I love how they came up with the term "Chocolate Diamonds"

[Dancing Fire]

in other words "crappy diamonds" but sound much better... and the mall jewelers are
promoting them like crazy...


http://www.jared.com/en/jaredstore/le-vian-chocolate-diamonds--174%3B---189%3B-carat-tw-14k-gold-ring

http://www.kay.com/en/kaystore/le-vian%C2%AE/1000550000/100020/1/0/0/0/100020.100023.100055

 

[kenny]

Re: I love how they came up with the term "Chocolate Diamond

Oh DF, you're such a snob.
Not everyone is rich.

 

[motownmama]

Re: I love how they came up with the term "Chocolate Diamond

Well.... If some people like black diamonds, then some people can like brown diamonds. The nurse at my GP has a large Levian ring and it's very pretty IMHO; I enjoy visiting it when I go into the office _ if I'm sick I at least can look at her bling. I'm not rushing out to buy one, but variety is the spice of life and all that

 

[motownmama]

Re: I love how they came up with the term "Chocolate Diamond

 

[denverappraiser]

Re: I love how they came up with the term "Chocolate Diamond

Mudball (tm) sounds less fattening.

 

[VRBeauty]

Re: I love how they came up with the term "Chocolate Diamond

Back in the day - before I discovered PS - I bought some JTV cluster earrings set with "champagne". I happen to think they're lovely, actually. I'm having them re-configured into danglies as I type, and I'll be giving the new earring to my SIL - and I wouldn't give her junk. They may not be "icy white" but they're still sparkly and beautiful, and I think they'll make a lovely pair of earrings.

Kenny's point is very valid - not everyone can afford "icy white" diamonds or even some facsimile thereof. Granted a champagne or brown diamond is a very different creature than a colorless diamond, but does that mean that we have to look down our noses at them and implicitly declare anyone who wears them to be wannabes? Many brown hued diamonds have high clarity grades and sparkle nicely, albeit not with the same range of colors as a white diamond would. They fulfill a different design function than a white diamond, just as a yellow or pink sapphire fulfills a different design function than the traditional blue sapphire. And if they allow someone who wouldn't be able to afford "colorless" to enjoy the sparkle and scintillation etc. of diamonds, I think that's great.

 

[Dancing Fire]

Re: I love how they came up with the term "Chocolate Diamond

Oh DF, you're such a snob.
Not everyone is rich.

I have learn a lot from you...

 

[kenny]

Re: I love how they came up with the term "Chocolate Diamond

Oh DF, you're such a snob.
Not everyone is rich.

I have learn a lot from you...

Well, I concede you did buy a fantastic diamond.

 

[Dancing Fire]

Re: I love how they came up with the term "Chocolate Diamond

Well.... If some people like black diamonds, then some people can like brown diamonds. The nurse at my GP has a large Levian ring and it's very pretty IMHO; I enjoy visiting it when I go into the office _ if I'm sick I at least can look at her bling. I'm not rushing out to buy one, but variety is the spice of life and all that

I don't get the fascination for black diamonds either... no sparkles, nothing..

 

[kenny]

Re: I love how they came up with the term "Chocolate Diamond

I don't get the fascination for black diamonds either... no sparkles, nothing..

... they never need cleaning.

 

[acaw2015]

Re: I love how they came up with the term "Chocolate Diamond

Haha I think the brown diamond needs some more defending in this thread! You know guys, some people actually love this color. They certainly aren't for everyone, but still for someone.

I have a close friend whose father was a jeweler and she chose, fully aware of what the general norm is, to have a "champagne" diamond in her engagement ring. I have seen it several times and it is truly gorgeous. She has put it in a halo with colorless diamonds. It is very moody, sometimes it is more brown and sometimes it is quite bright with a brown-purplish tone and white sparkle.

We don't all have to follow, or even want, what everyone else prefers! And I am sure you know this very well. And I for one really like this wise marketing because it *allows* people who love brown diamonds to buy them and proudly call them a nicer word.

//aca

 

[Sphene]

Re: I love how they came up with the term "Chocolate Diamond

Argyle diamonds you can easily pay over $50,000 for half a carat of brown shaded diamond - at these prices I would say they are for the elite not CRAPPY diamonds DF for the poor

 

[gregchang35]

Re: I love how they came up with the term "Chocolate Diamond

people vary and all that....i like them...brown, champagne, chocolate, cognac...

My best friend.. she has one and it looks stunning in the setting! Unfortunately i have not got a pic of it. it was oval...

there was another one that i liked and it was called a cognac diamond... beautifully rich in colour. it was a 3 stone ring with white diamonds on the side....a consignment piece and they wanted to sell the entire ring and not the diamond alone...

this was an example of the colour i liked in that ring.. it was an old mine cut round diamond... yummy!!!
http://www.leibish.com/champagne-diamonds/fancy-deep-orange-brown-emerald-20691

There will always be a market for everyone and every gem...

You like what you like, huh?

'sides chocolate and champagne are my staples!!!! LOLOLOL

 

[Callmyname]

Re: I love how they came up with the term "Chocolate Diamond

Well I do own a fancy light yellow brown ring from dbl and I love it.
It was for my anniversary, I didn't want another white diamond ring at the time, I am fair skinned and yellow looked strange on me...
Than I tried on this and it was a match

 

[chrono]

Re: I love how they came up with the term "Chocolate Diamond

I have no issues with people preferring and buying brown and black diamonds but the mall FCDs are overpriced for what they are.

 

[bcavitt]

Re: I love how they came up with the term "Chocolate Diamond

Anyone remember when we used to grade these stones using the Argyle grading scale C1-C8?

 

[telephone89]

Re: I love how they came up with the term "Chocolate Diamond

Wow judgmental much? Just because someone likes something other than a D FL does not make it a crappy diamond. I've long said I prefer a brown tint in diamonds to yellow. I think the brown tint is very pretty and is flattering on more skin tones.

 

[Sagefemme]

Re: I love how they came up with the term "Chocolate Diamond

What about this "faint brown" diamond ring by DBL?? I am fascinated by this one and am considering buying it. I was going to post it for advice anyway before this thread got started. Very well cut stones of this color are unusual, I think. And the craftmanship of the ring itself seems exceptional. What do you all think?


http://www.diamondsbylauren.com/index.php/jewelry/faint-brown-diamond-ring-205ctw-k-faint-brown-round-brilliant-three-stone-diamond-ring-r4870

 

[Callmyname]

Re: I love how they came up with the term "Chocolate Diamond

I had a good experience with DBL, as at the time I was living in NYC, I went to there office and looked at couple of rings.
The setting I have is hand forged and its holding up so well, I have it for few years and wear it often. The prongs are so tiny, it's amazing ...

 

[Texas Leaguer]

Re: I love how they came up with the term "Chocolate Diamond

Lots of people have admired the gem Topaz through the ages. A high percentage of those are in the brown tones. Heck it's even a birthstone. So why would it be strange that similar color ranges are also appealing in diamond?

It's topaz but with the rarity and hardness of diamond

 

[Texas Leaguer]

Re: I love how they came up with the term "Chocolate Diamond

Well I do own a fancy light yellow brown ring from dbl and I love it.
It was for my anniversary, I didn't want another white diamond ring at the time, I am fair skinned and yellow looked strange on me...
Than I tried on this and it was a match

From the photo that looks like an awesome rock! Does not look like a fancy light yellow brown. Looks more like a fancy brownish pink. And a pretty intense one at that!

 

[Callmyname]

Re: I love how they came up with the term "Chocolate Diamond

Thank you Texas Leaguer! I can't take pics out side now, it's evening here, but I did take couple just for fun, one with white ( paper towel ...) and one with wood background .. I the day time the stone looks lighter...

 

[doberman]

Re: I love how they came up with the term "Chocolate Diamond

That's a beautiful colored diamond, Callmyname.

 

[Texas Leaguer]

Re: I love how they came up with the term "Chocolate Diamond

Thank you Texas Leaguer! I can't take pics out side now, it's evening here, but I did take couple just for fun, one with white ( paper towel ...) and one with wood background .. I the day time the stone looks lighter...

It looks very different in face up view than in the first image at tilt, but it looks definitely pink in all the shots. Is there a rose gold backing built into the ring setting?

If the pictures are representative of the overall hue and there is no enhancement behind the stone, I would seriously consider resubmitting it to the lab and have them recheck the color call. That diamond looks pink and it has far more value with a report that says so.

Irrespective of what it is called on paper, it is a special stone!

 

[Rockdiamond]

Re: I love how they came up with the term "Chocolate Diamond

I have always loved brown diamonds, no matter what you call them.
Call them caca for all I care
Seriously- there's only ONE store that sells "Chocolate Diamonds".
Actually more accurate only one seller BOUGHT the right to call diamonds "chocolate" while denying others this tasty descriptor. They got a patent on the name...so in fact, there's nothing at all special about "chocolate diamonds" being sold in the mall besides the name....sheesh.
I'm waiting on the patent office to approve my caca idea

Anyone remember when we used to grade these stones using the Argyle grading scale C1-C8?

Actually that scale is still in common use Bryan. Not that it helps all that much in understanding brown diamond grading.

One thing I have found is that brown diamond color grading is never going to have the consistency of Yellow, for example.
The color brown itself is so much more complex than yellow that identifying all the modifiers is often impossible to do with consistency.
So one stone graded Fancy Brown Orange by GIA will look totally different from another stone getting the same grade.

The presence of pink: Hi Byran! Yes we did use some rose gold in the setting of that stone- and our guys have developed extremely specialized skill working with pink diamonds. BUT- the inconsistency again rears it's face.
Sometime GIA says nothing about pink in the grade, yet the stone mounts up pinkish.
There are other cases where GIA DOES mention pink yet no amount of red (pink) gold will make that color easy to see.
When you consider the remarkable disparity in price between brown and the other colors, it makes such stones even more attractive ( to me anyway)

 

[Texas Leaguer]

Re: I love how they came up with the term "Chocolate Diamond

The presence of pink: Hi Byran! Yes we did use some rose gold in the setting of that stone- and our guys have developed extremely specialized skill working with pink diamonds.

Nicely done! It's amazing how much difference (and added value) expert craftsmanship and the creative use of metal alloys can make in a fancy color piece.

 

[Dancing Fire]

Re: I love how they came up with the term "Chocolate Diamond

Argyle diamonds you can easily pay over $50,000 for half a carat of brown shaded diamond - at these prices I would say they are for the elite not CRAPPY diamonds DF for the poor

I was referring to chocolate diamonds we see in the mall stores.

 

[Callmyname]

Re: I love how they came up with the term "Chocolate Diamond

Thank you everyone!!! The first picture was daylight! I will at some point try take more if it's ever get nice again in this part of the world!
Yes, rockdiamond did great job on the ring... It really is lots of colors at different times. All my friends love it too...

 

[Rockdiamond]

Re: I love how they came up with the term "Chocolate Diamond

Argyle diamonds you can easily pay over $50,000 for half a carat of brown shaded diamond - at these prices I would say they are for the elite not CRAPPY diamonds DF for the poor

I was referring to chocolate diamonds we see in the mall stores.

We're in agreement here DF- for a change Much of the "mall" brown diamond merchandise is.....as you described.

About Argyle- Argyle does indeed sell brown diamond rough. Some is "standard" brown- but a lot is quite interesting in terms of shades and modifiers....
But none is marketed by Argyle as "Argyle" diamonds, so they don't generally have the price premium associated with Argyle pink diamonds.

Thank you Bryan!

 

[WinkHPD]

Re: I love how they came up with the term "Chocolate Diamond

My mom was a devoted coffee drinker. Long before the Kimberly mine was discovered I had a chance to buy a parcel of colored diamonds with GIA diamond grading reports declaring their colors to be natural.

One of them was a gorgeous rich brown diamond of about a carat and a half that was cut into a sparkly round brilliant diamond that was actually well cut for its day. (This would have been in 1977 or 78 or so long, long ago, before most of you reading this were born...)

My dad, who had bought this parcel as an investment, said mom loved its strong coffee color and asked me to take it out of the parcel and we made a fantastic ring out of it with a pave of diamonds on the top half of the band and four strong prongs holding the diamond up over the pave of diamonds. It was a design of my friend Jay Gilbert from Coast diamonds.

She wore it and loved it for many many years. I think she gave it to my sister before she died and I hope she loves it as much as mom did.

Wink