How important is the origin of a diamond?

[bschai]

Hi,

Is there a difference in quality and value due to the origin of the diamond?
(and therefore does the "natural age" of the diamond matter?)

e.g is diamond from africa "better" than diamond from canada or vice versa? (assuming all other factors the same: cut, cutter, clarity etc.....)

If yes, is there a way to know the origin of the diamond that one is about to buy?

I only know that for Canadian diamonds, they use the CanadaMark''s serial number. But for normal GIA, AGS laser inscription, how can you tell?


Thanks.

bschai

 

[neatfreak]

Unless you care for personal or ethical reasons, no there is no difference aesthetically. The percentage of "blood diamonds" that make it to market these days is very very small. But for those who are still slightly concerned about it, they buy a Canandian diamond.

Otherwise, they are all the same and I wouldn't bother worrying about it.

 

[Garry H (Cut Nut)]

Diamonds form deep below the earths crust and the sources from several different countries and continents are primarily the same - South America and Afric, India and Australia for example, and I believe Canada and Russia.

Search "continental plate" on wiki etc

The most common non Kimberely Process (smuggled illicit diamonds) today is Zimbabwe, and those snmuggled stones are probably good for the local populace

 

[JohnQuixote]

Date: 8/1/2007 7:40:01 PM
Author:bschai

Is there a difference in quality and value due to the origin of the diamond?
(and therefore does the 'natural age' of the diamond matter?)
e.g is diamond from africa 'better' than diamond from canada or vice versa? (assuming all other factors the same: cut, cutter, clarity etc.....)

Alluvial diamonds are more weathered than those from pipes (so those deposits have higher concentrations of larger/high clarity stones) but for most practical purposes a gem-quality diamond is a gem-quality diamond.

If yes, is there a way to know the origin of the diamond that one is about to buy?
I only know that for Canadian diamonds, they use the CanadaMark's serial number. But for normal GIA, AGS laser inscription, how can you tell?

Unless you walked the diamond yourself from mine to sorting to trading house to cutting factory to parcel buyer to retail outlet nothing can be 100 percent certain. Greed is not exclusive to Africa and KP fraud was uncovered in Venezuela, Brazil & Guyana last year alone. Controls are tighter in North America, especially post 9/11, but the lingering possibility of corruption exists anywhere, even in Canada where “conflict-free” is a national marketing slogan.

Date: 8/1/2007 7:44:01 PM
Author: neatfreak

Unless you care for personal or ethical reasons, no there is no difference aesthetically. The percentage of 'blood diamonds' that make it to market these days is very very small.

True. Kimberly and Global Witness have estimated that less than 1% of the world’s diamonds are touched by conflict, but this is not much comfort to those in conflicted areas. More to the point, many of those people rely on the diamond trade for the meager comforts they do have, so the best solution will be to empower a transfer of wealth between those who want the diamonds and those who dig them. This will require cooperation from those in power. Here is a current thread discussing fair trade initiatives.

 

[Garry H (Cut Nut)]

I was able to buy diamonds of known Canadian origin from RioTinto until recently - they now mix their rough in Antwerp from an African mine because it makes marketing / cost sense.

This is also what De beers has always done in London.

But more and more we are seeing diamonds from African countries being cut in new factories built in the country of origin. Botswana and Namibia for example - even though they are partners and part owners of De Beers, and this is not what De beers might prefer.

So the politically charged question I have to ask is why don''t people say "look at my diamond, it came from Africa and is a small way that i can help through African benefication" Why? Why should Canadian diamonds be the only ones with a premium ? Surely that is at the expense of Africans who need as much economic support as they can get?

 

[Cehrabehra]

Date: 8/1/2007 8:28:37 PM
Author: Garry H (Cut Nut)
I was able to buy diamonds of known Canadian origin from RioTinto until recently - they now mix their rough in Antwerp from an African mine because it makes marketing / cost sense.

This is also what De beers has always done in London.

But more and more we are seeing diamonds from African countries being cut in new factories built in the country of origin. Botswana and Namibia for example - even though they are partners and part owners of De Beers, and this is not what De beers might prefer.

So the politically charged question I have to ask is why don''t people say ''look at my diamond, it came from Africa and is a small way that i can help through African benefication'' Why? Why should Canadian diamonds be the only ones with a premium ? Surely that is at the expense of Africans who need as much economic support as they can get?

I always assumed my diamond came from africa, but I heard from a very reputable source (I won''t mention) that my diamond most likely came from Russia. I don''t know how I feel about that, but I do wish that part of "provenance" wasn''t just a pat on the head and a "oh honey it''s not a blood diamond" but rather a real birth place of origin.

 

[sugarplum]

Date: 8/1/2007 9:14:07 PM
Author: Cehrabehra

Date: 8/1/2007 8:28:37 PM
Author: Garry H (Cut Nut)
I was able to buy diamonds of known Canadian origin from RioTinto until recently - they now mix their rough in Antwerp from an African mine because it makes marketing / cost sense.

This is also what De beers has always done in London.

But more and more we are seeing diamonds from African countries being cut in new factories built in the country of origin. Botswana and Namibia for example - even though they are partners and part owners of De Beers, and this is not what De beers might prefer.

So the politically charged question I have to ask is why don''t people say ''look at my diamond, it came from Africa and is a small way that i can help through African benefication'' Why? Why should Canadian diamonds be the only ones with a premium ? Surely that is at the expense of Africans who need as much economic support as they can get?

I always assumed my diamond came from africa, but I heard from a very reputable source (I won''t mention) that my diamond most likely came from Russia. I don''t know how I feel about that, but I do wish that part of ''provenance'' wasn''t just a pat on the head and a ''oh honey it''s not a blood diamond'' but rather a real birth place of origin.

is there any way for a jeweler/expert to figure out a stone''s origin? for example cehrabehra''s source concluded that her diamond "most likely came from russia". are there distinctive physical characteristics that reflect a diamond''s place of origin? or a code of some sort on the cert? or is it impossible to ever know for sure what the birthplace of your stone is? doesn''t that information get recorded somewhere once it has been mined?

 

[Garry H (Cut Nut)]

Date: 8/1/2007 11:38:28 PM
Author: sugarplum

Date: 8/1/2007 9:14:07 PM
Author: Cehrabehra

Date: 8/1/2007 8:28:37 PM
Author: Garry H (Cut Nut)
I was able to buy diamonds of known Canadian origin from RioTinto until recently - they now mix their rough in Antwerp from an African mine because it makes marketing / cost sense.

This is also what De beers has always done in London.

But more and more we are seeing diamonds from African countries being cut in new factories built in the country of origin. Botswana and Namibia for example - even though they are partners and part owners of De Beers, and this is not what De beers might prefer.

So the politically charged question I have to ask is why don''t people say ''look at my diamond, it came from Africa and is a small way that i can help through African benefication'' Why? Why should Canadian diamonds be the only ones with a premium ? Surely that is at the expense of Africans who need as much economic support as they can get?

I always assumed my diamond came from africa, but I heard from a very reputable source (I won''t mention) that my diamond most likely came from Russia. I don''t know how I feel about that, but I do wish that part of ''provenance'' wasn''t just a pat on the head and a ''oh honey it''s not a blood diamond'' but rather a real birth place of origin.

is there any way for a jeweler/expert to figure out a stone''s origin? for example cehrabehra''s source concluded that her diamond ''most likely came from russia''. are there distinctive physical characteristics that reflect a diamond''s place of origin? or a code of some sort on the cert? or is it impossible to ever know for sure what the birthplace of your stone is? doesn''t that information get recorded somewhere once it has been mined?

200km down and coming up in a volcanoe in a couple of hours - into a different continent on each eruption - there is very little local difference to rough. so there is no special effort to say this comes from XXX as there is with say rubies sapp''s and emeralds which form locally.

Does it make sense?
Re read all I have written if not