Black diamond jewelry is a hot look right now. It can be seen on celebrities and common folk alike. But is the recent trend for this beautiful gemstone a passing fancy or an enduring trend?
Critics argue that black diamonds are actually low grade diamonds. This is true. When diamonds form, high temperatures and pressures force elemental carbon to take on its crystalline form. In ideal circumstances, this yields white diamonds with no flaws. However in the case of black diamonds, a speck of carbon remains uncrystallized which goes on to discolor the developing diamond. This makes these diamonds low grade by normal measures even if there are no other inclusions or flaws. But inclusions and other flaws abound in colored diamonds. In fact clean colored diamonds are very rare.
But low grade does not mean low value. And there is a strong demand for these colored gemstones.
Critics argue that the fad for black diamond will pass and when it does, they will not hold their value. However, it is hard to understand this view. After all, demand for the gemstone is strong and there seems to be no reason to expect it to flag anytime soon.
One of the reasons for the strong demand, is their universal appeal. For women, black diamonds set off the little black dress to perfection yet being diamonds dazzle with brilliance unique to only to the gemstone. And whereas the white variety was historically too ostentatious for men, black diamonds are considered to be more masculine.
In contrast to white diamonds, which reflect light, black gemstones absorb the light. And in contrast to the grading for white stones, the darker the hue of the black gemstone, the better quality it is.
Men have embraced these gemstones in a variety of jewelry. In particular, black gemstones look sublime when set into white metal, such as silver, white gold, platinum, and the very masculine, titanium.
Women love contrasting the black gemstone with white stones, and black and white diamond jewelry is becoming more available in many styles. It works very well because the clarity and brilliance of the white gemstones helps to downplay any major imperfections in the black stone, and the finished effect is a dazzling contrast of stunning diamonds.
With this new found love affair with the gemstone, demand is unlikely to fade any time soon. This means that black diamonds are very likely to become heirloom pieces. So take your time when buying black diamonds. After all, you are buying a future heirloom!
Tags: black diamond jewelry, black diamonds, colored diamonds, colored gemstones, little black dress