There are many types of diamonds, but the most prized are perfectly clear, colorless, perfectly cut and flawless gemstones. However, diamonds do come in a wide array of beautiful colors, including pink, yellow, orange, green, blues and browns, and are often preferred even if they are set in sometimes cheaper jewelry products, comparatively. Check out these diamond buying tips for what you need to know.
How does coloration occur?
For example, a tiny amount of nitrogen causes a yellow or brownish tint that may give the diamond the name “champagne” or “cognac”, or the rare and highly valued “canary" diamond.
Boron tints a diamond blue, and a green diamond can be the result of radiation exposure.
The color of a diamond may or may not affect its value. Some diamonds that have hints of color lose their value, while other vividly colored diamonds are greatly prized and very expensive.
Effects of Impurities on the Types of Diamonds
The impurities that cause colors in diamonds are rare, because the way the carbon atoms are lined up in a diamond resists contamination and deformations. Diamonds are formed when carbon atoms line up in an amazing, symmetrical, cubic, crystalline lattice where the forces between the nuclei and electrons of the atom are so powerful that, theoretically, nothing but another diamond can break them.
This is also what makes the diamond as hard as it is. Diamond is a 10 on the Mohs hardness scale.
Shapes
However, diamonds are typed by their shape and the amount of impurities. Boart diamonds are black, shapeless and have so many impurities that they can’t be cut. These diamonds are used as abrasives in industry.
Some types of diamonds are crystals, which are clear, gem quality stones that are most often used in jewelry.
Other stones have irregular cleavages, which means it's more difficult than usual to divide them into two or more parts.
Spotted diamonds come in first and second quality. These are stones with noticeable impurities.
Macles, or naats, are diamonds that are hard to cut because the crystal properties fused together when the diamond was first created, and the stone is full of furrows, called naats. The grain of these diamonds run in two different directions, which makes them extremely difficult to cut.
Then, there are coated diamonds that have opaque coats which make it impossible to determine their purity when they’re in a rough state.
Colors
Diamonds are also typed by their colors.
Type I diamonds and their subtypes have nitrogen impurities. Type I is broken down further into Type Ia, Type IaA, and Type IaB.
Type II diamonds lack nitrogen impurities. These diamonds have deformations that occurred in their crystalline structure when they were being formed. Type II is broken down into Type IIa and Type IIb. Type IIb diamonds are also semiconductors, because of holes in the shells of electrons that surround the nuclei of their atoms. There are also fairly complicated grading scales for colored diamonds.
The type of diamond that you may wish to own depends entirely on your own preference, and today's contemporary tastes often prefer a more unique, colored stone than the traditional, clear gem. For consumers who are interested in engagement ring buying or for other types of gifts, remember, pure, colorless, flawless diamonds aren’t the only ones to consider when it comes to style, value and personal preference!
View video to learn more about the types of diamonds!
Types of Diamonds with Brief Video Guide
The types of diamonds chosen by today's savvy consumers really depends entirely upon personal style, projected value and contemporary preferences. Know your options!
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