Black diamond sources

[reader]

I am super tough on rings, I have even managed to chip the devil out of my ruby in about 3 years of wear. That being said, I would love a black ring, but I think onyx would be too fragile.
Anyone have sources for reasonably priced black diamonds?

 

[neatfreak]

Despite what we've heard about Carmen Electra's ring I think black diamonds are almost always fairly affordable. What exactly are you looking for? price? size? shape?

If you want something really inexpensive Amazon.com has a ton of black diamond stuff. Otherwise you might want to try and give Wink @ Winfield's a call. He's always good at sourcing odd things.

 

[lesco]

Try Engagement Rings Direct (ERD). One of the gemologists there specializes in colored diamonds. His name escapes me at the moment. I'm bad with names.

http://www.engagementringsdirect.com/

 

[reader]

Thanks all! I was hunting something clean, black and classy. My mom always wore an onyx ring opposite her diamonds, and it was a great look, but I am super tough on stones. The help is much appreciated!

 

[denverappraiser]

Black diamonds are usually not all that expensive when compared to colorless stones but it does depend on the details. In the usual sorts of sizes for a ring a budget of $100-$400/ct is usually sufficient. The mounting itself and the labor to build it can vary quite considerably depending on what you want. In both cases, they should be available from the usual list of suspects including your local custom jeweler or the oft recommended custom websites. My guess is that few stores will carry a big selection of inventory that matches what your looking for, not because there’s anything wrong with it but because it’s not a big seller and it’s the nature of being a good merchant that they want to carry in stock things that are popular and move quickly for them and sell on special order things that are unusual.

In the right mounting they care extremely durable.

Neil Beaty
GG(GIA) ICGA(AGS) NAJA
Professional Appraisals in Denver

 

[Pandora II]

Having designed a setting for a 2ct black diamond for the wife of a diamond dealer I used to work with (rose gold and tiny white melee in a flame pattern), I wouldn''t want one myself.

This one was about as good as they get, but it still looked like a chunk of graphite and I''ve seen lots of black diamonds with nasty white inclusions in them.

Have a good look at a lot of them to be sure its what you are really after.

If you are after a more sparkly black stone, go for a very dark sapphire or garnet - much cheaper as well as they''re not sought after!

I made a lot of pieces using small rubies, white diamonds and black sapphires together (zebra striped pave pendants etc) - the sapphires looked way way better than the black diamonds did.

 

[reader]

Garnets are pretty, but way way too soft for me for a ring. My ruby has skinned up facets and a chip out, so I don''t think a black sapphire would hold up either. The ''super sparkle'' factor isn''t exactly what I am after...I am looking for very durable black ring.

 

[Pandora II]

I''ve seen them chip quite often - especially as they tend to be included - you''d probably need a very secure and protective setting.

You do know that they are metallic grey rather than black?

 

[reader]

Works with hematite necklaces then...

 

[Pandora II]

Absolutely

I LOVE hematite - I have loads of it just as ''feely stones'' to play with!

I do hope you''ll come back and show us what you find!

Oh, as for sources, I would contact one of the PS vendors direct and ask them to source you a good non-included one!

 

[dkodner]

Some quick notes on Black diamonds: You will not find one without inclusions, as that is the nature of the black diamond itself. There is a dense concentration of small inclusions (often graphite) in a natural black diamond, and these are what make it black. They generally have a poor polish and finish, as they are difficult to cut, and most you will see with have cavities that break the surface. This gives me a little concern because you say you are very hard on your jewelry. Although a black diamond is a an extremely hard surface, you could find that you could crack or chip it much easier than a colorless counterpart. You will also most likely find that everything you see is really a treated black diamond. You do not see a lot of natural black diamonds on the market anymore. It is very common that most "black" diamonds out there are treated. These stones are not black, but heavily included and very very dark green, looking black to the naked eye. The green comes from the radiation in treating them. You will not see the green in a natural black. I like the idea of Hematite better for your ring. I have seen beautiful black diamonds before, but I think for your purpose, another stone may suit you better. Hope this helps.

D

 

[neatfreak]

Date: 6/7/2008 11:02:51 AM
Author: dkodner
Some quick notes on Black diamonds: You will not find one without inclusions, as that is the nature of the black diamond itself. There is a dense concentration of small inclusions (often graphite) in a natural black diamond, and these are what make it black. They generally have a poor polish and finish, as they are difficult to cut, and most you will see with have cavities that break the surface. This gives me a little concern because you say you are very hard on your jewelry. Although a black diamond is a an extremely hard surface, you could find that you could crack or chip it much easier than a colorless counterpart. You will also most likely find that everything you see is really a treated black diamond. You do not see a lot of natural black diamonds on the market anymore. It is very common that most 'black' diamonds out there are treated. These stones are not black, but heavily included and very very dark green, looking black to the naked eye. The green comes from the radiation in treating them. You will not see the green in a natural black. I like the idea of Hematite better for your ring. I have seen beautiful black diamonds before, but I think for your purpose, another stone may suit you better. Hope this helps.


D

Interesting, thanks DK!! I always love to learn things here...

 

[lesco]

Thanks for the information... I guess black diamonds are far away from colored ones.... I stand corrected.

 

[dkodner]

Date: 6/7/2008 11:04:01 PM
Author: lesco
Thanks for the information... I guess black diamonds are far away from colored ones.... I stand corrected.

lesco.....you are not wrong at all. A natural black diamond certainly belongs in the family of prized colored diamonds. Most serious colored diamond collections include a fine example of a natural black. Like everything in the world of gemstones, there is A LOT of material that is found that is poor non commercial quality, and then there is the rare find when nature puts it all together just right and it becomes a prized gem. The same holds true for black diamonds, and there are some amazing examples of natural blacks. I may have described black diamonds too harshly. We call diamond material that is non commercial and unfacetable "Bort", and it is used for things like drill bits and such. Then there is material that could be cut, but it''s not visually appealing. I believe that''s the kind of material that is irradiated to be most of the "black" diamonds that you see in jewelry today. That''s why it''s very inexpensive for diamond jewelry. Inexpensive does not mean it''s not beautiful though. I love the use of black diamonds in jewelry, I''ve seen some amazing designs. As long as you know what your buying, I don''t see any problem with it at all. You can buy drop earrings with black diamond briolettes of 4 or 5 carats each for $1500.00, and it looks like a 5 or 10 thousand dollar piece of jewelry, in my opinion. Then there are collector stones, which are natural and very rare, like a yellow, pink or blue. When nature bonds these microscopic impurities so tightly that it can be fashioned into a gem, and shows off an intense shine that only a diamond can, they certainly become as regal as a fine blue or pink. They tend to look a little different than what you see in jewelry, or at least evoke a different feeling when you see them. The natural black in our collection has a very different look than a treated. It is actually semi transparent, you can see the depth of the stone. It also exhibits a strong violet color under intense light, which is something that no other black diamond has been noted to do. So even though it is technically just a black diamond, it is as rare of a diamond that we know. The 202 ct. Black Star of Africa is a very famous and amazing diamond, as is the Black Orloff. I hope this clarifies my previous post....)


D

 

[Pandora II]

Just wanted to clarify my comments on ''un-included stone'' - since black diamonds are basically one big inclusion.

The 2ct one I worked with was the best I have ever seen - no surface cracks, no white inclusions, just looked like it had been carved from a block of pencil lead!

All the others I looked at were not like this one.

The dealer and I thought she was nuts - he''d offered her the diamond of her choice as a birthday present (not including the very rare coloureds obviously), and this was what she wanted... each to their own!

 

[lesco]

Date: 6/8/2008 1:51:18 AM
Author: dkodner

Date: 6/7/2008 11:04:01 PM
Author: lesco
Thanks for the information... I guess black diamonds are far away from colored ones.... I stand corrected.

lesco.....you are not wrong at all. A natural black diamond certainly belongs in the family of prized colored diamonds. Most serious colored diamond collections include a fine example of a natural black. Like everything in the world of gemstones, there is A LOT of material that is found that is poor non commercial quality, and then there is the rare find when nature puts it all together just right and it becomes a prized gem. The same holds true for black diamonds, and there are some amazing examples of natural blacks. I may have described black diamonds too harshly. We call diamond material that is non commercial and unfacetable ''Bort'', and it is used for things like drill bits and such. Then there is material that could be cut, but it''s not visually appealing. I believe that''s the kind of material that is irradiated to be most of the ''black'' diamonds that you see in jewelry today. That''s why it''s very inexpensive for diamond jewelry. Inexpensive does not mean it''s not beautiful though. I love the use of black diamonds in jewelry, I''ve seen some amazing designs. As long as you know what your buying, I don''t see any problem with it at all. You can buy drop earrings with black diamond briolettes of 4 or 5 carats each for $1500.00, and it looks like a 5 or 10 thousand dollar piece of jewelry, in my opinion. Then there are collector stones, which are natural and very rare, like a yellow, pink or blue. When nature bonds these microscopic impurities so tightly that it can be fashioned into a gem, and shows off an intense shine that only a diamond can, they certainly become as regal as a fine blue or pink. They tend to look a little different than what you see in jewelry, or at least evoke a different feeling when you see them. The natural black in our collection has a very different look than a treated. It is actually semi transparent, you can see the depth of the stone. It also exhibits a strong violet color under intense light, which is something that no other black diamond has been noted to do. So even though it is technically just a black diamond, it is as rare of a diamond that we know. The 202 ct. Black Star of Africa is a very famous and amazing diamond, as is the Black Orloff. I hope this clarifies my previous post....)


D

Thank you for the detailed explanation dkoner.