As of 2023, Botswana is the world’s largest producer of diamonds by value and second largest producer of diamonds by volume. Some of the world’s largest diamonds have been found here. Diamonds help build Botswana’s infrastructure, including schools and hospitals, support female leadership, and combat diseases such as AIDS.
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Diamonds are valuable purchases, but you can save money on buying one by understanding the 4Cs and other value factors. Learn how to choose a diamond that is beautiful and still within your budget with the tips below.
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Courtesy: Chip Clark, Smithsonian Institution
Diamond fluorescence is a fascinating phenomenon where diamonds glow when exposed to long-wave UV rays. It can sometimes increase or decrease the value of a diamond. It can also affect diamond appearance—or not. How should you take fluorescence into account when choosing the perfect diamond? In this article, we’ll cover:
Fluorescence is the glow you sometimes see when an object emits visible light. Some diamonds fluoresce when they are exposed to long-wave ultraviolet (UV) rays from sources like the sun. This can cause them to emit a bluish light or more rarely, a yellow or orangy light. Once the UV light source is removed, the diamond stops fluorescing.
No. Only about 25% to 35% of diamonds exhibit some degree of fluorescence in reaction to long-wave UV light. More than 95% of these diamonds fluoresce blue. A rare few fluoresce other colors such as yellow or green.
Fluorescence is not a grading factor like the GIA 4Cs (color, clarity, cut, and carat weight), but it is an identifying characteristic. GIA Diamond Grading Reports and Diamond Dossiers describe a diamond’s fluorescence by its intensity under long-wave UV light (None, Faint, Medium, Strong and Very Strong). If the fluorescence is Medium, Strong, or Very Strong, the color of the fluorescence will be noted.
Photo: (Top) Maha Tannous/ GIA, (Bottom) Harold & Erica Van Pelt
Some trade professionals think blue fluorescence enhances a diamond’s appearance, especially in diamonds with I to M color grades. Bluish fluorescence can make a faint yellowish diamond appear more colorless in UV light, which is part of natural daylight. As a result, diamonds with color grades I to N with a very strong to medium bluish fluorescence may have a slightly higher per-carat price than diamonds with similar color grades that do not fluoresce.
The opposite is true for diamonds with higher color grades. In the trade, diamonds in the D to H color range with bluish fluorescence are often considered less desirable than similar grade diamonds without fluorescence, because some people believe that bluish fluorescence may cause diamonds to have a hazy or oily appearance. In a recent study, GIA observed that blue fluorescence has little to no impact on transparency except in extremely rare cases where a diamond (such as the Portuguese diamond) has a light-scattering defect. These defects cause haziness that can sometimes be intensified by strong fluorescence, thus reducing the contrast in the face-up pattern of the diamond. Fluorescence does not cause haziness by itself, however. Also, this “overblue” hazy effect occurs in fewer than 0.2% of the fluorescent diamonds submitted to GIA.
Nonetheless, the association between fluorescence and haziness persists, and diamonds in the D to H range with very strong fluorescence often sell for less than diamonds that do not have fluorescence, even though their color and transparency are most likely unaffected by their fluorescence. These diamonds may prove to be a good deal. If you’re not familiar with the GIA Color Scale, learn more with the GIA Diamond Color Chart.
No, fluorescence does not cause haziness in diamonds. Fluorescence can increase the pre-existing haziness of a diamond caused by light-scattering defects, thus reducing the contrast in its face-up pattern, but it does not cause haziness in and of itself. As light-scattering defects are incredibly rare, most consumers don’t need to worry about fluorescence impacting a diamond’s appearance in most lighting situations, even if the diamond has Strong to Very Strong fluorescence. But this does mean that consumers should look at a diamond in person. Any haziness intensified by fluorescence, if present, will be noticeable in (for example) daylight-equivalent lighting.
The center diamond is an H color diamond with Strong to Very Strong fluorescence. The two diamonds flanking it on either side are H color diamonds with no fluorescence. There is no visible difference in color or transparency. Courtesy: Jian Xin (Jae) Liao
In order to study the effect of blue fluorescence on diamond appearance, GIA scientists assembled sets of E, G, I, and K color-grade diamonds. The diamonds in each set were as similar as possible except for the intensity of their blue fluorescence. Diamond graders, trained professionals, and average observers viewed the diamonds in controlled conditions to make a judgment about their appearance. It seems that, for the average observer, meant to represent the jewelry-buying public, no systematic effects of fluorescence were detected. In general, viewers perceived that strongly blue fluorescent diamonds had a better color appearance when viewed table-up. Most observers saw no relationship between fluorescence and transparency.
Seen here are seven diamonds seen under daylight-equivalent illumination versus long-wave UV illumination. Photo: Kevin Schumacher/GIA
Diamond fluorescence is neither good nor bad. Some people find fluorescent diamonds beautiful and fascinating—others may not. Opinions range across the spectrum.
If you are considering a diamond with bluish fluorescence, look at it under different kinds of lighting, including natural daylight and compare it to other diamonds of the same color grade, and see if you notice any difference. If you do notice a difference, see if you like it!
This beautiful brooch contains several diamonds that fluoresce under long-wave UV illumination.
Now that you know more about diamond fluorescence, read on to learn how light affects a diamond’s appearance.
Buying a quality diamond begins with 3Cs—not 4. Surprising? Cut, clarity and color all determine diamond quality, but carat doesn’t. After all, size doesn’t affect quality. Learn how to buy a stunning diamond based on 3Cs, fluorescence and shape.
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With its graceful, tapered outline, a pear shaped diamond is an elegant and flattering choice for an engagement ring. Here are the essentials for selecting the perfect pear shape.
Jewelers consider the pear shaped diamond a “fancy shape,” meaning it’s a shape other than round. Reminiscent of a tear drop, a pear shaped diamond blends the best of the round and marquise diamond shapes.
Since the parts of a pear shaped diamond contribute to its beauty, you should get to know them. Then you can shop for a pear shaped diamond engagement ring with a discerning eye.
You’ll want to be able to name the parts of a pear shaped diamond when you’re looking at various stones. This shows the retailer you’re an informed buyer. Illustration: Peter Johnston/GIA
Look at the diamond face-up and pay attention to its outline. A pear shaped diamond should have gently rounded shoulders and wings. The wings should form attractive arches. If they’re too flat, they make the stone look too narrow. If they’re too rounded, they make it look short and stubby.
A bejeweled pair of pears: a 4.06 carat (ct) yellow pear shaped diamond is nestled against a 3.02 ct colorless diamond. The band, which flows from 18K white gold to yellow gold, echoes the colors of the stones. Courtesy: 1stdibs.com
The pear shaped diamond, like the round brilliant diamond, is faceted to deliver the most sparkle and brilliance. Here are the names of important parts of a faceted diamond, which you should know and are used in this blog:
On a black background, this 3.83 ct pear shaped diamond shines like a star in the night sky. Photo: Robert Weldon/GIA. Courtesy: Atelier Marisa
Like many other fancy shapes (such as the marquise or heart shape), a pear shaped diamond tends to hold more color than a round brilliant. Therefore, it is best to choose a diamond that is high on the GIA color scale or a fancy-color diamond.
Because pear shaped diamonds tend to hold more color than round brilliant diamonds, it is best to choose a diamond that is high on the GIA color scale or a fancy-color diamond like this 1.21 ct Fancy purplish pink diamond engagement ring set in 18K gold. Courtesy: 1stdibs.com
Symmetry is key to the overall beauty of gemstones, but it’s even more important in some fancy-shape diamonds like oval diamonds, heart shaped diamonds, marquise diamonds and pear shapes. To see if a pear shaped diamond is symmetrical, draw an imaginary line down the length of the gem and examine the two halves. The more closely they mirror each other, the better the symmetry is.
Notice how the shoulders, bellies and wings in the illustration below are identical on either side of the line, and how the shape, size and placement of the facets in each half of the stone mirror one another. This is an ideal pear shape. You can use the illustration as a guide when picking a pear shaped diamond.
Illustration: Peter Johnston/GIA
When GIA diamond graders evaluate the symmetry of fancy-shape diamonds, which includes pear shapes, they also look for things like a balanced and even outline. Certain types of asymmetry and uneven proportions are considered by most in the jewelry trade to have a negative effect on the appearance of a pear shaped diamond. These include:
Uneven shoulders and uneven wings are other variations that will detract from the appearance of a pear shaped diamond. The illustration below has both.
The uneven outline of this pear shape reveals the asymmetry of its shoulders, belly and wings. You might want to avoid a diamond cut like this. Illustration: GIA
You might run into the phrase “length-to-width ratio” (comparison of the length and width of the outline of many fancy-shape diamonds, determined by dividing the diamond’s length by its width and stated as a ratio, like 1.75:1). Many experts prefer a length-to-width ratio that lies in the range of about 1.50–1.75:1. Others in the trade believe that a ratio isn’t enough to convey a diamond’s beauty. You may want to let your heart and eye guide you.
Falling in love with any diamond is more than finding the perfect symmetry and length-to-width ratio. Are you infatuated with this 0.88 ct pear shaped diamond? Courtesy: 1stdibs.com
The placement of the culet on a pear shaped diamond can affect its appearance. It should be the same distance from the two sides of the diamond. A culet that is off-center will affect the diamond’s symmetry and is likely to make it less attractive. In some pear shapes, the culet is included in a keel line that extends down the length of the diamond where the pavilion facets meet. Like the culet, the keel line should be equidistant from either side of the diamond.
The culet on this pear shaped diamond is off-center. It should be symmetrically placed at the same distance from either side of the gem. Illustration: GIA
Note, too, whether the diamond has any inclusions, especially near its point, as this is the area of that is most sensitive to damage. In addition, if the pear shaped diamond has a larger table facet, inclusions could be more apparent, so good clarity is a consideration.
A poorly placed table facet can also make a pear shaped diamond look less attractive. For maximum brightness and fire, the table should be centered on the line of symmetry.
If the table is off-center, the crown facets on one side of the pear shaped diamond will appear larger than the facets on the opposite side. Illustration: GIA
Many pear shaped diamonds show a dark pattern that resembles a bow-tie. This pattern typically runs across the width of the stone from the center of the table. The bow-tie on a well-cut pear shaped diamond should be minimal, but there will still be good contrast between light and dark areas in the stone.
A bow-tie can vary from light gray to black. The darker or larger it is, the more it detracts from the face-up appearance of a pear shaped diamond. A bow-tie gets darker as the difference between a diamond’s length and width increases and pavilion angle variations (the measured angle between the pavilion main facet plane and the table plane) become more extreme.
If you find the bow-tie effect distracting, be sure to examine a variety of pear shaped diamonds from different angles under the lighting conditions in which the engagement ring will be worn. You may not be able to avoid a bow-tie altogether, but you should be able to find a stone in which it is subtle.
These pear shaped diamonds display a bow-tie effect, the dark area that extends across the width of each stone. Photo: Nicholas DelRe/GIA
The most vulnerable part of a pear shaped diamond is the point. This area can be protected by placing a V-prong on the point or choosing a bezel setting around the entire stone.
A V-prong protects the point – an area susceptible to chipping – of this 8.25 ct pear shaped diamond. Four more prongs hold the diamond securely in place. Courtesy: 1stdibs.com
A bezel setting ensures that the 0.40 ct pear shaped diamond is well protected. Courtesy: Doyle & Doyle
The traditional way to wear a pear shaped diamond engagement ring is to have the tip pointing away from you (down). According to many in the trade, this makes the finger look more slender. But tradition has its limits. Some brides choose to wear this shape with the point toward them (up). And some prefer a horizontal setting that gives this classic diamond shape a distinctive, contemporary look.
Like all matters of the heart, let yours decide which way the pear should point.
Whether the tip of the 1.34 ct pear shaped diamond points toward or away from you, an engagement ring like this will look spectacular on the finger. The center stone is surrounded by 43 radiant cut diamonds weighing 0.41 carats and 1.03 carats of sapphires. Courtesy: 1stdibs.com
Among the most elegant of the fancy shapes, a pear shaped diamond conveys both the delicacy of a single tear and the strength of the brightest star. While there are many factors to consider when searching for the perfect stone for your diamond engagement ring, it is a journey well worth taking. When deciding between different pear shaped diamonds, the overall appearance is more important than the specific proportion details. Often, what makes a pear shaped diamond attractive is a matter of personal taste. So enjoy looking at different pear shaped diamond engagement rings until you fall in love with the perfect one.
Before you go shopping, be sure to read our 12 tips for buying an engagement ring.
What Is a Real Diamond?
It’s unlikely that you’ll hear a professionally trained gemologist call a diamond a real diamond, or use the word “real” to describe any material. If you want to come across as a smart shopper, you’ll need to rephrase the question.
For decades, diamonds have been the gem of choice for engagement rings. But with the advent of synthetic diamonds and diamond simulants, it’s only natural to ask about real diamonds. “Real” is not a gemological term. But to the consumer, it’s an important one.
A Diamond Is a Diamond Is a Diamond
From a gem professional’s point of view, a diamond is a diamond if it has a characteristic chemical composition and crystal structure. Diamond is composed almost entirely of a single element: carbon. It forms under conditions of high temperature and pressure that cause its carbon atoms to bond in essentially the same way in all directions. Another mineral, graphite, also contains only carbon, but its formation process and crystal structure are very different. The result is that graphite is so soft that you can write with it, while diamond is so hard that you can only scratch it with another diamond.
This definition of diamond applies to diamonds that come from the earth, as well as those that are created in a laboratory. It does not apply to other materials that might masquerade as diamonds.
So, when you ask a jeweler for a real diamond, you could be asking for a diamond created by nature or one created in a lab – since both materials qualify as diamond. Reputable jewelers avoid the term “real” altogether and, following U.S. Federal Trade Commission (FTC) guidelines, clearly distinguish between natural diamonds, synthetic diamonds and diamond simulants (or imitations).
In other posts we explain synthetic diamonds and diamond imitations. Here, we’ll dig a little deeper into natural diamonds and their incredible journey from deep below the earth’s surface to the engagement ring worn by your loved one.
A Brief Description of a Natural Diamond
Natural diamonds are one of nature’s wonders. Billions of years old, they formed deep in the earth’s mantle and were brought to the surface by volcanic eruptions. Two types of magma, kimberlite and lamproite, sometimes carried diamond rough with them. The magma quickly solidified into a diamond-bearing kimberlite or lamproite pipe.
A craton is an ancient, deep and stable portion of a continent. Its high heat and pressure provide the right conditions for diamond formation. Conditions under a craton are also stable enough to preserve diamonds for hundreds of millions of years after formation. Illustration: Peter Johnston/GIA
Most of the world’s diamonds are found in kimberlite, but the famed Argyle mine in Australia–once the world’s leading diamond producer– is a lamproite deposit. Major companies recover the diamonds by digging large open-pit mines to find the buried treasures. Over time, as the typically cone-shaped pipes narrow down, the companies switch to underground mining to capture the last of the diamonds.
Some diamonds end up in rivers, streams and even the ocean after forces of erosion released the crystals from their host rocks and gradually washed them into bodies of water. When diamonds are found this way, it’s called alluvial mining – a process of digging and sifting through mud, sand and gravel. While river sediments are often worked by small-scale miners using rudimentary techniques, large boats are used to scour the ocean sands off the coast of Namibia in search of fine diamonds.
Natural diamond rough is often shaped like an octahedron. Photo: Robert Weldon/GIA. Courtesy: Fusion Alternatives
For most of recorded history, the extreme scarcity of diamonds made them available only to the elite. In fact, up until 1730, the Golconda region of southern India and the Pacific island of Borneo were the only known diamond-producing regions in the world. Then diamonds were discovered in Brazil around the 1720s and a diamond ‘rush’ began. Soon, Brazil eclipsed India as the world’s top diamond producer, holding this title through the mid-1800s. With the discovery of large diamond-bearing kimberlite pipes in South Africa in the late 1860s, mining began on an industrial scale, increasing supply to meet broader consumer demand. Diamonds are now mined in several countries around the world, including Russia, Botswana and Canada, as well as South Africa and Australia. Learn more about where diamonds come from.
The face-up view of this diamond showcases the beauty of the round brilliant cut. Photo: Robert Weldon/GIA. Courtesy: Rogel & Col, Inc.
Turning Rough Diamonds into Polished Gems
The diamonds recovered have survived a brutal birth and then a rough ride to the earth’s surface. Diamond mining companies must remove a million parts of host rock to find one rough diamond. Workers then sort the rough diamonds into categories based on their size, shape, clarity and color. The mining company might cut a finished diamond out of the rough, or sell it to dealers and manufacturers.
Rough diamonds are often shipped to cutting centers in India, Israel, New York, Antwerp, China and Thailand. Highly skilled diamond cutters often use the latest technology, such as lasers, to transform the piece of rough into a highly polished faceted diamond. Most finished diamonds are sent to grading laboratories to determine their quality based on the GIA 4Cs standard: color, clarity, cut and carat weight. Every diamond will have unique qualities: no two will be identical.
A diamond cutter at Diacore Botswana examines the initial facets made on a fancy yellow diamond. Photo: Robert Weldon/GIA
Diamond Treatments
Some manufacturers may try to alter the color or clarity of a diamond to make it more appealing and marketable. The methods used to alter color range from crude ones like coloring girdle facets with a permanent marker, to more sophisticated ones like covering facets with an optical thin film, subjecting the diamond to radiation, or exposing it to high pressure, high temperature annealing. The most common clarity enhancement is fracture filling. All of these may improve the appearance of the diamond, but the seller is legally bound by the FTC to disclose that the diamond has been treated.
This diamond has been fractured filled to make it more attractive. Photo: Shane F. McClure/GIA.
This 1.05 ct diamond owed its apparent Fancy Light brown-pink color (left) to a coating. After the coating was removed by acid cleaning, the diamond was given a color grade of J (right). Photo: Jian Xin (Jae) Liao/GIA
Given their timelessness, resilience and durability, is it any wonder so many choose ”real” diamonds as a symbol of love and commitment? If you’re considering a natural diamond for an engagement ring, be sure to ask for a GIA Diamond Grading Report . The report is your proof that the diamond is natural and that its quality is what the seller describes, giving you the important information you need to make your purchase with confidence. And if you opt for a lab-grown diamond, a GIA Synthetic Diamond Grading Report is your assurance that the material is actually diamond and not an imitation.
Have you ever wondered about do-it-yourself tests to determine whether a specific gem is natural, synthetic or something else? Our post, How to Tell if a Diamond is Real, decodes the most common myths about such tests and why they don’t work.
Simulated diamonds — or diamond simulants — may look like diamonds, but they don’t have the same chemical, physical and optical properties. If you’re shopping for a diamond imitation, make sure you know the unique characteristics of the stone you are getting.
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Synthetic diamonds are grown in laboratories and have essentially the same chemical composition, crystal structure and physical properties as natural diamonds. They’re real diamonds and not ‘fakes,’ but they are not the same as natural diamonds.
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As you’re shopping for fine jewelry, knowing how durable a particular gemstone is will help you determine how and when to wear it, and most importantly – how to care for it. In this post, we’ll go beyond the Mohs scale to demystify gemstone durability and provide tips for helping you choose a gemstone that could last a lifetime or longer. (more…)
In addition to Cullinan I and the already featured famous diamond Cullinan II, the 3,106 carat (ct) Cullinan rough also produced stones III-IX, plus 96 smaller diamonds. Asscher, the diamond cutting firm, retained these diamonds as payment for cutting and polishing the Cullinan rough. The government of South Africa purchased most of them and gave the diamonds to Queen Mary in 1910. (more…)
The Portuguese, a 127.01 carat Asscher cut diamond, was graded by GIA as VS1 clarity, M color, with Very Strong blue fluorescence. Photo: Chip Clark, Courtesy: Smithsonian Institution
Surprisingly, the 127.01 carat diamond called the Portuguese seems to have no connection to its namesake country. Legend claimed this diamond was found in the mid-1700s in Brazil and belonged to Portuguese royalty. However, there is no evidence to support this story. Instead, records indicate the diamond was found at the Premier Mine in Kimberley, South Africa, in 1910. (more…)
At 243.35 carat (ct), the Jubilee is one of the finest examples of a diamond of exceptional size and quality (not to be confused with the Golden Jubilee, a 545.67 ct brown diamond). (more…)
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