Properties

Diamond takes its name from the Greek word "adamas", meaning the invincible. No material created by nature is as hard as diamond, which means it has an amazing ability to reflect light. The most important thing you need to know about the diamond is the 4 C's that determine a diamond's quality - Colour, Carat, Cut and Clarity. Read on if you want to know more!

Shop all jewellery with Diamond here.

Color

The color of the diamond is determined by which elements and temperatures affect it during formation. The quality of a diamond's color is assessed based on the absence of color and is assigned a letter from D-Z, where D is colorless and Z is pale yellow. Colorless/white diamonds are preferred as they are more rare than black, light yellow or light brown diamonds. If, on the other hand, the color is strong yellow, blue, green, pink or red, it is categorized as "fancy coloured" and such diamonds are extremely rare and expensive.

Cut

The cut of the diamond determines the amount of light it reflects and therefore how much it sparkles. The quality of the diamond's cut is categorized on a scale of 5 levels - poor, fair, good, very good and excellent. High-quality diamonds have well-proportioned facets and are neither cut too "deep" nor too "low".

Clarity

The clarity of the diamond describes its purity. Like other gemstones, diamonds often have small inclusions. They show up as tiny cracks or impurities like carbon inside the diamond. They are completely natural and occur during the formation of the diamond. In fact, you often have to look at the diamond under many times of magnification with a microscope before they become visible. When clarity is determined, it is assessed to what extent the diamond has inclusions. High-quality diamonds have no or few inclusions that cannot be seen with the naked eye.

Carat

The diamond is weighed in the unit carat. This unit should not be confused with karat, which is used to describe the purity of gold. When you talk about the diamond's weight in carats, you are talking about its size. A 1 carat diamond weighs 0.2 grams. High carat diamonds, i.e. large diamonds, are more rare than small ones. The value of a diamond increases exponentially with its size.

Dispersion

When the light hits the diamond, it is thrown around the facets. Some light rays split and some are absorbed, causing our eyes to experience the light reflection in beautiful rainbow colors. This effect is called dispersion and the rainbow colors are also referred to as the diamond's "fire".

The brilliant cut

The round brilliant cut was invented in 1919 and is now the most used cut, as it allows for maximum light reflection. It consists of 58 carefully proportioned facets.

Birthstone

Diamond is April's birthstone. April's alternative birthstone is Rock Crystal. Wearing one's birthstone is said to bring good luck. You can wear your own birthstone as a lucky charm or your loved one's birthstone as a symbol of love.

Wedding anniversary

The diamond is the traditional gemstone for an engagement ring. The tradition allegedly started in the year 1477, when Duke Maximillian of Austria presented a diamond ring to his chosen one, Marie of Burgundy. However, it was not until after the Second World War that the tradition was really spread by the British diamond company, De Beers with the slogan "A Diamond Is Forever".

Symbolism

Diamond is the gemstone of strength, invincibility and prosperity. The diamond is also a classic symbol of love. The combination of strength and love makes it an obvious gemstone for love relationships.

Legend

In ancient Greece, diamonds were believed to be tears of the gods or shards of fallen stars. It was said that the tips of Cupid's arrows were studded with diamonds and had magical powers. The Greek philosopher, Plato, described diamonds as living beings that contained heavenly spirits. In other cultures, the diamond was used as a stone of truth. By placing the diamond in front of a person, it would sparkle with truth and darken with lies.

Gemology

Diamonds consist of carbon and are formed more than 150 kilometers below the Earth's surface, as a result of extremely high temperatures and pressures. The diamonds are then brought closer to the earth's crust through crater tubes. Today, diamonds are mainly mined in South Africa, Botswana, Angola, Russia and Canada. When measuring the hardness of a gemstone, you use the Mohs Hardness Scale. The scale varies from 1-10, where 10 is the hardest - here lies the diamond, which is the hardest gemstone.