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Mineral Species
Diamond, chemical composition carbon.

Color Hue
Virtually all color hues, Chameleon - A color change diamond.

Clarity Designation
Type I, usually eye clean without magnification and numerous to minor inclusions under 10x magnification.

Cut
All grades available, normally should be well cut.

Gemological Data
R.I.: 2.417
Hardness: 10
S.G.: 3.52 (+ .01)

Typical Enhancements
None

Non-typical Enhancements
Lasering, irradiation, heating (annealing), fracture filling, heat and pressure (color upgrade enhancement) coating (rare).

Enhancement Stability (Non-typical)
Lasering - very good
Irradiation - excellent
Heating/Annealing - very good
Fracture filling - very good
Heat/pressure - unknown
Coating - fair to poor

Birthstone
April

Diamonds are the most popular gemstones in the world. Colorless and near-colorless diamonds are in high demand. However, true connoisseurs prefer the world of “fancy” color diamonds. Most people don’t realize that diamonds come in virtually all color hues. Diamonds may, in fact, occasionally be found in strong saturations and hues in yellow, orange, red, green, blue, pink, purple, brown, and black. These highly prized specimens require an expert to price and a prestigious gem laboratory pedigree to guarantee “origin of color”.

In today’s technological world, color in diamonds can be created. Gem laboratories can make some brown diamonds near colorless, and they can in fact synthesize diamonds. The process of creating a diamond is quite costly, so the impact upon the diamonds market is negligible.

Diamond derives its name from the Greek word “Adamas”, meaning unconquerable. Throughout history, diamonds were believed to be indestructible because of its hardness. The myth continued for nearly two MILLENNIUM. History records ignorant prospectors, miners, and merchants smashing diamonds with hammers to authenticate genuine diamonds. One can hardly imagine how many billions of dollars of diamonds were smashed into pieces.

Through the centuries, diamonds were thought to imply super strength, power, favor with the Gods, and believed to have various magical curing powers. Today, the only widely held myth among the general public is the perception of diamonds indestructibility. Science has proven that hardness and toughness are not synonymous terms. Hardness is defined in gemology as . . . “the ability of a material to resist abrasion damage”. Toughness (tenacity) is defined in gemological terms as. . . “resistance to breaking, chipping, or cracking”. Diamonds are generally quite resistant to breaking or chipping. However, under the right circumstances, diamonds can chip, crack, or even break in two.

Despite this occasional problem, kings, queens, and moguls have had a continual obsession throughout history for diamonds. All the world’s crown jewels/collections contain numerous diamonds. Diamonds were the exclusive gemstone of the privileged class for more than a millennium. Common people were not afforded the opportunity to own a diamond until love entered the picture. A few centuries ago, a prince in love gave his betrothed a diamond ring and the diamond engagement ring tradition was born. Today, love and diamonds are synonymous.

Most diamonds are not enhanced outside of cutting and polishing to improve appearance. There are numerous “non-typical” enhancements such as lasering, fracture filling, irradiation to induce color, heat annealing, and the newest alchemy heat/pressure de-colorization. The F.T.C. (Federal Trade Commission) mandates disclosure of ALL enhancements in diamonds.

Jewels & Diamonds™ website catalog does not feature any diamonds with any enhancements.

Colorless and near-colorless diamonds are valued by the comparable factors of the “Four C’s”. These are: a) carat weight; b) color; (lack of color); c) clarity, and d) cut. Appearance and beauty is in the eye of the beholder, but value is discerned by the eye of an expert. Many factors influence value in colorless and near-colorless diamonds including many factors not generally known outside of the trade. Some people mistakenly believe that diamonds are infact commodities and can be compared like cars, books, or toasters. However, no two diamonds are alike, despite having the same grade and graded by the same gem laboratory.

A recent case in point; a consumer comparing a large solitaire from two sources had a rude awakening. Both the diamonds had identical grades in size, clarity, color, and were infact certified by the same gem laboratory. The bargain hunter consumer purchased the cheaper diamond and thought they saved nearly a thousand dollars. The story would have infact ended there had the diamond not loosened in the mounting, and the consumers actually had the chance to compare both diamonds side by side. The difference in brilliance, dispersion, and scintillation was quite significant even to the untrained eye. The consumer was very unhappy and paid an additional four thousand dollars to up-grade just the appearance.

Even something as unnoticeable as the girdle of a diamond can significantly influence value and durability. Some retailers sell inferior diamonds and exaggerate quality. Some retailers even cheat the public by claiming to sell diamonds below wholesale prices. Deceiving the public is big business, and bargain hunters are their stock in trade. Through the years, “Dr. Gem”® has examined thousands of inferior diamonds sold at allegedly bargain prices. In fact, some were NOT even diamonds, and some were lasered or filled with a variety of fillers. The story continues, and as of the date of this publication, 99.9% of the . . .”so-called bargain diamonds were infact misrepresented, overvalued, and sold at FULL RETAIL PRICE.

There is certainly nothing wrong with selling or purchasing promotional or commercial diamonds provided they are not misrepresented in quality or value.

“Dr. Gem’s”® upcoming “Guide to Buying Diamonds” will illustrate value factors for the consumer and hopefully help people avoid the percentage discount games.

Diamonds are truly one of nature’s natural treasures. Quality diamond jewelry remains one of the best dollar values over the long term. Today’s jewelry marketplace has changed greatly over the years, and inferior jewelry has flooded the market. Cheap jewelry is never fine, and fine jewelry is never cheap. Jewels & Diamonds™ is a two (2) decade old jewelry operation (wholesale to trade and retail), and all items featured in our website catalog are actually inventoried. Each item is personally cleaned and inspected to ensure customer satisfaction.

Our website catalog only shows a tiny portion of our inventory at lower price points. When considering purchasing “large” or “very fine” diamonds call “Dr. Gem”® , and he’ll select a truly great diamond tailored to your expectations.

“Dr. Gem”® is a renowned graduate gemologist who actually hand picks our loose diamond selections. Consumers wishing to purchase items beyond our website’s credit card limit ($500.00) MUST make other financial arrangements outside of credit card sales. Whether you’re considering purchasing a $500.00 or $500,000.00 diamond in our fine jewelry store, “Dr. Gem”® will greet you with a friendly smile and give you a genuine deal. Call today and don’t worry about a computerized voice generated message machine. “Dr. Gem’s”® direct phone number is 352-621-4653 and he’ll assist you personally. Two decades of repeat customers have been our stock in trade, and that is. . . “the whole story”.

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