Guide to the world of diamonds

Do you know the difference between a diamond and a diamond? Do you know why diamonds are associated with the theme of romantic love? And what determines their price? We have prepared a guide to the world’s most precious gemstone, which you will definitely be able to navigate better after reading.

Basic information

It has been sought after and shrouded in myth for centuries for its breathtaking brilliance and symbolic meaning. The origin of the name comes from the Greek “adamas”, meaning invincible. This refers not only to the extraordinary hardness of this mineral, but also to its supposed magical properties, which were supposed to serve as protection against any kind of bait. The most important gemstone of all time, made up of pure carbon, it is also one of the oldest minerals in the universe. Most of them were formed inside the Earth’s mantle, about 150 km below the crust, at temperatures above 2000°C. They were then brought to the surface of the earth by volcanic eruptions in large chunks of rock called xenoliths. A diamond reaches the highest, tenth degree of hardness on the Mohs scale, which measures the hardness of minerals. So only another diamond can scratch it.

4C – Do you know them all?

Why do diamonds that look the same at first glance have different prices? If you are swimming in the prices of diamonds and diamond jewellery, the easiest way to find your way around are the so-called “diamond prices”. “4C”. Until the mid-twentieth century, there was no agreed standard by which diamonds could be judged. It was not until then that a globally accepted standard for describing diamonds was created: colour, clarity, cut and carat weight. Today, the so-called “4Cs” are the universal method for assessing the quality of any diamond anywhere in the world.

Colour (Color)

Interestingly, the colour rating of the vast majority of diamonds is based on its absence. In other words, a diamond that has no hue and is as clear as a drop of pure water is of the greatest value. The D-Z colour scale measures the degree of colourlessness by comparing the stone under special lighting and precise viewing conditions. However, when it comes to coloured diamonds, the rules are different and they often fetch higher prices than clear diamonds. For example, a popular yellow diamond can only be classified as “Fancy” if it has more colour in it than the Z stone.

Clarity

The clarity of a diamond refers to the amount and visibility of inclusions within the stone. Again, a practical scale is used to assess cleanliness. The highest clarity grade (IF) is rarely used in jewellery, diamonds of this clarity are primarily used as investment stones.

Grind (Cut)

Here we come to the answer to the first question. While diamond is the name of a natural mineral, brilliant refers to its cut, which is created by polishing a natural stone. Brilliant cut diamond is undoubtedly the most popular and widely used cut of diamond, which explains why most people confuse the terms.

The cut of a diamond, which we often confuse with its shape (round, heart, oval, marquise, drop or pear), actually means how well the facets of the diamond interact with light. The aforementioned brilliant cut is cut into a total of 57 facets (flats).

Size (Carat weight)

Simply put, the carat weight of a diamond indicates how much the diamond weighs. We define a metric “carat” as 200 milligrams. Each card is further divided into 100 “points”. This allows very precise measurements with an accuracy of one hundred decimal places.

Myths and legends

Throughout history, diamonds have captivated mankind with their alluring beauty and supernatural beliefs. Since their discovery around 2500 BC, these precious gems have been at the heart of many myths and legends of cultures around the world. They were associated with virtues such as strength, wealth, power and love.

In the time of the pharaohs, 3000 BC, diamonds were placed in the middle of the so-called anhk, Egyptian hieroglyphs meaning life. Diamonds represented the sun, a symbol of strength, courage and truth.

The ancient Romans and Greeks believed that diamonds were the tears of the gods or splinters that broke off from falling stars. Roman literature also stated that diamonds formed the points of Cupid’s arrows. This is supposedly where the connection to the theme of romantic love came from.

In the Middle Ages, diamonds were believed to have exceptional healing powers and were considered miraculous stones. They were believed to have the ability to cure stomachaches, memory loss, depression, fatigue, infections, mental illness, nightmares, skin diseases and other head and heart ailments.