| A diamond is just pure carbon crystal. If you look | | | | the diamond and the final C, which is Carat, is |
| at the chemistry of diamond, it is pure carbon. | | | | used to measure the size of the diamond. Man |
| The arrangement of the carbon atoms differently | | | | creates cut in a diamond and the other C's are |
| makes it a unique gem. A diamond is considered | | | | formed in nature. |
| precious from the ancient times and is popular for | | | | Types of diamonds |
| its strength. | | | | When minerals are mixed in nature with the |
| How a diamond is formed? | | | | diamond, it gives the characteristic color for the |
| Diamonds are formed in the earth thousands of | | | | diamond. Based on the type of mineral that is |
| years ago under extreme heat and pressure. This | | | | mixed, we can classify the diamonds in to many |
| extreme heat and pressure in the earth | | | | types. The following are the colors that are found |
| transforms this carbon into crystals and colorless. | | | | in the diamond. |
| Although diamonds are formed in the earth, the | | | | Yellow: this color is formed when Nitrogen is |
| volcanic activities are thought to have brought | | | | combined with diamond crystals. |
| them to the surface of the earth in the early | | | | Blue: During the formation of the diamond if |
| days. Hence, these volcanic pipes are found to | | | | elements of Boron are mixed then the diamond |
| have diamonds in them. When some of the | | | | will be in blue color |
| minerals mix with the carbon, the diamond takes | | | | Green: Green color is caused due to a missed out |
| some other color in it. Such diamonds that are | | | | atom in the lattice of atoms. |
| colored are very rare and valued much than the | | | | Brown: Any dislocation in the lattice of atoms |
| normal diamond, which is colorless. | | | | causes brown coloring in the diamonds. |
| Some of the diamond mines | | | | Pink: Dislocations in the lattice missed out atoms, |
| Diamond mines are found in Canada and Australia. | | | | and some impurities that are non-nitrogen causes |
| Diavik Diamond Mines is found in Yellowknife, | | | | pink color in diamonds. |
| Northwest Territories Canada. It is estimated that | | | | Carat - The Measuring Unit |
| this diamond mine reserves are 95.6 million carats. | | | | Carat is the unit that is used to measure |
| The Argyle diamond mine found in the Kimberley | | | | diamonds. In the earlier days, diamonds were |
| region in the far north of Western Australia is one | | | | weighed by using the Carob tree seeds. A seed |
| of the popular mines that produce the Argyle | | | | from this tree was considered as one carat. |
| diamonds. This mine produces more than one third | | | | Now-a-days one carat is equivalent to 0.2 grams. |
| of the world's production of diamonds. | | | | Diamonds of less than one carat are known as |
| How diamonds are valued? | | | | pointers. Suppose the weight of diamond is 0.18 |
| Diamonds are valued by their Cut, Color, Clarity, | | | | grams, and then it is known as 18 pointers. The |
| and Carat weight. You should remember the four | | | | more the carat the more is the price of the |
| C's that are used to value diamonds. Cut, Color, | | | | diamonds. |
| and Clarity are used to measure the quality of | | | | |