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JB Daily News Question of the Day - How Do Black Diamonds Get Their Color?
JB Daily News Question of the Day - How Do Black Diamonds Get Their Color?
The majority of black diamonds you see on the market are irradiated. Some of the ones I've examined looked black to the eye, but when examined under a high intensity fiber optic light were actually a very, very dense green of low color saturation. This highly concentrated low saturation green ends up looking black under ordinary lighting conditions.
Natural blacks can range from semi-transparent to opaque. Sometimes a heavily included natural diamond can have a black "appearance", although not be a true "fancy" black. Fancy blacks are, however, often heavily included.
A new development on the market are synthetic black diamonds. They are opaque, with a "hematite-like" look. They are purported by their marketers to have a better grain "texture" than natural blacks, and "allegedly" take a better polish. These stones sell for less than natural blacks.
Black diamonds can range quite a bit in price. The majority of them are fairly homely, but sometimes the finer ones can catch your eye. They are kind of cool from a mineral specimen point-of-view, and many regard them as a good man's ring stone.
Answered By:
Rich, Independent GG Appraiser
Sarasota Gemological Laboratory
www.sarasotagemlab.com
The majority of black diamonds you see on the market are irradiated. Some of the ones I've examined looked black to the eye, but when examined under a high intensity fiber optic light were actually a very, very dense green of low color saturation. This highly concentrated low saturation green ends up looking black under ordinary lighting conditions.
Natural blacks can range from semi-transparent to opaque. Sometimes a heavily included natural diamond can have a black "appearance", although not be a true "fancy" black. Fancy blacks are, however, often heavily included.
A new development on the market are synthetic black diamonds. They are opaque, with a "hematite-like" look. They are purported by their marketers to have a better grain "texture" than natural blacks, and "allegedly" take a better polish. These stones sell for less than natural blacks.
Black diamonds can range quite a bit in price. The majority of them are fairly homely, but sometimes the finer ones can catch your eye. They are kind of cool from a mineral specimen point-of-view, and many regard them as a good man's ring stone.
Answered By:
Rich, Independent GG Appraiser
Sarasota Gemological Laboratory
www.sarasotagemlab.com
Posted by Posted by Jewelry News at Friday, August 17, 2007 9:49 AM 
Categories: Diamonds, Question of the Day, Diamond Jewelry, Jewelry News, Black Diamonds
Categories: Diamonds, Question of the Day, Diamond Jewelry, Jewelry News, Black Diamonds
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