Diamond Evaluation

Ever wonder how diamonds get evaluated for color?

Learn about one of the 4Cs of Diamond Quality, Color Grading, created by GIA a universal standard measure for assessing diamond value.

Colorlessness

GIA’s diamond D-to-Z color-grading system assesses the degree of colorlessness by comparing a stone under controlled lighting and precise viewing conditions against master stones of established color value. 

The scale begins with the letter D, representing colorless, and continues, with increasing presence of color, to the letter Z. 

Watch

Let GIA help guide you through the D-to-Z diamond color-grading scale with this one-minute video, which features tools like a diamond color chart and more.

Wacht the video here

On almost all modern birthstone lists, diamond is recognized today as the birthstone for April. Diamond is also the gem that marks the 60th and 75th wedding anniversaries.

April Jewels

Unsurprisingly, the April birthstone is diamonds.

Symbols

Diamonds symbolizes affection, strength, eternity and of course- everlasting love. 

For those lucky to be born in the month of April, the Diamond is undoubtedly the most radiant and desired gemstone. 

Often used in engagement rings and as romantic gifts, the metaphysical properties of diamonds are clarity, balance, and abundance.

See our selection and take your pick!!

Clean Your Diamonds

Handy Tips

From the Gemological Institute of America.
Keeping your diamond jewellery sparkling is easier than you though. 
Here are some tips on maintaining your diamond sparkling.

Diamond is the hardest organic material on Earth. It could cut any sort of kind of rock or metal, but only an additional diamond could cut a diamond. In fact, to burn a diamond, it needs to be heated to in between 1290-1650 levels Fahrenheit. Yet the oil deposited from the mere touch of a human finger can cause dust to gather and make this virtually unbreakable gems promptly shed its sparkling appeal.

So exactly how can you keep your diamond looking its finest? 

DEAL WITH YOUR DIAMOND SPARINGLY

Diamonds are natural magnets for grease, so they're difficult to maintain tidy. When a Diamond is dealt with, the oils from your fingers adhere to the diamond's surface area and affect its brilliance and also fire.

TIDY YOUR DIAMOND REGULARLY

A straightforward plan to ensure your diamond jewelry looking lovely is to saturate it in a gentle degreasing remedy, such as water with a couple of decreases of mild dish soap, once or twice a week. After you remove the Diamond from the cleaning remedy, utilize a soft, tidy toothbrush to eliminate any continuing to be dust. The toothbrush needs to be new and also reserved specifically for cleansing your precious jewelry. Use it to tidy hard-to-reach locations like the back of the diamond, which often gather the most oil and also dirt.

USAGE A MILD TOUCH

Fragile setups, like older prongs in antique fashion jewelry or a stress setup where the Diamond is kept in an area by pressure from the shank, should not be strongly rubbed, so be mild with the toothbrush. Then, merely wash your diamond precious jewelry with water and also dry with a soft, lint-free cloth. If you're working over a sink, see to it to close the drainpipe.

DON'T USE DANGEROUS REMEDIES

Chlorine bleach or abrasives (such as family cleansers or toothpaste) should never be made use of when washing diamond fashion jewelry. Chemicals like chlorine can damage several of the steels used to blend gold for diamond setups and also abrasives can damage gold as well as various other steels.

USAGE ULTRASONIC CLEANERS WITH CARE

Occasionally an ultrasonic cleaner is needed to remove dirtied filth on diamonds. By sending radio frequency sound waves through a remedy, ultrasonic cleaning services create vibrating liquid to eliminate gathered filth as well as gunk. Yet they can additionally tremble loosened rocks from their mountings or chip the girdles of rubies that are established close to each other. Continue carefully if the diamond has feathers or is included, as well as stay clear of ultrasonics if the diamond has actually been dealt with by crack filling.

Digital Ultrasonic Professional Cleaner

Before positioning your diamond in an ultrasonic cleaner, it's best to describe the diamond's rating report, which accurately makes known whether the diamond has been gotten rid of. You must also seek advice from a professional jeweler who can figure out if your jewelry requires repair service, such as looking for loose rocks and also tightening them, prior to it is cleansed.

The key to a diamond's shimmer depends on its elements-- which work like a series of many tiny mirrors reflecting light in and out of the rock. Routinely cleaning up the features will certainly ensure your diamond sparkling as well as your diamond fashion jewelry in gleaming condition, ready to beam for your next special event.

Luxury March

Aquamarine and Bloodstone are the birthstones for March.

The name aquamarine was derived by the Romans, “aqua,” implying water, and “mare,” indicating sea, due to the fact that it appeared like sea water.

They vary in color from deep blue to blue-green of various strengths, brought on by traces of iron in the beryl crystal. Naturally taking place, deep blue stones are one of the most prized due to the fact that they are unusual and also pricey. Nevertheless, yellow beryl stones can be warmed to change them to blue aquamarines.

The aquamarine– additionally called the “poor man’s ruby”– is a kind of the mineral beryl that also includes other gems such as the emerald, morganite, as well as heliodor.

Beginning in the Roman duration, the aquamarine was believed to possess medicinal and also recovery powers. Throughout the Middle Ages, it was thought to be an efficient antidote against poison and used by fortune tellers.  

It is said that Emperor Nero used it as a glasses 2,000 years back and later on, aquamarines were used as glasses in Germany to fix shortsightedness.

First class rocks are located in Brazil, Colombia, the Ural Mountains of Russia, the island of Malagasy, as well as India. In the United States, Colorado, Maine, and also North Carolina.

The second birthstone for March 

Is the bloodstone.

This quartz variety is also called chalcedony. Eco-friendly chalcedony detected with streaks of red is known as bloodstone. Bloodstone is discovered ingrained in rocks, or as pebbles in riverbeds.

The bloodstone is a popular material for carving religious subjects. According to legend, bloodstone was believed to have actually developed during the crucifixion of Christ. A Roman soldier-guard drive his harpoon right into Christ’s side as well as declines of blood fell on some pieces of dark environment-friendly jasper lying at the foot of the cross, and the bloodstone was developed.

Babylonians used this stone to create seals and also amulets, and also it was also a favorite with Roman gladiators. It was thought to hold recovery powers, specifically for stopping nosebleeds. Old alchemists used it to deal with blood poisoning as well as the circulation of blood from a wound. And believed to extend the venom of snakes.

The best sources of this stone are India, Brazil, as well as Australia.

Artificial Diamonds

Are Stronger Than The Real Thing?

If you were to match two allotropes of carbon versus each other in a boxing ring, you would certainly believe that graphite is quite the underdog in this stamina examination, yet it does hold a key-- and also one that you might have observed.  The 'extra' unbonded electron from each carbon atom is totally free to wander around the covalently adhered atoms, which in fact secures each level. This marvel product is graphene.

Synthetic diamond

Exactly what makes a diamond so solid after that? 

Well, carbon atoms are not functioning to their complete sharing possibility in graphite. They could possibly group up again, producing covalent bonds with 4 various other carbon atoms. The exact same regulations use because these bonds are warding off each other, so currently attempt as well as prepare 4 points around one main thing.
The 4 things can be prepared with equivalent and also optimal range from each other if they embrace the placements of the edges of a triangular based pyramid, or a tetrahedron. 
These tetrahedra enroll to develop a big 3 dimensional latticework framework. There are no weak bonds in this framework, so it takes a whole lot a lot more power to damage this product, triggering the high toughness of diamond.

Could you tell the difference?

Last month we found out about a brand-new strong type of carbon, different to the graphite as well as diamond types that we currently understand so well. Called Q-Carbon due to the manner in which it is developed (carbon is warmed extremely rapidly to heat by a laser pulse, prior to being swiftly cooled down, in a procedure called quenching), this brand-new product is more powerful compared to diamond.

However specifically just how?

The toughness reported in this instance is the mechanical firmness of the product, which can be determined in 3 methods. Impression solidity is typically determined just by peeking a sharp pointer right into a product with a pre-determined compressive pressure. The size and also deepness of the impression created when the suggestion is eliminated is determined, as well as offers an indicator of exactly how immune the product is to plastic contortion. A high resistance (as well as consequently little impression) is attained by solid products. Scrape firmness is an action of exactly how repellent a product is to crack or irreparably damaging of the surface area. Rebound firmness gauges the bounce elevation of a diamond-tipped hammer from the surface area of the product being determined.
As it stands, diamond itself executes extremely well in all of these examinations, showing itself to be an extremely difficult product. 
This is all to exactly how the carbon atoms are prepared in diamond, specifically when compared with quite soft graphite, regardless of the foundation of these products equaling. The carbon atoms in graphite are each covalently adhered to 3 various other carbon atoms. In covalent bonding, atoms are discussing electrons in a bond instead of merely approving or distributing among these demanded sub-atomic fragments. 
This sharing of electrons and also overlapping of digital orbitals makes covalent bonds extremely solid. If graphite includes these bonds, why is it such a soft product after that? Well, as these bonds are made from adversely demanded fragments, they drive away each other. They wish to be as much aside from each other as feasible. 

If you attempt as well as organize 3 points around one main product, you will certainly see that the very best arrangement is for the 3 points to develop a triangular in one aircraft, as well as this is specifically just what these carbon bonds carry out in graphite. These triangular frameworks associate each other to develop standard sheets of hexagons. The weak point originates from the extremely weak pressures of destination in between these sheets, called Van der Waals bonds. As no electrons are cooperated these bonds, the graphite sheets could conveniently move previous each other, generating a really soft product.

February Colours

Amethyst.

Amethyst Pendant from Daniel Henderson Jewellers

In history

The gemstone believed by ancient Greeks and Romans to ward off the intoxicating powers of Bacchus, also is said to keep the wearer clear-headed and quick-witted.  

Throughout history, the gemstone has been associated with many myths, legends, religions, and numerous cultures.  
English regalia were even decorated with amethysts during the Middle Ages to symbolize royalty. 
It has been associated with many myths, legends, religions, and numerous cultures. 

Composition

Amethyst is purple quartz, a beautiful blend of violet and red that can found in every corner of the earth. Historically, the finest amethyst was found in Russia and was featured in much royal European jewelry.  

Locations

Today, while Brazil is the primary source of this gemstone, fine material can be found elsewhere, especially in Zambia.

And as usual, find them at Daniel Henderson Jewellers in Edinburgh

How was Earth shaped?

So, the answer to our question is ... yeap, you guessed right ... diamonds!

How the Planet functioned more than 3.5 billion years back?

The three diamonds, which were drawn out from the 3 billion-year-old Witwatersrand Supergroup-- the rock development that is host to the well-known Johannesburg golden goose-- were investigated by Wits University, the College of Johannesburg, and also from the University of Alberta (Edmonton, Canada).
They examine when modern-style plate tectonics started to operate on Earth. The diamonds were generously provided by Museum Africa, situated in Johannesburg, with the assistance of curator Katherine James
The eco-friendly Witwatersrand diamonds were discovered in the Witwatersrand empire, where the gold was found that caused the facility of the city of Johannesburg.

A bit of history

A number of these diamonds were located between 1890 and 1930 when men were still mining manually. After the industrialisation of the mines in the 1930s, most of the diamonds in the corporation were squashed to dirt. Therefore, the Witwatersrand diamonds are exceptionally unusual.

The Witwatersrand corporation is known to be at the very least 3 billion years old. The diamonds that are discovered in the empire are referred to as "placer" diamonds. 
These diamonds did not come from the conglomerate but were delivered from their original kimberlite resources by additional means, such as rivers.

The 1867 discovery of diamonds in the Cape Colony, South Africa

A lot of diamonds are believed to be younger than three billion years of ages, yet as the Witwatersrand conglomerate is understood to be three billion years of ages, the diamonds found in the corporation should have been developed greater than 3 billion years ago. Thus, they could be referred to as "confirmed old diamonds".

Diamonds collected from old rock formations in the Johannesburg area, in between 1890 and 1930 have disclosed tricks.

"Since rubies are several of the hardest, most durable material in the world, they are perfect little time pills and have the ability to tell us just what procedures were taking place very early in Earth's history".

Dr Katie Smart is a Speaker at the Wits School of Geoscience and the lead scientist on the paper, Early Archaean tectonics.