When you hear the word “diamond,” you probably think of a clear, colorless precious stone. However, there are also many different colored diamonds, including red, green, pink, and even natural fancy black diamonds. Whether created in a lab or occurring naturally, black diamonds have the same chemical makeup as their colorless counterparts. Therefore, they are every bit as genuine as the colorless diamonds that you are more familiar with. This post is strictly educational; Clean Origin carries no black diamond assortment at this time, but we encourage you to seek out any and all ethical alternatives to mined diamonds.
People in different areas may have different opinions of black diamonds. Some cultures regard them as bad luck, or even a curse, while others believe that they have protective properties. Despite being more scarce than colorless diamonds, people didn’t consider these diamonds as high-end gemstones until the late 20th century. Today, jewelry enthusiasts are incorporating black diamond earrings, rings, and others into their collections more than ever before in the recent past.
Are Black Diamonds More Expensive?
If you have been researching the color grade of diamonds, you may know that colorless diamonds are more expensive than colored diamonds. You can end up paying a pretty penny for fine jewelry with traditional colorless diamonds. This is true even though the human eye can’t really tell the difference between clear diamonds and diamonds with slight color.
However, there are diamonds that cost even more than colorless diamonds: fancy-colored diamonds. Fancy-colored diamonds are rare and actually more expensive. Fancy-colored diamonds naturally occur in a wide array of colors, such as red, yellow, blue, and even white diamonds, to name a few. Of all the colors, natural black diamonds are extremely rare compared to other diamonds. Natural black diamond rings can be the most rare and most expensive of all. Black diamonds are also referred to as carbonado diamonds.
How are Black Diamonds Made?
Diamond suppliers source natural black diamonds from mines just like other natural diamonds. They occur very rarely naturally and have environmental effects due to the impact of mining. There’s also another category of black diamonds: treated black diamonds. These diamonds are made by treating natural white diamonds with heat and radiation.
Lab created black diamonds have the same look, longevity, and chemical composition as natural black diamonds. Lab created black diamonds (and other lab created fancy color diamonds) are real diamonds and can cost up to 40% less than natural black diamonds. Plus, you get the added benefit of knowing your jewelry didn’t hurt the planet.
What Does a Black Diamond Represent?
Ultimately, you determine what black diamonds mean to you. However, other symbolic interpretations are often ascribed to them.
Strength
Part of the reason that the diamond became the gemstone of choice for engagement rings is that it is one of the hardest substances on Earth, representing enduring love. Compared to the more common colorless diamond, black diamonds are even harder and more durable, potentially making them an even more appropriate symbol of a relationship strong enough to last a lifetime.
Good Fortune
Medieval European culture considered black diamonds to be lucky. They believed that people who wore or possessed them would gain protection against the forces of evil. People associated these diamonds with good fortune in marriage in Italian culture. In fact, they said just touching one provided help with resolving marital issues. While the power of the black diamond to promote reconciliation between married partners is probably exaggerated, the association nevertheless makes wearing an engagement ring with a black diamond especially appropriate.
Originality
There are many couples who like to do things their own way rather than give in to wedding and marriage traditions. “Because it’s always been this way” is not a good enough reason for these couples to do things. For people who like to do things their own way, a black diamond engagement ring is a way to assert their independence and show the world that they prefer to find their own path. Even if they observe tradition in part, they are going to put their own unique spin on it; thus, the traditional diamond engagement ring is in a different color.
Charm and Charisma
Gem dictionaries associate black diamonds with charisma, i.e., significant attractiveness or personal charm. Some philosophies of crystal healing hold that wearing these diamonds can help to increase personal charm and charisma. While that may or may not be true, black diamonds are unusual enough that they are likely to attract a lot of attention from curious onlookers. Therefore, people who are comfortable answering questions about their black diamond jewelry and appreciate the attention that others are likely to give them should wear them.
The Most Famous Black Diamond
Black diamond engagement rings have grown in popularity recently, and some say this is because the pop culture icon, Carrie Bradshaw from Sex and The City, sported a black diamond engagement ring. However, her engagement ring is not the most famous black diamond jewelry we’ve seen. That title belongs to The Black Orlov. This 67.5-carat black diamond, also known as the Eye of Brahma, is believed to have a curse. According to the legend, someone stole the diamond from a statue of the Hindu god Brahma. Today, 108 white diamonds encircle the Black Orlov, while a necklace adorned with 124 diamonds suspends it. Talk about fancy diamonds in style!
Find out What a Black Diamond Means to You
Attitudes toward these diamonds have fluctuated throughout the centuries, sometimes highly regarded and other times superstitiously feared. You can have confidence in lab created diamonds of any color from Clean Origin. They are as authentic as any mined diamond but much more ethically sourced and eco-friendly. Browse Clean Origin’s assortment of lab grown diamond engagement rings.
