Lucky you if you were born in April as your birthstone is Diamond! Diamonds have been valued by man since the fourth century BC when alluvial deposits were exploited in India along three of their major rivers. India’s royalty valued these diamonds found on river beds and made them part of their vast treasure chests. As trade between India and some European countries developed, diamonds made their way to Europe and became popular with the elite of Europe. During the 15th century we see the first historical record of a diamond being presented as an engagement present when Archduke Maximilian of Austria gave a diamond engagement ring to his betrothed Mary of Burgundy. Ever since then, diamonds have grown in popularity.
As you may have heard, diamonds are the hardest of gemstones with a Moh’s scale rating of 10 out of 10. This means that diamonds are about 58 times harder than the next hardest gemstone, sapphires. Only a diamond can cut or abrade a diamond and diamonds are widely used in industrial applications to produce cutting and sanding tools. When a diamond is being polished, a steel wheel is coated with diamond dust and then it is used to shape and polish diamonds. The art of diamond cutting and shaping has developed from very basic shapes to todays intricate and very well thought out cutting patterns.
There are several steps to producing the diamond you received for your engagement. The first and most difficult is mining, as many tons of earth must be removed and processed to extract a diamond which will yield a one carat gem quality stone. During this process paydirt is run through conveyer belts through machines which try to separate diamonds from everything else. Large powerful magnets are used to remove non-diamond ferrous minerals. Diamonds have an affinity towards grease so grease plates are introduced into the conveyer belts at different stages to try to capture diamonds. Also, x ray driven diamond detectors are used in which high power x rays are fired into the stream of dirt and since diamonds phosphoresce (light up like a firefly) when diamonds are detected strong streams of air are initiated which separate diamonds from the rest of the material. These processes are performed repeatedly to ensure most of the diamonds are extracted from the paydirt.
Once rough diamonds are mined, they are sorted by quality, size and potential yield. This process is accomplished by highly skilled professionals who take seconds to qualify each rough diamond. The process culminates when rough diamonds are packaged into lots called sites. Then they are offered to site holders who purchase rough diamonds and cut and polish them, and offer them to wholesalers who then sell them to dealers and mass manufacturers, who then offer them to stores, who then sell the finished product to the public. See why sometimes diamonds can be very expensive? This is why you should buy diamonds from stores which buy diamonds from the public, like Regent Jewelers.
The romance of diamonds is connected to the fact that diamonds are so durable and the love of your life should also be for ever. Diamonds are very difficult to break or crack, yet many people seem to manage just that when they drop their diamond rings on hard surfaces or when diamond rings accidentally end up in the garbage disposal under your sink. We have been in the business for many years and we have seen almost every kind of engagement ring accident. We purchase broken or chipped diamonds everyday and we help our clients replace those broken diamonds with brand new, perfect diamonds and repair their rings. If this has happened to you, give us a call and let us help you.
In conclusion, diamonds are by far, the most popular engagement gift. Diamonds have a rich and diverse history which started with diamonds only being available to the elite and then to the rest of the population. Natural diamonds are valued because they are rare and difficult to mine. Diamonds are produced and marketed through a network which creates the final value. Diamonds, while very durable can break or chip. Once broken or chipped they lose a great portion of their value as they must be recut. Regent Jewelers specializes in buying chipped and broken diamonds and replacing them and repairing damaged jewelry. Call us today to make an appointment and sell diamond in Miami.
