[Jewelry making - Article 00124] - [Orchid] Diamond - Brilliant Ice

[Sandra I. Smith]

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    Currently identified with love, diamonds are the gemstone of choice
    in engagement, wedding, and anniversary rings. Contrary to popular
    belief, we have not always given diamonds as love tokens. That
    custom results from modern marketing techniques, not ancient
    traditions. 

    Our ancestors mined diamonds, but didn't use them extensively.
    Diamonds' extreme hardness made them difficult to use in any way but
    their natural form, which resembles lifeless glass, and they weren't
    considered desirable gemstones. 

    Their fiery beauty was revealed in the 1700s, when gem cutters
    mastered faceting--cutting flat sides on a gemstone to enhance its
    brilliance. Diamonds quickly became the most popular gemstone, a
    position they still hold. 

    Those who believe in crystal magic assert that diamonds have
    protective powers and use them to drive away evil spirits and
    nightmares. They also claim that diamonds give wearers
    self-confidence, especially in matters concerning the opposite sex. 

    Diamonds are very hard--their name comes from the Greek word for
    invincible. They are not, however, indestructible. Diamonds are
    brittle, allowing them to chip or shatter easily. Because they are
    pure carbon, fire destroys them. 

    Common diamonds are transparent, or "white," leading to the nickname
    "ice." We value white diamonds for their lack of color. As with all
    other gemstones, tiny amounts of chemical impurities create colors.
    Red is the rarest of all colors in diamonds. 

    Except for the colored varieties, diamonds are plentiful. Diamonds
    are expensive only because people covet them, and because cartels
    control the market. The quality, and price, of diamonds are
    evaluated using the four c's: color, clarity, carat, and cut. 

    When buying a white diamond, place it against a white surface to
    detect color tinges. A truly colorless diamond will always cost
    more. Colored diamonds, known as "fancies," are valued according to
    the depth and intensity of their hues. 

    Few natural gemstones, including diamonds, are perfect. They may
    have bubbles, lines, or even other minerals embedded in them.
    Gemologists call these flaws, which are often invisible to the naked
    eye, "inclusions." Clarity is a measure of how much the inclusions
    interfere with the passage of light through the gem. The greater a
    diamond's clarity, the greater its cost. 

    Jewelers weigh diamonds by carats. Because larger sizes are rarer, a
    two-carat diamond will cost several times more than a one-carat
    diamond. 

    Cut refers to the quality of the faceting. Diamond-cutters generally
    cut 58 facets, the number that maximizes brilliance. Poorly-cut
    diamonds lack fire. An expert cut can overcome flaws in clarity and
    color. Many professionals regard cut as the most important of the
    four c's. 


    JUST FOR FUN Drill a small hole near the top of a dime and suspend
    the dime on a safety pin. Attach the pin to your clothing. When
    people ask what it is, tell them that it's your "dime-on-pin." 

****Sandra I. Smith, Writer ****


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