Womens Jewelry

There are certainly many different places that you can go when you want to find jewelry these days, but if you are looking for something as special as emerald rings, then there are a few places in particular that you are going to want to check out.

An emerald is a variety of the mineral beryl, one which is colored green by trace amounts of chromium. You can find emeralds in various different shades of blues and greens, and there is a very broad spectrum of clarity available in these particular stones. The emerald is considered as being a very rare and valuable gemstone, which is why it tends to be more expensive than other sorts. You can basically find whatever type of emerald jewelry you want, everything from necklaces to bracelets, tiaras to earrings, but most popular of all are the emerald rings.

The next thing you have to consider is where to look. There are a few different worthwhile jewelry stores in particular that offer emerald rings that deserve mention, one being the Blue Nile jewelry center. They are actually known as being the largest online retailer of certified diamonds and fine jewelry, and they are a publicly listed company that has been around for years now.

The first wave of gem-quality manufactured diamonds hit the market late in 2003. Man-made diamonds is nothing new and the technology has been available since the mid 19th century. Small diamond crystals were created for industrial purposes such as grinding wheels, drill bits and saw blades. What is new is that a Florida based company can now produce rough 3-carat gem-quality diamonds 24 hours a day, seven days a week, at a cost of less than $100 dollars.

Companies like the Gemesis, Apollo Diamond and others are producing quality diamonds and yet the price of the man-made or cultured diamonds are only about 15 percent less than mined diamonds. Gemesis and Apollo Diamond companies are using diamond jewelry business to finance their entry into the semiconductor industry, which is where the real money is.

As computer chips get faster and smaller they run hotter and hotter. Microprocessor chips can generate up to 200 degrees Fahrenheit. If they get much hotter the silicon will simply turn into a puddle. Diamonds can solve this problem because they can stand much higher temperatures than silicon.

Several things must happen before diamonds are going to be used as semiconductors. The first is the cost must come down. With Gemesis reporting in 2003 that the cost of producing a 3-carat diamond was about $100 and Apollo Diamond Company reporting cost of about $5 per carat the first obstacle appears to have been overcome.

A large volume of cheap diamonds is needed. You cannot rely on a steady supply mined diamonds. Since De Beers Diamond Trading Company has monopolized the diamond business for over 115 years by forcing out rivals and by controlling the supply of available diamonds the ability to manufacture diamonds is the answer…. Diamonds and Computers continue …

The Gemological Institute of America (GIA), the American Gem Society (AGS), and the International Gemological Institute (IGI) are the three most widely known and respected diamond grading laboratories in the world. Each of the grading laboratories have developed a very similar nomenclature for identifying the 4 C’s of diamonds.

Color grading scales used by the internationally recognized laboratories (GIA & IGI for example), ranges from totally colorless (D) to pale yellow or brown color (Z). Brown diamonds darker than K color are usually described using their letter grade, and a descriptive phrase, for example M Faint Brown. Diamonds with more depth of color than Z color fall into the fancy color diamond range.

The coloration of diamonds can be caused by several factors. Impurities trapped in the diamond during its formation, the crystal lattice structure of the diamond, and the exposure to radiation can all lead to the wide verity of colors available in diamonds.

Yellow Diamonds

Yellow diamonds are colored because of the impurities that are trapped inside diamonds when they are created. If a few of the millions of carbon atoms have been replaced by nitrogen atoms, then structure of the diamond will not be significantly altered but the clarity will be changed. The amount of color displayed is dependent on the amount of nitrogen involved.

When we see color it is because the object we are looking at reflected a specific wavelength of the light spectrum. A good example of this is a yellow flower. The flower absorbs all of the light except the yellow light, which is reflected by the yellow flower.

Blue Diamonds

In the case of a blue colored diamond some of the nitrogen has been replaced by Boron. Boron will reflect the blue wavelength of the light spectrum. The higher the concentration of boron the more color will be showed. At a level of one or a few boron atoms for every million-carbon atom, an attractive blue color results…. Colored Diamonds continue …

White diamonds are produced by mines all over the world in a wide variety of shapes and sizes. With the rise in popularity of the colored diamonds the term White is misleading. A white diamond is considered to be totally colorless.

Color grading scales used by the internationally recognized laboratories (GIA & IGI for example), ranges from D which is totally colorless to Z which is a pale yellow or brown color. Brown diamonds darker than K color are usually described using their letter grade, and a descriptive phrase, for example M Faint Brown. Diamonds with more depth of color than Z color fall into the fancy color diamond range.

One thing that will remain a constant and that is that white diamonds are classic. The simple beauty of a white diamond is magnificent. There are so many jewelry possibilities that include the use of white diamonds. There are necklaces, bracelets, anklets, earrings, rings, and even toe rings and belly button rings. Nothing is off limits when displaying the sheer beauty of white diamonds.

Choosing a piece of jewelry is not always as simple as visiting the jeweler and choosing something that looks pretty under the glass. Diamonds are expensive and knowledge is needed to make a wise purchase that will retain or even increase in value over time. This means understanding how diamonds are classified.

There are the “4 C’s” of diamond classification and they stand for cut, color, clarity, and carat. Each has its own set of very precise rules when grading a diamond. The first is the cut of the diamond.

The act of polishing a diamond and creating flat facets in symmetrical arrangement brings out the diamond’s hidden beauty in dramatic fashion. There are mathematically proven algorithms involved in creating the perfect cut. When diamonds are cut properly they will enhance any piece of jewelry. They are stunning to look at, and when the sun catches them, they flash like miniature suns…. White Diamonds continue …

The Beau Sancy

Also called The Little Sancy is a rounded pear shaped and weights about 34 carats and has been confused with its counter part called The Sancy which is 54 carats. This diamond was bought by Prince Frederick Henry of Orange the grandfather of King Fredrick I of Prussia, who died in the year 1647. The Beau Sancy is now in the possession of the head of the house of Hohenzollern, Prince Louis-Ferdinand of Prussia, grandson of William II, the last Emperor of Germany

The Beluga

The Beluga diamond weighs over 103 carats and is the largest standard oval brilliant cut diamond in the world. This diamond was featured in an article about Blood Diamonds in the March 2002 issue of National geographic magazine.

The Black Orlov

The Blace Orlov is said to have derived its name from the Russian Princess Nadia Vyegin-Orlov who owned it during the mid 1800s. It is a cushion cut stone weighing 76.50 carats and is a very dark gun metal color. It has also been rumored to have been cut from a 195 carat stone that belonged to a shrine near Pondicherry, India in the 1900s. There is no evidence of a Russian princess by that name nor has India ever produced any large black diamonds of note. In 1969, the stone was sold for $300,000.

The Blue Empress

The Blue Empress is a rare blue pear shaped diamond that weights about 14 carats and is part of a necklace valued at around $16,000,000. The necklace is made from 18K white gold with smaller white diamonds surrounding the blue empress.

The Blue Heart

This diamond weights 30.82 carats and is of a rare deep blue color. In 1910 Cartier purchased the diamond and sold it to an Argentinean woman named Mrs. Unzue. Van Cleef & Arpels bought the stone in 1953 for an estimated $300,000. The Blue Empress is on exhibit in the Smithsonian Institution in Washington D.C. Along with the Hope diamond and the Heart of Eternity, it is one of the world most famous blue diamonds…. World Famous Diamonds continue …

Agra Diamond

The first recorded history of the Agra Diamond in 1526 when Babur the first Mogul emperor was reported to have received the diamond from the family of the slain Raja of Agar. Many stories surround the diamond from the mid 1500 to 1891 including one story where a horse was forced to swallow the diamond so it could be smuggled out of India to England. None of the stories can be validated until 1891 when the diamond was documented to be in the position of Edwin Streeter.

Today the Agra Diamond has been graded as a naturally colored Fancy Light Pink and weighs 28.15 carats. It was last sold for about $6,900.000 to the SIBA Corporation of Hong Kong.

Ahmadabad

The Ahmadabad Diamond is named after the capitol of the Indian State of Gujarat and it is believed to have been purchased by a French gem merchant called Jean Baptiste Tavernier in the 1600s. The Ahmadabad Diamond has been graded by the GIA a D-color and weighs 78.86 carats, and is cut in an antique-pear shape. It was purchased in1995 by Robert Mouawad, for $4,324,554.

Allnatt

This 101.29-carat cushion cut its color having been certified by the GIA as Fancy Vivid Yellow, VS2 clarity, is named after its former owner, Alfred Ernest Allnatt.

The American Star

The EightStar company of California wanted to prove that optical perfection of the round brilliant diamonds could be obtained by using an exclusive light-tracking instrument called a FireScope which allows a diamond cutter to align facets so precisely that the flow of light into and out of a diamonds can be completely controlled. In 2001 this diamond was slowly cut from 14.89 to 13.42 carats over a six-week period. The key to a beautiful diamond is by cutting the diamond for maximum light output and not size and in the case of the American Star this was achieved.

The Amsterdam - No Picture

The Amsterdam is reported to be a synthetic black diamond weighing 33.74 carats and is completely black. It was sold in 2001 for $352.000 setting a world record for the highest price paid for a black diamond.

The Archduke Joseph

Named after the Archduke Joseph August of the Hapsburg dynasty is a 76.45 carat diamond from India. It was sold in Geneva in November of 1993, for $6,487,945.

The Arcots

Named after the town of Arcots the diamonds were reported to have been given to Queen Charlotte in 1777 by Nawab of Arcot. The largest was 38.6 carats and was re-cut in 1959 to 30.99 carats and the smaller was re-cut to 18.85 carats to gain greater clarity and brilliance. They largest of the Arcots was set in a pendant and later sold in 1993 to Sheik Ahmed Hassan Fitaihi, the Saudi Arabian dealer…. World Famous Diamonds continue …

Diamonds are composed of carbon atoms that have been subject to extreme pressure and heat. If the diamond contains no impurities then the color will be crystal clear. Nature rarely creates anything that does not have any impurities in it. Most diamonds will contain some amounts of nitrogen atoms. If a few of the millions of carbon atoms have been replaced by nitrogen atoms, then structure of the diamond will not be significantly altered but the clarity will be changed.

When sunlight, which contains all colors, passes thought a diamond some of the light waves will be reflected by the nitrogen. The amount of color displayed is dependent on the amount of nitrogen involved. When we see color it is because the object we are looking at reflected a specific wavelength of the light spectrum. A good example of this is a pair of blue jeans. The jeans absorb all of the light except the blue light, which is reflected by the jeans.

In the case of a blue colored diamond some of the nitrogen has been replaced by Boron. Boron will reflect the blue wavelength of the light spectrum. The higher the concentration of boron the more color will be showed. At a level of one or a few boron atoms for every million-carbon atom, an attractive blue color results. Natural diamonds of this color are rare and highly priced, such as the Hope diamond. The Gemological Institute of America (GIA) has developed a color chart for grading diamonds.

GIA Color Chart.

D, E, F = Colorless
K, L, M = Faint Color
N, O, P, Q, R = Very Faint Color
S through Z = Light Color

Colored diamonds are very rare and very expensive. The Blue diamond is one of the rarest, and in my option the most desirable of the colored diamonds. The Hope diamond, which can be viewed in the Smithsonian Institution in Washington D.C., is the most famous blue diamond in the world, and at 45.52 carats the largest.

The Hope Diamond is more than a billion years old and it is the worlds’ largest deep blue diamond. It was first found in Golconda, India in the early 1600s and has had a very checkered pasted ever since. It has crossed oceans and continents many times, has been owned by Kings and Commoners, has been stolen and recovered, sold and resold, cut and re-cut…. Blue Diamonds continue …

Because of the successful advertising campaigns in the United States, diamonds symbolize Eternal Love, A Diamond Is Forever, Continuing Affection, A Successful Relationship, Independence, and Wealth. Diamonds also stand for The Africa’s Killing Fields, Bloodshed, Anarchy, and Genocide.

Diamonds known as conflict diamonds originate from the war zones of Africa. On December 1, 2000 the United Nations General Assembly unanimously adopted a resolution defining the role of conflict diamonds with the intent of cutting off the sources of funding for rebel forces and to help shorten the wars and prevent their recurrence.

Conflict diamonds are diamonds that originate from areas controlled by forces or factions opposed to legitimate and internationally recognized governments, and are used to fund military action in opposition to those governments, or in contravention of the decisions of the Security Council…. Truth About Diamonds continue …

When diamonds are cut properly they will enhance any piece of jewelry. They are stunning to look at, and when the sun catches them, they flash like miniature suns. If you are planning to purchase a diamond then the old adage let the buyer beware has never been truer. Unless you are a trained jeweler you will not have the ability to determine if the quality of the diamond is matched to its purchase price. In fact, even a trained jeweler will not be able to tell if the stone in question is a natural stone or a man made stone without some very expensive equipment.

Diamonds have a mystique about them. Television ads portray them as the ultimate gift of love. Magazine ads want us to believe that a diamond is the only perfect gift to express love. If you plan on purchasing a diamond because you like how it looks or if gives you or your love one pleasure then by all means enjoy. If you plan on purchasing diamonds for investment purposes only you will need to do a lot of research to determine if this is a good idea.

De Beers was founded in South Africa in 1888 and today is the largest producer and seller of diamonds. Almost from the beginning the De Beers company has had a strangle hold on the diamond industry and a huge advertising budget. Diamonds are not as rare as the advertiser would have you to believe. De Beers keeps a huge stockpile of diamonds and tightly controls supply…. Truth About Diamonds continue …

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…. How Diamonds Are Made continue …