What does the diamond stone symbolize?

When we talk about jewelry, the first image that appears in our minds is a dazzling, luxurious, triumphant stone—a diamond. The unexpected transformation of the hardest mineral – diamond (which by that time had a venerable historical age) into a brilliant diamond occurred in the 15th century in Belgium. The diamond processing technology invented by talented Flanders forever changed the history of jewelry, making the diamond the king of the precious world, the subject of dreams and pride, passions and strife. From that time to the present day, its shine has become a symbol of wealth and even the social significance of its owner. We can talk about diamonds endlessly; the topic of their colored incarnations deserves a separate analysis. But today we will take a short excursion into the gemological laboratory and try to understand in what language experts speak about stones, conveying to us some important information about them. So, what professional subtleties should everyone know so that when buying jewelry or investing in a stone, they are fully equipped? There are four main criteria for assessing and quality of a diamond: weight, color, clarity, cut. In English, all these words begin with the letter C, so professionals all over the world use the 4C rule – Carat/Color/Clarity/Cut.

Weight (carat)

The standard for the weight and size of a diamond has become a carat, equal to 0,2 grams. The origin of this parameter is interesting. In the ancient East, due to the lack of professional equipment, the weight of precious stones was measured by carob seeds, the Latin name of which is similar to the word carat. Since a diamond has a stable density, its size (diameter or width) is directly related to its weight and is easily determined by it. Thus, a one-carat stone will always have a width of 6,5 mm, and if there are differences between identical specimens, they will be minimal.

Diamond color

The quality of a diamond’s color, as surprising as it may sound, is in its absence. The less color, the more transparent it is, the higher its value. The antipode of colorless diamonds in this system are colored, fancy diamonds, the beauty and quality of which, on the contrary, depend on the intensity of their color. The global criteria for assessing color are very subtle, multi-stage, and only a specialist can understand them. As for Russian standards, they are much more customer-friendly. The system has gradations depending on the number of facets (17 or 57) and weight (up to 0,3 carats and above 0,3 carats). The most expensive and desired color is number one. The last possible color number, 9, will show a stone with a clear brown tint, which is not the best indicator for a diamond. So, the lower the number, the higher the color quality.

Purity of the stone

It is impossible to evaluate color without reference to its purity, because these concepts are interdependent, but there is still a difference in them. The clarity of a diamond, or its transparency, indicates the presence and number of defects (inclusions) in the stone. There is not a single absolutely transparent diamond in nature, and if you come across such a unique specimen, you will be disappointed – it is a fake. The criteria for assessing clarity are similar to color assessments and are also divided into indicators for stones – up to 0,3 carats and above 0,3 carats. There are 12 such divisions in total, where the first two receive unique, rare and very expensive stones, numbers up to 5-6 show stones with inclusions that are invisible without magnification, and numbers above 6 indicate defects visible to the eye. The ideal ratio of color to its purity is provided by those masterpieces that are highly valued on the jewelry market and are extremely rare and coveted by all collectors in the world.

Diamond cut

A separate huge article could be devoted to this topic. The cut is the robe of a diamond; the fate of the stone and the success of its precious career depend on its quality and professionalism of the master. Main cutting criteria:

• number of faces;
• the form;
• categories.

Edge

• 17 – simple cut;
• 33 – Swiss;
• 57 – classic full cut;
• 73 – enhancing radiance;
• 86 – royal cut;
• 102 – for large diamonds.

The most common types of cuts are 57 and 17 facets.

Form

Jewelers use the following basic cut shapes:

• round;
• Princess;
• oval;
• pear;
• emerald;
• radiant;
• marquis;
• baguette;
• usher;
• a heart.

Categories

• diamond (based on the principle of the best light refraction);
• stepped (emphasizing the natural beauty of clean stones);
• mixed (well hides the imperfections of the stone and emphasizes its advantages).

Tag

All these positions are stated in just one line on the diamond jewelry tag.

1Br Kr57 0,33 2/3A

This mysterious inscription describes one circle-cut diamond with 57 facets, weighing 0,33 carats, second color group and third clarity group, the stone has the highest cut category A.

But when buying diamond jewelry, people are guided not only by purely technical aspects, which are suggested by the type of cut or number of carats. Many people are attracted by this stone due to its special attractiveness and the way it can influence a person’s life. Yes, diamonds have their own special energy, so before buying it is important to know what magical properties they have.

The magical properties of diamonds for men and women

There are different opinions about where the word “diamond” came from. According to one version, people began to call this stone by analogy with the Greek word “adamantos”, which means “indestructible”. You can believe this because a diamond is the hardest gemstone, so there is no doubt about its steadfastness and indestructibility.

Various magical properties have always been attributed to this stone. This is largely explained by the fact that some events were constantly happening around diamonds, many of which had a not entirely positive connotation. This is understandable, because people have always wanted to possess this amazing stone, so they often resorted to lies, deception and outright violence in order to take possession of it.

Therefore, there is a belief that a diamond can bring benefits, good luck and attract prosperity only to the person who is its real owner. For those who obtained the stone by deception, the diamond will in every possible way interfere with achieving their goals.

Initially, the diamond was considered an exclusively masculine stone. Women also wore it, but only in adulthood. For young unmarried girls, he was undesirable because it was believed that he was capable of causing them misfortune. Today, these prejudices have been completely forgotten, which is why the stone is equally popular among both women and men. But how does it affect them? Let’s figure it out.

The stone has an extremely favorable effect on men, helping them achieve success in the financial sector. He literally attracts money to himself, helping to become successful in business and any other endeavors.

A diamond is a stone that has its own magical properties for women. It is believed that it is able to give their owner youth and charge them with positive energy. Previously, they even rubbed wrinkles on the face with a stone, repeating this procedure every day.

The stone can also influence the fate of its owner. In particular, a diamond helps to find a good life partner with whom you can build a strong family. To do this, it is better to wear the diamond closer to the heart by purchasing a pendant with a diamond that harmonizes well with a gold chain.

Does the color of a diamond affect its properties?

There are different shades of diamonds found in nature, so the color affects the effect the stone will have:

• White. It has a beneficial effect on its owner, enhancing the positive qualities of his character. It is considered a talisman because it protects well from damage and the evil eye.
• Black. It has quite strong energy. A black diamond gives its owner more self-confidence, activating leadership qualities and determination. But for a morally unstable and infantile person, it can be too strong, further suppressing his energy.
• Green. This stone is better known for its healing properties, so it was often worn to heal from some illness.
• Yellow. It has a positive effect on a person’s intuition, helping him to be more insightful. A yellow diamond is a faithful assistant in learning the truth.
• Blue. It helps to find inner peace of mind and harmony with the world around us.
• Pink. A pink diamond, like many scarlet-colored stones, helps its owner in love affairs. With its help, single women will be able to find their life partner, and married women will be able to strengthen their marriage and find balance within the family.

Medicinal properties

The ability of gemstones to have a positive effect on the body can be disputed, but it has been believed for a long time. This was based on numerous observations, so this information can be considered somewhat reliable. Of course, lithotherapy cannot replace full-fledged medicine, so if you have serious health problems, it is better to consult a doctor.

Diamonds were previously actively used for medicinal purposes. This topic was especially covered in Chinese treatises, where it was said that the stone is capable of influencing the fate, body and life of a person.

Here are just a few of the healing properties of the stone:

• lowers body temperature;
• helps in the fight against stress and insomnia, normalizing a person’s sleep;
• positively affects the work of the heart;
• normalizes metabolic processes in the body;
• increases body tone.

Previously, it was believed that upon contact with a diamond, many poisons lost their toxicity. A similar opinion was held by Mary Stuart, who constantly carried the stone with her.

In Egypt, it was believed that a diamond could influence a person’s beauty, as well as his longevity. In this country, it was customary to give diamonds to women because they helped their owners maintain their beauty longer.

How to wear it correctly?

No one can tell you how to dress or what to wear with your jewelry. But we can give you a number of recommendations, and only you decide whether to listen to them or not.

Here are some tips:

• Small diamonds in an elegant gold frame are more suitable for young girls. For adult women, large solo stones can be recommended.
• This stone can be used to create a business look, but it is better not to overload it by choosing one piece of jewelry. These could be minimalistic stud earrings, a small pendant or a ring of a simple design.
• In order not to hide the beauty of diamond earrings, it is better to collect your hair at the top, or do your hair in such a way that the earrings are visible.
• There should be one diamond ring. If there are several of them, it will look too pretentious. The exception is the wedding and engagement ring, which can be worn in tandem.

You will receive even more interesting information about the intricacies of diamond selection from our specialists by phone or in person in our jewelry boutique. We invite you to an exciting precious journey!

“Fragments of fallen stars” – the ancient Romans and Greeks spoke so poetically and so precisely about diamonds 3000 years ago BC. e. In those days they were hardly even processed, believing that after polishing the stones lost their magical properties. But at the same time they were valued exorbitantly, because how can “tears of the gods” be cheap? This origin of minerals of unearthly beauty seemed the most logical and correct.

A view from the depths of the earth: the origin of diamond

It is difficult to determine when and where diamonds were first found and began to be perceived by people as jewelry. Scientists, however, are unanimous that all of them, from ancient times to the 4th century, appeared in Europe and Asia from India. It was in this country between the XNUMXth and XNUMXrd centuries. BC e. the first treatise on precious stones and their properties was written, including a description of the diamond. In the XNUMXth century BC. Aristotle wrote about them in his book on precious stones. However, most information about the characteristics of this mineral can be found in the works of Pliny the Elder. Diamond is also mentioned in the Talmud.

Precious stones appear when carbon is exposed to high pressure (more than 40 thousand atmospheres) and temperature formed by volcanic magma at a depth of more than 150 km.

To obtain 1 carat of minerals, it is necessary to process over 250 tons of diamond ore! And during the cutting process, the nugget loses about half its weight. However, only 20% of the mined minerals can become diamonds.

Basically, all diamonds mined today appeared in the bowels of the planet about 3 billion years ago. The largest deposits are located in South Africa, Namibia, Angola, Zaire, Sierra Leone, Ghana, Borneo, India, Brazil, Russia, Australia, and the USA.

Antoine Lavoisier was the first to conduct a unique experiment: he burned a gemstone using a solar ray enhanced by a glass lens. Thus it was proven that diamond is pure carbon.

By the way, in the USA there is the Crater of Diamonds National Park, open to tourists. If you are lucky enough to find a valuable stone there, you can take it with you.

Applications of diamonds

The very remaining 80% of diamonds that were rejected by jewelers are used in technical fields: radio electronics, electrical engineering, space, medical industries, etc.

Remember that diamond is harder than any metal? The ancient Chinese knew about this, 4000 years ago they used it to polish ceremonial axes.

The “indestructible” mineral is now often used for cutting glass. With a 1 carat stone you can cut glass 2500 km long!

How diamonds become diamonds

The cut is what makes a diamond a diamond. And the more complex it is, the more expensive the decoration. The stone is processed according to the carbon structure to produce sparkling reflections within the piece.

The brightest light “plays” with the edges with a round cut. Ideally, these are 57 planes, which reveal the entire essence of the precious product with incredibly deep reflections. But there is much more waste from this processing than from other cutting options. And therefore the cost of such diamonds is much higher. In other words, the buyer pays for the shine.

Diamond of pure water

This is what they call crystal clear stones. Perhaps you have heard that if such a diamond is placed in water, it will become invisible? And this is pure myth! Any mineral, even the most transparent, is clearly visible in any liquid.

Most often, yellowish diamonds with various shades are found in mines.

A brown diamond is formed when a little iron is mixed with carbon. Therefore, the more iron, the darker the stone will be. The black stone contains a small amount of graphite. Diamonds of this color were not previously considered precious. Because the stone is opaque, light does not pass through it. However, today they are more valuable than ordinary transparent, colorless diamonds due to the fact that they are rarely found in nature.

But there are truly rare examples of “fancy” colors: blue, pink, ruby ​​red, emerald green, purple and black jewelry diamonds. Their price is also. unique. For example, an 8,41-carat violet-pink diamond was sold in 2014 for almost $18 million!

Is a diamond a good investment?

The value of diamonds has been constantly increasing for several centuries, making their purchase an excellent investment with high returns. Round-shaped pieces are extremely popular among investors and jewelers. Their price is always higher. However, before you decide to purchase these jewelry, you need to know what factors influence the market value of precious stones:

• When people talk about carats (Ct), they mean the weight of the stone. 1 carat is 0,2 grams. Investment diamonds typically range in weight from 0,1 to 4 carats. When purchasing them, you should definitely obtain a special homology certificate from the seller, which guarantees the quality of the stone.
• Color is also important. Designated by letters from D to Z: from colorless, crystal clear stones to brown with a rich yellow tint.
• When they talk about the purity of a stone, they mean the presence of defects or inclusions. The purer the stone, the more expensive it is. Purity is determined on a scale: one is the highest degree, letters: “FL, IF, Air Force, VS, SI, I” indicate a lower one.
• Cut. Thanks to her, the diamond gets its beautiful shape. Proportion, symmetry and the quality of the hard polish are extremely important in this case. Even the most beautiful stone can be ruined by an unsuccessful cut. Jewelers evaluate the quality of the treatment by the play of light, turning the diamond slightly. Facets that are too small prevent the stone from shining because light escapes through the bottom of the diamond and the surface remains dull. Grinding the edges too deeply leads to the fact that the reflection of light is directed to the sides, while the stone itself remains too dark. The main cut shapes are round, heart, oval, princess, pear, marquise, emerald, asscher and trilliant. The round one is the most durable. Types of cuts: step, brilliant, modified brilliant, mixed.

How to distinguish a real diamond from a fake?

They often try to pass off cubic zirconias as diamonds, which have a similar structure, brilliance and radiance. We look at the edges: a real product has clear outlines, while in fakes the edges are often slightly rounded and blurred. If you examine the stone under 12x magnification, you will notice how the fake has double edges. This does not happen in a real cut diamond.

Diamond Magic

It is believed that diamonds influence both the physical and psychological spheres of a person. Diamonds help overcome anxiety, feelings of inferiority, and difficulty concentrating. When contacting him, the true truth, the essence of things, and clarity of consciousness are revealed.

Ancient Indian medicine recommended diamond ash as a cure for diseases such as leprosy, anemia, and tuberculosis. Preventive intake of diamond ash affects the condition of the skin, gives strength, energy, longevity and even sharpens the senses. A person begins to experience the feeling of beauty especially acutely. However, this happens provided that the purest diamond powder was used. If this powder contains impurities, it can cause many diseases or even death.

In the ancient Indian treatise “Ratna-pariksha”, which was written in the 5th century. n. e., the magical properties of a diamond are described as follows: “. Those who wear diamonds should not fear anything, because they protect against snakes, poisons or diseases, theft, fire, water and evil spirits.” Thus, the mineral has always been considered not only a jewel, but also a talisman of great power.

Magic is still attributed to the diamond. Today, esotericists and even some psychologists believe that diamonds have an impact on the physical and mental sphere of a person. They primarily affect the brain and alleviate symptoms of the following diseases:

• encephalitis;
• cerebral hematoma;
• a brain tumor;
• autism;
• epilepsy;
• dizziness;
• impaired vision;
• poisoning.

Mentally, diamonds help overcome anxiety, feelings of inferiority, and difficulty concentrating. In addition, they can sometimes have mild aphrodisiac qualities.

Diamond is a stone of greatness. Therefore, it is best suited for fire signs: Aries, Leo, Sagittarius. It enhances their most beautiful traits: courage, bravery, fearlessness. A diamond will help Capricorn achieve success in his career, but you need to choose the right one: to do this, hold the stone in your palm and listen to your inner feelings. But astrologers categorically do not advise Pisces to wear diamonds. It is believed that the “fire” of the stone is “extinguished” by the water element.

How to wear diamonds

Diamond rings are not recommended to be worn on the ring finger. This is only permissible if there are no other jewelry on your hands. The exception is a diamond engagement ring. However, putting a regular wedding ring without a stone and a ring with a diamond on one ring finger at the same time is considered bad manners. It is also worth remembering that a diamond ring is suitable for married women and mature people.

Earrings with diamonds are a special precious thing that should not be “lost” against the backdrop of a too “bright” hairstyle. Therefore, caution must be exercised here. It is necessary that the jewelry is in harmony with your appearance and does not overshadow the beauty of a woman, but only emphasizes it. Therefore, those with a beautiful long neck can wear earrings with elongated stones. And if you want to visually make your neck longer, wear earrings with round adamants.

According to the rules of etiquette, a diamond bracelet is worn on the right hand. The decoration can be either loose or tightly covering the wrist. If the design of the bracelet is a special composition, then it is necessary to put it on so that the design is clearly visible, and fasten it motionlessly on the hand.

Diamond necklaces, chokers and pendants should be worn with an evening dress. It is preferable to choose a style with bare shoulders. However, a closed dress with a high stand-up collar is also perfect. Necklaces are usually worn with solid colored dresses. An exception may be a special design decision, when a couturier or stylist specifically selects a pattern or embroidery on a dress to match the decoration, creating a single composition.

It is preferable to pin brooches with diamonds to the left shoulder at a distance of 10 cm from the shoulder seam. Sometimes it is permissible to pin an airy silk monochromatic scarf with a brooch and emphasize a thin waist by attaching it to a wide belt. Moreover, the simpler the style and fewer details, the more advantageous the brooch will look.

Jewelers usually offer wonderful combinations by pairing multiple pieces of diamond jewelry. Compositions made according to the principle: necklace, earrings, ring are good. This set can be used for different occasions, wearing jewelry in pairs or separately, rather than the entire set at once.

Diamonds and men

How to wear diamonds for men? Today, men’s diamonds include not only cufflinks and rings, but also watches, diamond-studded chains, tie clips and even small additions used as trim for clothing – shirts and tuxedos.

Jeweled gadgets are all the rage these days. For example, the iPad 2 Gold History Edition of Stuart Hughes, owner of the famous Perth football team, was decorated with twelve 16,5-carat diamonds and one 8,5-carat stone that made up the Apple logo on the back of the case.

And his iPhone 4 was the most expensive in the world, since the body of this gadget was made of rose gold and sparkled with 500 diamonds. This rather immodest phone costs £5 million.