What Is A Black Diamond?

Little has been written about what characterizes colour in Pure Coloured Black Diamonds. Some data is contradictory and even incomplete, whereas different sources will declare ‘true black diamonds’ do not exist and may solely be present in detective novels…Pure Black Diamonds do the truth is exist nevertheless are extraordinarily uncommon. The colour black in a diamond is as particular and distinctive as pink, blue or white.

In Accumulating and Classifying Coloured Diamonds Stephen C. Hofer notes “From a visible viewpoint, the colour black denotes the absence or negation of colour; from a psychological viewpoint black is the darkest sensation evident to the attention and thoughts…related to foreboding occasions similar to thriller, loss of life, and superstition” (1998).

John M. King says individuals believed black diamonds could be hematite, having no seen inclusions and being deeply coloured all through (2006).

Hematite is a black coloured mineral that may additionally look metal or silver-gray, brown to reddish-brown to pink. It’s considered one of many types of iron oxides. It was speculated that the black coloring could also be as a result of partial modifications within the crystal construction and the formation of finely dispersed graphite particles which might be invisible even at extraordinarily excessive magnifications. One other incomplete reference of black diamonds describes them as having grey spots attributed to a really giant variety of very small sub-microscopic black inclusions brought on by light falling on the stone and being absorbed into the diamond (2006).

Robert C. Kammerling, Robert E. Kane, John I. Koivula and Shane F. McClure present “the colour of Black Diamonds is brought on by quite a few graphite inclusions lining cleavages and fractures within the diamond” (2006). The black diamonds examined within the examine from ‘Accumulating and Classifying’ show many alternative coloured zones. These zones consisted of some clear areas surrounded primarily by opaque zones brought on by dense concentrations of black inclusions (2006). Opaque means not permitting light to go by way of i.e. darkish, boring, impenetrable by light.

Small cavities and irregular interconnecting fissures on the surfaces of those stones are seen to the un-aided eye. In his guide Le diamant E mond, Boutan describes black diamonds as having a black ‘kernal’ enclosed inside a well- crystallized colourless diamond, recognized to the Malays because the “soul of the diamond” (Hofer, 1998).

Kammerling, Kane, Koivula and McClure present that “[black diamonds] are extraordinarily troublesome to chop and polish and require nice care in setting” (Gems & Gemology in Evaluate, 2006). They clarify true black diamonds could be separated from artificially handled darkish green-black showing diamonds and from different black showing supplies primarily based on their visible and gemological options” (2006).

Handled Black Diamonds

Artificially irradiated black diamonds are distinguishable as a result of light can’t go by way of them. Artificially irradiated refers to pure diamonds which have been handled to reinforce their properties. Artificially irradiated black diamonds seem darkish inexperienced and are segregated from the mainstream. These diamonds present a really darkish inexperienced colour at skinny edges, similar to within the cracks or girdle (Gems & Gemology in Evaluate, 2006). Nonetheless, when considered face up in daylight these very darkish inexperienced diamonds seem black. Some handled black diamonds will present residual radioactivity that’s not linked to inherent inclusions within the diamonds. In actual fact, it’s related to metallic mud from the diamond sprucing wheel (scaife), which accrued within the quite a few cracks and was later subjected to neutron irradiation. Exterior radioactivity could be eradicated by boiling the diamonds in acid earlier than the stones are neutron irradiated (Gems & Gemology in Evaluate 網上鑽石).

The Black Orlov Diamond

The Black Orlov is a 67.50 carat cushion-cut stone and presumably probably the most well-known of the black diamonds. The Nationwide Historical past Museum displayed the diamond in 2005 and explains the diamond is believed to have been cursed which allegedly started when a monk eliminated the unique 195 carat diamond from The Eye of the Idol of Brahma, a Hindu shrine in southern India (2005). Since then it’s claimed to be accountable for a collection of mysterious deaths.

In 1947, Princess Nadia Vyegin-Orlov (who the diamond is considered named after) and Princess Galitsine-Bariatinsky – each former house owners of the Black Orlov leapt to their deaths (The Nationwide Museum, 2005). Fifteen years earlier the diamond supplier who imported the stone to the USA, J.W. Paris, jumped to his loss of life after the sale of the jewel. To be able to break the curse, it was reduce into three separate gems and since has been owned by a lot of personal house owners.

Alan Hart, the exhibition curator says, “The intriguing legend of the Black Orlov highlights the highly effective approach that diamonds have captured human creativeness for 1000’s of years” (The Nationwide Museum, 2005).

The 67.5 Black Orlov is now set in a 108 diamond brooch suspended from a 124 carat diamond necklace.

JCK diamond information reporter, Gary Roskin, G.G., FGA says that the Black Orlov’s traceable historical past begins in 1951, when proprietor Charles F. Winson, a New York supplier, leant the diamond to the American Museum of Pure Historical past. Winson exhibited the stone on the 1964 Texas State Truthful and the Diamond Pavilion in Johannesburg in 1967. Curiously, in 1990 the Black Orlov offered for $90,000 and when it re-appeared at Sotheby’s 5 years later – it offered for $1.5 million!

In 2005 it was featured on the Pure Historical past Museum in London after which made an look on the Oscars. Since then it was bought by a non-public purchaser from Christies. Different well-known black diamonds embrace the Black Star of Africa, the most important black diamond weighing 202 carats which was seen was in Tokyo in 1971 and theTable of Islam, an emerald reduce diamond that weighs 160.18 Carats. With the lowering supply of world’s black diamonds, these magnificent gems are probably a few of the biggest investment diamonds on the planet and they’re at present nonetheless inexpensive.

References:

Hofer, Stephen C., (1998). Accumulating and Classifying Coloured Diamonds, An Illustrated Assortment of the Aurora Assortment.

Gems & Gemology, Vol. 26, No. 4, 1990, pp. 282-287, 1990, Gemological Institute of America.

King, John M., (2006), Gem & Gemology in Evaluate, Coloured Diamonds.

The Nationwide Historical past Museum, (September 2005) http://www.nhm.ac.uk/about-us/information/2005/sept/news_6429.html

Roskin, Gary, G.G. FGA, (2007). JCK Journal, Black Orlov Sells at Christie’s.