Natural Diamonds are not just beautiful, they are one of the most interesting and precious rocks which can be found on mother earth. Diamonds fascinate most people, but there are so many misconceptions around them.
Diamonds inspire curiosity and have often signified scientific advancement. As they are a complex substance and there is so much more to them than just aesthetics. Scientists have always been intrigued by their formation, the process and the variety of their uses. We are here to bust these common myths and tell you the real facts about diamonds.
All diamonds come from nature
The biggest misconception people have about diamonds is that all diamonds are born from mother nature. Well to your surprise that is actually not true. For the first 7-8 decades of the 20th-century diamonds were largely available only through natural means like mining or quarrying but due to recent developments and advancements in technology diamonds are now being produced by man. These diamonds are grown in labs and are made using nuanced and intricate technology and methods. These diamonds are known as Lab-grown diamonds.
Many industrial giants produce diamonds by replicating the conditions present below the surface of the earth. These processes are called High temperature, high-pressure or HTHP processes. This process uses graphite and a metal-solvent to grow diamonds. Another process which has been developed to grow diamonds is the Chemical Vapour Deposition also known as the CVD process. Both these methods are widely different from each other but are used for the same purpose to grow diamonds synthetically. The plus point of lab-grown diamonds is that they are cheaper and closely similar to natural diamonds, so much so that only a diamond expert can tell the difference.
Colored Diamonds are more expensive than colorless diamonds
Colored diamonds like the fancy yellow diamonds or the infamous blue tint heart diamond are actually lesser in value than any clear diamond. Why? Because the grading scale of the Gemological Institute of America grades colored diamonds at a slower scale in terms of clarity. Colored diamonds are assumed by the industry to be less pure and less close to perfect diamonds. Colored diamonds are also preferred by many people because even though they look fancier and costlier they are actually less expensive. They make a great choice for those who are running on a budget. Only a few color diamonds which have the highest level of clarity are considered to be more expensive than a colorless diamond (exceptional case).
All Diamonds are flawless
Diamonds are known for their beauty and for this very same reason, diamonds are assumed to be flawless. However, natural diamonds are not flawless. Most of the time diamonds have inclusions, very minor but they are present. Natural diamonds are made from an imperfect process and so they have tiny flaws in them like maybe a tint of color or tiny inclusions. Many diamond traders and craftsmen never see completely flawless diamonds.
In fact, clarity is one of the primary criteria to determine the worth of a diamond. As per given by the Gemological Institute of America(GIA), diamonds without any inclusions are graded as internally flawless. The diamonds with slight inclusions are known as Very very slightly included (VVS1) or very slightly included (VS1). Most natural diamonds fall into these two categories. It can be said that the more the clarity of the diamond, the higher its price.
Diamonds are made of coal
Absolutely not! Diamond and coal are made of the same substance which is carbon but diamonds are not made of coal. When looking at both the substances, that is diamond and coal at a molecular level, it is easily visible that they have a completely different structure. For diamonds to be made of coal, they should have been sharing some chemical properties or at least some physical qualities.
Coal is a black substance, which is easily breakable, not lustrous, whereas on the contrary diamond is the hardest substance on the planet, mostly colorless and is lustrous. Diamonds share the same element that is carbon even with the substance graphite, which is present in pencil led, but they are completely contrasting too.
The weight of the diamonds is the only thing that determines its price
A lot of people assume that the heavier the diamond the more its value. Carat weight, in all honesty, is not the only determinant of the price of the diamond. Diamonds have a number of criteria that determine its value. The criteria are often known as 4C’s, carat weight, color, clarity and cut. The carat weight is how much the diamond weighs, the color of the diamond needs to be as close to colorless for its price to be higher, or the diamond to be more valuable.
The clarity as we spoke about before is the number of inclusions and flaws the diamond has. The Gemological Institute of America has an elaborate scale to rate the clarity of the diamond. Last is the cut of the diamond. Certain cuts have more value than other cuts because they are more complex and have more brilliance. Hence it can be easily concluded that weight is not the only determinant of the price of the diamond.
Diamonds can not break
Yes, diamonds are the hardest substance on the planet. The structure of the diamond is far more robust compared to the structure of any other substance. But that does not make diamonds immune to breakage, wear and tear and chipping off. Diamonds are known to chip off. An interesting thing to know, because many people are under the impression that diamonds can not break and not many people know about this reality that diamonds can break, a number of insurance companies take advantage of this.
Also read: Yellow Diamonds: An Immense Color Diamond Guide
Many of their plans and insurances do not cover the chipping off or breakage of diamonds. So the next time you are buying diamonds, remember to check if it covers the wear and tear of diamonds, their chipping off and complete breakage, because contrary to popular opinion, diamonds can break.
Diamonds are only used for making jewelry
Diamonds are an exquisite work of nature and they are praised throughout the world. But diamonds are also used for other reasons than their beauty. They are used by industries because of their structure and rigidity. They are added to the blades of saws and axes to make their cutting and polishing more efficient and flawless. This happens most commonly in automotive industries. Even more so, the diamonds used by industries are actually stronger than the diamonds used in making jewelry.
Diamonds have also recently started being used in cosmetics and beauty products. Many celebrities like Mila Kunis and Jennifer Lopez have been in the limelight because they were using diamond-based beauty products. Diamond dust is being used as an exfoliator by many companies and also as a powder to hide wrinkles. For anyone considering diamond-based beauty products remember that they come with a very heavy price tag.
Diamonds are the most expensive stones
Diamonds are considered to be one of the most luxurious and expensive stones, but that is not true. Yes, diamonds are very expensive, but they did not make it to the top of the list. Why? Because they are not that rare. Sounds surprising, doesn’t it? There are more stones which are more valuable than diamonds because they are far rarer.
Rubies, Emeralds and Sapphires are in many places way more expensive than diamonds. They are considered even more superior and sometimes it is even hard to record their trading data. Rubies are priced at $5000 per carat approximately, Emeralds are priced at $5470 per carat and Sapphires are priced at $10000 per carat. In comparison to this, Diamonds are priced at $4300 per carat.
Diamonds cannot conduct electricity
For the longest period of time, diamonds were considered as insulators. They were known to have been poor conductors of electricity due to their molecular structure. But in recent times, technology has been developed which manipulates the structure of diamonds to make them better conductors of electricity. The time is not far where diamonds might even be used in wires commonly.
Also read: How to Buy a Diamond Wholesale: Find Certified Diamond Wholesaler
Conclusion Thoughts
All these myths about diamonds are extremely surprising and establish the fact that diamonds are far more versatile and vibrant than we assume them to be. No doubts that they are beautiful but their usefulness extends more than that. Diamonds are also not that rare, neither are they the most expensive, but still, everyone agrees that a piece of diamond ring jewelry leaves us in absolute awe of them.
