free diamond design: September 2012

Sunday 23 September 2012

Red Diamonds

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Red Diamonds Biography
Red diamonds are the rarest and most exotic diamonds which means they are also the most expensive and naturally the most desired.
A red diamond is so rare that there are jewellers and diamantaries that have rarely seen a red diamond, though everyone is aware of this diamond's uniqueness and its value.
According to predictions red diamonds will become even more rare and as a result their price is expected to double in the next 3-4 years.
Cutting and polishing of red diamonds requires the highest professional skills and experience.
Oren Seren is a manufacturer of natural red diamonds and can boast his exclusive collection of Red Diamonds (Fancy Red and Fancy Purplish Red). Red diamonds are distinctive in that most red diamonds are pique stones meaning that if the diamond is clean (VS-SI), it becomes even more valuable.
Tracing the destiny of red diamonds throughout the years it is possible to discover that these diamonds have been always chased by the most refined collectors inspite of the dramatic price increase. They have definitely always proven themselves to be an excellent investment.
Due to the rarity of natural fancy color red diamonds (in nature and on the market), some of our fabulous diamonds are not viewable online, however, information is available upon request. We prefer to keep these special diamonds on the side for those of you who collect diamonds (just like those people who put together art collections).

Red Diamonds

Diamond Cluster Rings

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Diamond Cluster Rings Biography
The ubiquitous diamond cluster ring has been a diamond ring staple of women throughout the last 100 years. However today this type of ring is going through a style metamorphosis of sorts as new designers come on stream with innovative new diamonf rings based on this venerable classic in new metals and innovative styles
The diamond cluster ring is perhaps the most popular style of diamond ring ever. It predates such modern styles like the right hand ring and the journey ring.
Although without any formal support from De Beers marketing in the US it is a style that benefited overall from De Beers generic diamond advertising back in the 80s and 90s.
The style variation on this type of diamond ring is endless and so now any diamond ring comprised of smaller diamonds in the size range from half a point to even half a carat would fall into the category of diamond cluster rings as long as they were not obviously meant to be a journey ring or some other popular advertised style.
A cluster diamond ring is meant to convey a larger than life diamond look for minimal cost through the use of diamond melee (individual diamonds under 20 points in carat weight) bunched up together with minimal open space or metal space in between so they could deliver a scintillating knockout punch to the viewer in terms of flashy brilliance.
Cluster diamond rings usually lay out the diamonds with the highest set diamond which might be the largest at the crown of the ring surrounded by diamonds set on successively lower levels in a terrace fashion.
This could be shaped in a circle, square, heart or any shape imaginable.
The idea was to have the diamonds visible from all angles to attract the viewer with its sparkle.
See all 5 photos
The White Gold Diamond Cluster Ring
Although from the 1970s to the 1990s the dominant metal in diamond cluster rings was yellow gold, in the past ten years that has changed considerably and now the gold diamond cluster ring will tend to made out of white gold.
The ring to the right is the basic flower style of cluster rings. Most other complicated white gold diamond cluster ring styles are built on top of this style premise.
White gold is good for small diamonds because it makes the diamonds appear whiter than they are if the diamonds fall in the commercial grade of near colorless which is the range normally identified by the color grades G, H, I, J, K and L.
This grade of diamond will typically have a champagne tinge to them that will hardly be noticeable through the range G, H and I especially when mounted in white gold.
In one carat diamonds, the most popular size for your average engagement ring, the color grades J, K and L have a noticeable tint of champagne, yellow, brown or gray in them.
However in the smaller melee sized diamonds these tints are not very noticeable because smaller diamonds mean smaller concentrations of color and the use of white gold to mount this grade of diamond in a cluster format ring will generally enhance the look of these diamonds making the slight coloration even more unnoticeable.
But once you get into the color grades M, N, O and beyond, the backdrop of white gold will now only sharpen the color contrast between diamonds and mounting and you will be better of mounting this grade of diamond in yellow gold to mask the diamond coloration.
Antique Diamond Cluster Rings
See all 5 photos
See all 5 photos
Vintage diamond cluster rings have experienced a resurgence of sorts because of the boundless variety of diamond cluster rings that have made their way into the estate jewelry cases of retailers since late 2007 when the gold spot price began touching $800 per ounce after beginning the year in the $650 range.
Antique styled diamond rings have as a general rule become more popular with consumers as they began to get tired all the diamond jewelry drek that poured out of Far eastern manufacturing centers in India to satiate the American diamond consumer's taste for a good deal on diamond rings totaling a carat or more.
An example of this type of diamond cluster ring can be seen to the top right and can still be found in Zales and other mass market jewelers at $399 for a one carat total weight ring.
This type of product is short on style and definitely short on diamond quality as manufacturers shaved gold weight and compromised on setting quality.
Now women love the inherent appeal of classic art deco and Edwardian styling like this vintage diamond cluster ring to the right.
It is a double diamond cluster ring with a pair of high quality diamonds in a 1940s setting with old European cut diamond melee surrounding it.
Many women, even from younger generations are starting wear these retro styled diamond rings and if they can't find it in an estate jewelry case they can usually find a retailer that will carry antique reproduction minus the old European cut diamonds of course but with the classic filigree, hand carving and millgraining work dome on the mounting.
See all 5 photos
See all 5 photos
Diamond Cluster Engagement Ring
Often when a center stone of adequate size in a diamond is either too expensive or is not required by the engagement ring design, many couples find a diamond cluster engagement ring to be perfectly adequate.
In the case of this Celtic knot engagement ring set to the right you can see that the styling is more centered on the symbolism of the celtic motifs rather than the flashiness of the center stone.
Here it seems that the diamond cluster is perfectly adequate for the style requirements of the ring.
Although invisible set diamond rings may not fall into the classic definition of a diamond cluster ring, it still is essentialy a cluster of diamonds that have no metal separating them on surface.
This has become a popular option for women who want the diamond surface area of a two carat diamond engagement ring but with the pricing of a clutser ring.
The jewelry market has come up with invisibly set diamond centers that have a cluster of smaller square shaped or pie shaped diamonds that fit like a puzzle exactly together with no metal showing in between to give the illusion of a larger square, round or oval center diamond.
This princess set diamond cluster engagement ring set above right is a perfect example where the four princess cut diamonds are invisibly set together to give the look of a larger single princess diamond in the head of the engagement ring.

Diamond Cluster Rings

Diamond Simulant

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Diamond Simulant Biography
Diamonds have been imitated since the early 1900s. The imitations fall into two distinct categories: synthetic diamond and diamond simulant. Synthetic diamonds possess the same characteristics as naturally occurring diamonds, but are grown in a laboratory (man made diamonds). A diamond simulant possesses a different chemical composition, but is very diamond-like in appearance.
Diamond simulants can be composed of natural or artificial elements, or a combination of both. The most common simulants are rhinestones (high-leaded glass) and cubic zirconia (zirconium oxide, ZrO2), both of which are artificially created. Moissanite (silicon carbide, SiC), though first discovered in 1893, is a recent entry into the diamond simulant market, becoming popular in the late 1990s.
To properly imitate their natural counterparts, diamond simulants must contain certain diamond-like properties. Hardness and durability top the list. For use in jewelry and in technology these stones must resist scratches and effects of contact with other objects. Few simulants are as hard as a diamond, which rates a perfect 10 on the Mohs scale of mineral hardness. Moissanite comes the closest, measuring 9.5. Cubic zirconia, certainly the most popular simulant, is softer, falling into a range of 8-8.5.
Diamond simulants must also display certain optic and color characteristics. Diamonds contain a high refractive index (RI), the measure of how much light bends upon entering the stone. The dispersion factor, degree that white light is split into spectral--rainbow--colors, is also important. These two measurements are commonly referred to as brilliance and fire. Too low an RI and the diamond simulant will appear lifeless. Too high and the stone looks unreal. Color refers to how "white" (colorless) the stone appears. Most simulants are completely colorless, and are usually flawless as well, adding greatly to their brilliance, fire, and popularity.
Natural diamond simulants, minerals that when cut optically resemble white diamonds, are rare. The most notable is zircon (not to be confused with zirconium oxide). Mined in Sri Lanka for over 2000 years, colorless zircon, before modern mineralogy, was thought to be an inferior diamond. Called Matara, after its geographic source, zircon is still found today. Other natural simulants include crystal, topaz and beryl, but all contain so many impurities that mass production isn't feasible. As a result, the majority of diamond simulants are artificially created.
The first artificial diamond simulant, synthetic white sapphire (Al2O3, pure corundum), was produced in the early 1900s . Rating a 9 on the Mohs hardness scale, synthetic white sapphires are sadly much lower in RI. When cut, the stones appear lifeless, lacking diamond's brilliance and fire. Still, the white sapphire, marketed as Diamondette, Diamondite, Jourado Diamond and Thrilliant, was popular until the late 1940s when better simulants emerged onto the market.
The first of these so-called "better" diamond simulants was synthetic rutile (TiO2, pure titanium oxide), introduced in 1947-48. Unlike white sapphire, rutile possessed a lot of brilliance when cut, almost opal-like in it's prism display of color. Unfortunately, the synthetic rutile also contained an undeniable yellow tint, and rated a mere 6 on the Mohs scale. Synthetic rutile was marketed by several commercial names, including Diamothyst, Rainbow Diamond, and Ultamite.
Possibly the best diamond simulant during the 1940s and 1950s was strontium titanate (SrTiO3, pure tausonite). Strontium titanate possessed superior optics, with an RI close to diamond, a very high dispersion rate; and completely lacked the yellow tint of rutile. Still softer than diamond with Mohs rating of 5.5, strontium titanate was combined with more durable materials to create composites. At peak production, 1.5 million carats (300 kg) were produced annually, marketed under names including Brilliante, Fabulite, and Marvelite.
During 1970-1976, a new class of diamond imitations, synthetic garnets, began to steal strontium titanate's thunder. Unlike other diamond simulants, synthetic garnets do not have a counterpart in nature, composed of oxides rather than silicates, and of some uncommon rare earth elements. Only two of the types of synthetic garnets grown were important as diamond simulants. The first, ytrrium aluminum garnets (YAG, Y3Al25O12), emerged in the late 1960s and are still produced. YAG was extremely pure, rated an 8.25 on Mohs scale and possessed a decent RI and dispersion rate. Commercially marketed as Diamonique and Replique, YAG peaked at an annual production of 40 million carats (8,000 kg) in 1972.
The second synthetic garnet used as a diamond simulant was gadolinium gallium garnet (GGG, Gd3Ga5O12). Similar to YAG, GGG rated a 7 on Mohs, but had a dispersion factor and an RI much closer to that of natural diamond. Unfortunately, GGGs cost much more to produce, and had a tendency to turn brown when exposed to sunlight. Marketed as Diamonique II and Galliant, GGG was never produced in significant quantities and pretty much dropped out of sight by the close of the 1970s.
In 1976, cubic zirconia (CZ) (ZrO2, zirconium oxide) burst onto the scene and is still the most gemologically and economically important diamond simulant. Produced as a result of the invention of microwave technology, CZ hit the market as a colorless, flawless gemstone and quickly dominated the industry. The hardness for CZ is measured as a range of 8-8.5, because stabilizers have to be added the production process. CZ's RI and dispersion factor can also be affected by the stabilizers, but on average CZ possesses near-diamond brilliance and fire. Cubic zirconia is also inexpensive to produce, adding to its popularity.
In 1998, moissanite (SiC; synthetic silicon carbide) became available, challenging CZ's popularity. Rating a 9.5 on Mohs scale, moissanite is more resistant to heat, making it easier to set in molten gold. Currently produced by only one company, Charles and Colvard, moissanite is less readily obtained and therefore much more expensive than CZ.
Clearly, the perfect diamond substitute has yet to be discovered and/or developed. As technology improves, however, it is only a matter of time until the "best" alternative is found.

Diamond Simulant

Diamond Anniversary Bands

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Diamond Anniversary Bands Biography
f you’re looking for a one-of-a-kind ring that leaves a lasting impression on everyone who sees it, Spence Diamonds is a great place to start your search. Each Spence location is home to more than 3,000 designer ring prototypes displayed in wide-open showcases, allowing you to reach in and try on as many as you like without having to ask a salesperson. It’s the most fun, laid-back, pressure-free jewellery store shopping experience you’ll ever encounter.
You can see many rings right here, but keep in mind, the online selection is only a small portion of what you’ll find in the store.Take me to my personal Spence Diamonds page so I can see the ring I’ve already purchased.

Diamond Anniversary Bands

Champagne Diamond Rings

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Champagne Diamond Rings Biography
The stakes are extremely high in this area of natural colored diamond investments. At Rare Investment, we are seeing pressure on 'grayish-green and greenish' categories, as these colors are starting to follow in the footsteps of the Champagne variations (Champagne, Cognac, Chocolate and Hazel Diamonds TM) diamonds and Gray (Silvermist) diamonds.
As worldwide demand for these rare luxury commodities increases, mines apparently cannot supply the demand from growing markets in India and Asia.
Fuelled by the eminent closing of the Argyle Diamond Mine in 2018 – only seven short years away and with the potential elimination of natural fancy colored diamonds supplies, Green jewels are becoming a highly interesting investment for investor’s of rare commodities.
Rarity of Green
Natural fancy Green diamonds derive their rare color from exposure to atomic radiation. When nitrogen is also present in Green diamonds you get a striking color of florescent green. Green diamonds with nitrogen look similar to the color of florescent green like Kryptonite (a material from the Superman myth).
The Green hue is present mainly on the diamonds outer skin and brightens as it penetrates the jewel. If the natural green color is particularly intense, the diamond has most likely been exposed to more radioactive substances, mainly uranium.
The strength of color is one of the most important attributes in determining the value in a natural colored Green diamonds and its increases with the intensity. Green jewels that show no trace of secondary color modifiers are extremely valuable. Yellow-green and Green-yellow diamonds are more common and affordable than pure Green diamonds, however all Green diamonds are considered rare.
Just like Champagne, Chocolate, Cognac and Hazel DiamondsTM, natural fancy Green diamonds have never been poised to appreciate more. As supply declines over the next decade, we foresee that prices of natural fancy green jewels will rise. View our inventory of the world’s rarest and most beautiful GIA certified Natural Fancy Green Diamonds on our Rare Jewel Exchange.

Champagne Diamond Rings