Black diamond price explained

It is also called the black diamond Carbonated.

Black diamonds are much older than white diamonds or colored diamonds on earth, but their discovery is recent as it dates back to the mid-19th century (find out more) and the interest of the public and jewelers is even greater.

The first black diamonds were only used in jewelry in the 20th century and have only recently begun to really increase in value on the gemstone market.

Rough black diamonds (carbonados) and cut black diamonds

View of rough black diamonds in their natural form and of a black diamond cut for use in jewelry making.

Rings with black diamonds set, consult our online creation service

Origin and composition of black diamonds

While the process of diamond formation is well known and understood by scientists and gemologists, the origin of black diamonds is still shrouded in mystery.

In fact, white and colored diamonds (there are blue, yellow, green and pink diamonds…) are formed in the bowels of the earth in very high temperature and pressure conditions, between 150 and 250 kilometers deep in the earth’s mantle.

Consequently, only volcanic eruptions could “bring” these diamonds to the surface. This is why we always find diamonds associated with kimberlite, a volcanic rock.

Kimberlite rock containing a translucent rough diamond

However, the case of the black diamond is different

Rough black diamonds are found outside of volcanic rocks, and black diamond mines are scattered across Earth, so the latest scientific theories place the formation black diamonds in space.

They would therefore have arrived on Earth brought by meteorites during its formation which occurred more than 2 billion years ago. Read this article to learn more about the topic.

The two main ones sources of black diamonds in the worldthey are currently Brazil and the Central African Republic, once united when a single continent, Pangea, emerged from the waters 200 million years ago (Jurassic era).

Composition of natural black diamond

However, the natural black diamond differs from other diamonds not only in color, but also in its composition.

The latter are composed of a regular crystalline lattice of carbon atoms which allows the passage of light black diamonds they are a highly porous aggregate of diamond microcrystals with inclusions of graphite and hematite.

Therefore the natural black diamond is as hard as other diamonds, but its composition makes it even more difficult to cut than other translucent diamonds.

The absence of a cleavage plane makes cutting more complex, which results in a high loss rate when purchasing rough black diamonds to make faceted polished black diamonds.

These characteristics explain why it is a rare and expensive gemstone.

The treated black diamond

Much more conventional, common and above all economical, the black diamond most often found in jewelry is a diamond (white or colored) that has been treated to become black in color.

In the past this treatment consisted of heating the diamond while today the most modern and most used technique is the irradiation treatment.

Shuffle of black diamonds with a score between 1 and 5 points

These commercial quality diamonds have been treated with irradiation. They are commonly used to pave white gold jewelry rings.

These diamonds are much cheaper since they are generally diamonds that have numerous inclusions or colors that are not very valuable on the market (colors K, L, M, etc.)

How to recognize a natural black diamond?

It is the behavior of the black diamond treated with light that will betray its nature. By pointing a bright light source at one edge of the black diamond you are looking at, you will see that the diamond appears dark green, not black – this is the imprint of the diamond’s radiant treatment.

To do this, an optical fiber is normally used to apply light to a specific point on the edge of the diamond.

Natural black diamonds are opaque by nature and therefore do not allow us to observe this phenomenon.

What are the quality and value criteria that determine the price?

Due to its opacity, the famous 4C rule used to evaluate the quality of white or fancy diamonds is invalid.

The value of its diamonds, in fact, depends above all on the evaluation of their color, the number and visibility of inclusions and the quality of the cut, three criteria that make no sense in the case of black diamonds.

So much so that we use the quality scale that goes from A, AA to AAA, the latter value designating the best quality diamonds.

So what do we look at to evaluate the quality of a black diamond?

To evaluate a black diamond you need to look at the homogeneity of the color on all sides and the shiny state of the latter, making sure they have no pores or scratches.

If you are planning to purchase an untreated natural black diamond, given its price, choose to opt for a certification report from an independent laboratory.

Quality Comparison of Black Diamonds (Visual Source)

Black diamond price

To get an idea of ​​the price of black diamonds, we can compare the price of a 1 carat round diamond:

1. 1 Carat Round HSI White Diamond: From $4,500
2. $400 1 Carat Round Natural Black Diamond
3. 1 Carat Round Treated Black Diamond $100 to $400

This comparison is only indicative but provides you with an order of magnitude to guide you in choosing the diamond.

Prices vary over time depending on suppliers, their inventories and market demand.

How to buy a black diamond?

The first option would be to order your black diamond from your jeweller, they have the necessary contacts to fulfill your wishes.

Otherwise you can also order online since there are now many suppliers on the web, but you will need to master English because they are all in the USA or Israel or even India.

The simplest thing before making a large order is to order a small diamond to guarantee the seriousness of the company, see the shipping costs and any customs charges.

Once you have made the trial purchase, you will be able to order your diamond in complete safety.

Several American sites allow you to buy your natural black diamond online:

• MySolitaire.com offers black diamonds in all sizes and prices

• Langerman offers exclusively exceptional black diamonds at correspondingly high prices

• Leibish offers natural black diamonds starting at $2,500.

There are others, a web search will help you broaden your search.

Attention When you make your purchase, black diamonds are often advertised as natural because they are, but their color is due to the workmanship. Look carefully in the description what it says about the color, whether it is natural or obtained through treatment.

How to combine them with jewelry?

Although black diamonds are not dazzling stones, they are ideal contrast stones. They will look great on a white, yellow or rose gold ring or even a rhodium-plated silver ring, although more often than not we see them set in white gold.

Set in combination with white diamonds, black diamonds look fantastic.

Mayanna wedding ring in white gold and diamonds from the Vivalatina collection with main black diamond.

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