They are also known as carbonado, the Portuguese word for “charcoal.” Carbonados are considered diamonds because they are almost pure carbon, like their clear or slightly tinted counterparts.īlack diamonds also contain tiny inclusions of other minerals, often iron and iron oxide minerals such as magnetite and hematite which can provide dark tones, as well as give them a magnetic quality. “Although they are a fully saturated stone, they still have the unique sparkle that you can only get from diamonds, which is why I often choose them over other black stones like spinel or onyx.Black diamonds really do exist.
“Black diamonds represent power, strength and rebellion,” says Brazilian designer Ara Vartanian, who loves to set them upside down with the pointed tip protruding upwards to enhance their “architectural structure” in avant-gardist designs, also mixing sapphires, emeralds and rubies.Īmerican designer Colette has chosen the diamonds as a key element of her designs. However, if a larger black diamond has even coloration, it becomes rare and therefore more prized, but would still only have a value less than that of a white diamond of a similar size and quality,” comments Tobias Kormind, Managing Director of Europe’s largest online diamond jeweler, 77 Diamonds. “Black diamonds are traditionally less valuable than white diamonds because they are in many ways imperfect with inclusions and generally uneven coloration. Read More: The Black Orlov: The Unbelievable Story of the Cursed DiamondĪs with all diamonds, black diamonds are not created equal. Rahul Kadakia, Christie’s International Head of Jewelry, observes that “the Black Orlov has served as a benchmark for black diamonds and is well known not only for its notorious provenance but also for its large size at 67.49 carats and its unique gunmetal color.” Nevertheless, the stone set in an exquisite diamond necklace fetched $352,000-three times its low estimate-at Christie’s in 2006. The last one, a certain Princess Nadia Vyegin-Orlov from whom it took the name committed suicide. Known as The Eye Of Brahma because it was allegedly stolen from a Hindu idol, the black diamond cast its dark spell on whoever touched it. “The majority of natural color black diamonds owe their hue to numerous minute dark crystals or clouds of graphite, magnetite, hematite or native iron.” The GIA distinguishes between gem-quality black diamonds and carbonados, “a polycrystalline diamond material composed of randomly oriented cuboidal microcrystals,” which generally appear as black, gray or brown.įurther mystique is infused by the legends of a curse surrounding one of the largest diamonds ever set in jewelry: the 67.5 carat Black Orlov diamond. Contrary to common belief, “natural fancy black diamonds are very rare,” explains a Gemological Institute of America spokesperson. The fascination with black diamonds appears to originate from the mystery that shrouds them. Gruosi remembers, “this is how my first black diamond jewelry, a ring set with 120 black diamonds and a white pearl came about.” The Mystery of Black Diamonds “Like magic, I saw how the contrast with the white suddenly made the diamonds come to life!” Mr. Gruosi placed the diamonds on his desk together with a white pearl next to them, and he was enchanted. In the 1990s, he purchased a large lot of black diamonds for which he paid “almost nothing.” He then locked them in a safe clueless about what to do with them and why he even bought them in the first place. The king of black diamonds himself, renowned jeweler Fawaz Gruosi, who championed the inky stone at De Grisogono, was initially unimpressed by the gemstone. The gems are now assuming center stage in the designs of jewelers and winning over the hearts of consumers. By Milena Lazazzera | October 29, 2021īlack diamonds may clash with the transparency and brilliance that natural white diamonds are always associated with, yet, thanks to visionaries and the open-mindedness that develops in the course of time, the perception of these diamonds has shifted. Black diamonds mystique has caught the eye of consumers and designers alike as they cast them in original designs.
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