Great Britain
A flawless natural gemstone that contains no cracks or inclusions and which has an ideal colour, this is every jeweller's dream. Nature can be genuinely diverse and the diamond is a beautiful example of this since it’s found in almost all shades of the colour spectrum. However natural colour diamonds are a real rarity and their prices reach incredible highs, even for small stones. For this reason, modern diamond processing technologies have been developed and as a result of these, colour diamonds can be purchased at an affordable price.
At our jewellery studio, we offer a wide range of jewellery with coloured diamonds, also known as "treated diamonds" which excel in their intense colour and high quality. Black diamonds in particular are especially important to us at KLENOTA. They go beyond the classic idea of a diamond but still captivate at first sight. Given their uniqueness and timelessness, they fit perfectly into the concept of making modern jewellery by hand.
What are black diamonds?
Black diamonds look like the exact opposite of the white, colourless ones. They are not see through, not full of sparkle but instead they have a typical metallic lustre. How is it possible that the one mineral can look so different? Although black diamonds or “carbonado” diamonds belong to a group known as “fancy diamonds” (ie. colour diamonds), classifying them as diamonds is a bit inaccurate in this case. Unlike colourless diamonds which contain only one chemical element, namely carbon, carbonados are a mixture of diamond, graphite and amorphous carbon. They acquire their intense colour due to the presence of graphite.
Bold and stylish
As you can see from our own collection, their beauty stands out especially in contrasting combinations with white gold. And they take on a really luxurious look when combined with colourless diamonds. The popularity of black diamonds has been growing since the 1990s and many celebrities have fallen under the spell of their unique charms.
Engagement rings with a black diamond are also no longer an exception. The character of Carrie Bradshaw from the hit TV show Sex and the City and her engagement ring with a 5 carat black diamond certainly helped to popularise this trend. This gemstone is designed for women who are individuals, brave and not afraid to deviate from the norm. Black diamonds are very popular with millennials however they also make for an added interesting detail in men's jewellery.
Like other gemstones, black diamonds also have a famous representative. It is a gemstone with the noble name of Black Orlov which weighs 67.5 carats and whose proud owner was the Russian princess Nadia Vyegin-Orlov. It was polished into a cushion cut and found its place inside a beautiful brooch that is attached to a necklace made of platinum and diamonds.
The origin and properties of black diamonds
When choosing black diamonds, it’s important to pay attention to the amount of inclusions which they contain since these then form various little lines, hollows and cracks on the surface. Gem cutters find it very difficult to process this raw material and they know all about this.
Black diamonds do occur completely naturally and they are even less common than colourless diamonds. Deposits of black diamonds are only found in the Central African Republic and in Brazil and they are collected from alluviums.
However black diamonds can also be created from raw diamonds of lower quality by treating them with high temperatures or radiation. The principle of these methods is based on the formation of black layers of carbon. It settles in the cracks of the stone and turns the stone black. A diamond which has been modified in this way can be cut and polished the same way as a classic diamond.
Champagne coloured diamonds
The classification of the colour “champagne” is for brown diamonds with an additional secondary shade of yellow or orange in it. Like the black ones, these belong to the family of fancy diamonds. Their colour is determined by the amount of nitrogen in the diamond. The more nitrogen in the diamond, the more intense it is in colour. It is possible to find both very light pieces as well as stones which have a rich colour. Some shades even have a trade name, such as the orange cognac diamond or the dark brown chocolate diamond which is registered with a trademark by the Le Vian company.
Are champagne diamonds rare?
The value of brown diamonds depends on the shade of their colour, size, quality of the cut as well as other factors. The best rated are stones without any secondary colouration. In principle however, it can be said that brown diamonds are less rare and therefore cheaper than colourless diamonds of the same quality. Typically they almost always contain some inclusions. Champagne diamonds are mined in several places around the world such as Siberia or Africa. Some of them also come from the Argyle mine in Australia which is famous for its rare pink diamonds. This mine even has its own rating scale. It distinguishes shades of Light Champagne (C1 - C2), Medium Champagne (C3 - C4), Dark Champagne (C5 - C6) and Cognac (C7). However we recommend sticking to the more widespread rating system used by GIA and AGS. The word champagne is not used at all on this scale, instead they are all referred to as brown. For very light stones, we follow the same scale which defines the purity of colourless diamonds as D-Z. On this scale N-V is very light yellow and W-Z means light yellow. Such diamonds have a very low value and are usually not even sold. The value then increases with the rising intensity of a diamond’s colour and at that point the stone can properly be described as being a colour diamond.
Champagne diamonds in jewellery
Soft tones, a beautiful sparkle and a natural look that matches the skin colour. These are the main characteristics of champagne diamonds and the reason they have gained their position in the world of jewellery. And although their popularity is still rising, their price has stayed very favorable. Their advantage is the versatility that diamonds in this neutral colour bring. There isn’t an outfit that they wouldn’t work with. They stand out best in rose gold, with which they form an incredibly feminine combination. Yellow gold also suits them since it highlights their “fire” and white gold will once again give their colour room to shine. However a champagne diamond is not just for the ladies. In fact, the combination of white gold and a more intensely coloured gemstone can create a very interesting piece of jewellery for men.
Engagement rings with brown diamonds are very fashionable today and stars such as Halle Berry and Jennifer Lopez are proud wearers of them.
Black and champagne are two elegant and timeless colours that you can indulge in through the form of an exceptional gemstone. So take a look at our entire collection of diamond jewellery and be inspired.
