them, the fire in a diamond illustrated the constant flame of love. The Romans thought diamonds were fragments of the stars, used by Eros, the God of Love, for his arrow tips. These mythical and romantic roots continued into the modern ages. Diamonds were being traded in Europe by the 13th century but until the 15th Century, only rulers and Kings wore diamonds, often on the battlefield for protection, and as a symbol of courage and power.
Betrothal rings had been used during Roman times but the Italians introduced a diamond to the ring to symbolise eternal love. The first well-documented case of a diamond ring being given to signify engagement was in 1477 when Archduke Maximillian of Austria proposed to Mary of Burgundy with a diamond ring in hand, and the tradition grew rapidly thereafter. Placing the ring on the third finger of the left hand dates back to the early Egyptian belief that the vein of love - Vena Amors - runs directly from the heart to the tip of the third finger.
The word diamond comes from the Greek word ‘adamas’ meaning ‘indestructible’ or ‘unconquerable’. Diamond is a crystalline carbon and the hardest natural substance known to man a perfect 10 at the top of the Moh scale of mineral hardness and measuring four times harder than sapphire (9 on the same scale). Crystallization occurs under exceptionally high pressure of up to 70.000 kg/cm² and extreme temperatures of more than 1,300ºC. These conditions are found in nature only at a depth of more than 150 km under the earth's surface. While the rock in which diamonds are found may be 50 to 1,600 million years old, the diamonds themselves can be anything from 900 million to 3.3 billion years old. This is because the volcanic magma that solidifies into the rock where diamonds are found did not create them, but merely transported them from the Earth's mantle to the surface. Only diamonds in the vicinity of rare volcanic eruptions (magma eruptions), or at sites of meteor impact, are the diamonds we see today.
Today, diamonds are given as a symbol of love the world over. When a couple decide to spend the rest of their lives together, nothing can symbolize this bond quite like the timeless beauty and ultimate endurance of a diamond.
When selecting a diamond, there are four factors to consider which determine it’s value the so called Four C’s which stand for Cut, Carat, Colour and Clarity. It is not possible to value a diamond based on any of these factors alone, and there are additional aspects for consideration such as Fluorescence, Polish and Symmetry. Choosing a diamond is a very personal experience. At Michael Matthews Jewellery we work hard to ensure that we find the perfect diamond for you, and that your buying experience is just as enjoyable and memorable.
The process of selecting a diamond can be overwhelming, but we hope the following information will help you as you begin your journey.
The Four C’s
Cut
The cut of a diamond essentially refers to how well the diamond has been cut from the rough stone. The cut is considered the most important attribute of a diamond as it determines the diamond's brilliance. The cut depends upon the proportions of the cut stone and the accurate alignment of the facet edges - the better the cut, the more light is reflected back and hence the more sparkle a diamond has.
The cut can also refer to the shape of a diamond. Round Brilliant, Princess, Marquise, Emerald, Pear and Asscher cuts are all examples of shapes of diamonds.
Carat
Unlike gold, the carat of a diamond or other gemstone refers to its physical weight. The term carat is derived from carob, the seeds of which were used as units of weight due to their uniform size. The weight of an average carob seed is 200 milligrams. The weight of one carat is precisely 200 milligrams, or 0.2 grams. Diamonds under 1.00 carat, are referred to in points, where 100 points make up 1 carat. Therefore a ‘half carat’ stone can be described as 0.50 points, and a ‘three quarter’ carat stone as 0.75 points.
Two 1.00 carat stones may appear to be different size yet they must be the same weight. The value of a diamond increases in an exponential manner a 2.00 carat diamond is worth more than two 1.00 carat diamonds of the same quality. Larger diamonds of high quality are tremendously rare and are valued to reflect that rarity.
Colour
‘Colour’ is a misleading term as most diamonds used commercially are essentially colourless (white). Natural coloured diamonds are rare, but treated ‘fancy coloured’ diamonds have a definite colour. As most diamonds contain small amounts of Nitrogen, it is rare to find completely colourless diamonds. White diamonds often have a hint of yellow or brown but often so slight that it is undetectable to the untrained eye. The alphabetical scale is used to gauge colour, starting at the colour D which is the whitest colour a diamond can display.
Clarity
The clarity of a diamond is an important measure of its overall quality, and depends upon the included particles and natural blemishes, called ‘inclusions’ within the stone. Most diamonds contain minute imperfections, but the position, size and quantity of any marks are what dictate the diamond’s value. Inclusions which do not interfere with the reflection of light through the stone, do not affect the beauty of the diamond and therefore its value. A stone is said to be flawless if, under magnification, no inclusions, internal flaws or external imperfections are visible.
Coloured Gemstones
At Michael Matthews we take the greatest of care in sourcing our coloured stones. Our trained gemmologist, Claudia, is available for appointments in person at our Bournemouth store, or via telephone to discuss the gemstones we currently hold or should you wish us to source a stone for you. We have sourced a huge variety of gemstones for our customers including more traditional stones such as amethyst, ruby, aquamarine, opal, emerald, peridot, sapphire, and some very unusual stones including tanzanite, tzavorite and spessatite. Please see our Gemstone Guide for a list of the most common coloured gemstones.
Pearls
We have a superb selection of freshwater pearls, cultured pearls, Tahitian and South Sea pearls, and we are happy to source pearl jewellery and individual strands of pearls to meet our customer’s requirements.
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