Pastor-Genève Advice on Coloured Diamonds

Author: David Cowley

Millions of years ago the ancient oceans had microorganisms that lived and died in the oceans. When the microorganisms died there bodies fell to the ocean floor. After the bodies decomposed, what was left was almost pure carbon. The crust of the earth surface is in constant motion. Movement is due to tectonic plates and the continental drift.

When one of the tectonic plates was pushed under another the bodies of the microorganism, now carbon, is also buried under tons of rock. The carbon is subject to extreme pressures by the rock pressing down upon it and by extreme heat, which is usually between 1100, and 1400 degrees Celsius. If the carbon being acted upon is pure then the diamond will be colorless which is normal for diamonds. If nitrogen or sulphur is also included in the carbon then some color may be added to the diamond.

This process preserves the unique crystal structure that makes diamonds the hardest natural material known. The arrangement of the atoms causes the diamonds to have tighter atoms than any other substance in the world. When volcanoes erupted, every once in a while, the microorganisms, which are now diamonds, are forced to the service. Conventional diamonds are mined from explosive volcanic rocks (kimberlites) that transport them from depths in excess of 100 kilometers by volcanic action.

Man Made.

In the year 2004, scientists from Carnegie Institution’s Geophysical Laboratory managed to produce gems that are harder than any other crystals. These man made diamonds were produced using a gas mixture. The crystals that were produced were so hard that the instruments and paraphernalia used to make them broke. The great part about these man made diamonds is they were created in less than a day.

Put pure carbon under enough heat and pressure, about 2,200 degrees Fahrenheit and 50,000 atmospheres and it will crystallize into the hardest material known. That is a very simplistic view and also very hard to do. Modern methods use a very complicated process that requires the crystals to be grown using a special high growth-rate chemical vapor deposition. Then the crystals were exposed to very high pressure and temperatures make them harder. There is then a production of a chemical reaction that yields what is called carbon rain. The carbon rain atoms arrange themselves in the same structure as the container or seed used to catch the carbon rain. As they arrange themselves into a tight composition, they turn into man-made diamonds.

Most of the man made diamonds are yellow in color. This is due to the chemicals used in the creation process. Man-made diamonds are very difficult to distinguish from natural ones. A trained jeweler could tell the difference if he could detect the different growth patterns and the lack of inclusions. Inclusions are the tiny bits of material that are usually imbedded in a natural diamond and are considered a flaw.

Author: Amy Wells

Bellataire Diamonds are among the most beautiful and rare diamonds in the world. If you are shopping for a luxury one-of-a-kind diamond, than you may want to consider these special and unique gemstones. Their clarity and color is extremely pure, and they outshine many other diamonds.

While Bellataire Diamonds are considered natural, they have been subjected to a unique process that helps provide their purity and quality. Under proprietary technology developed by General Electric, Bellataire diamonds have undergone what is termed high-pressure, high temperature (HPHT) treatment, that transforms, in a completely natural way, molecular misalignment in the stones themselves. Before treatment, the diamonds are brownish, but after treatment, when the molecules have been realigned, the diamonds become exceptionally pure and white, with a brilliance that may be greater than ordinary diamonds. They are often described as, “the diamond nature intended.”

The process used for Bellataire Diamonds is different than what is considered to be used for treated or artificial diamonds. Bellataire diamonds receive a grading report from the Gemological Institute of America, which does not issue reports on treated diamonds. Normally, treated diamonds have been irradiated, laser-enhanced, or altered in some way. The Bellataire process is more comparable to polishing and smoothing rough diamonds, as they are being restored to their natural state, before their molecular misalignment.

If you are looking for more fancy or unusual diamond shapes, Belltaire diamonds are often found in unique shapes such as heart-shaped, ovals, and emerald-cuts. Due to their chemical purity, Bellataire diamonds lend themselves more to these shapes than the traditional round shape. These diamonds also tend to be larger gemstones.They are usually available up to 10 carats, so they lend themselves to becoming the showstopping centerpieces that can be worn without additional jewelry.

Bellataire Diamonds are not available from just any jeweler. As rare specialty diamonds, classified as Type IIa, they make up less than 1% of rough stone output. Usually a jeweler will be an exclusive dealer in their city or state. A good place to locate a jeweler would be to visit the official Bellataire Diamond website, and review their list of retailers.

Bellataire Diamonds are extremely unique, beautiful, and rare. They may be the ultimate diamond for your jewelry collection. If you are willing to put the time into locating a Bellataire Diamond jeweler, you may be able to find a piece of jewelry that will give you pleasure for many years to come.