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Black Diamond Rings Buying Guide
Non-traditional rings have gained popularity in recent years, with recipients’ tastes evolving beyond the norm. For those wanting to make their proposals unique, black diamond rings offer a truly amazing way to wow your significant other. This guide to Black Color Diamonds offers important insights into the process.
What Are Black Diamond Rings?
Black diamond rings carry similar value to their colourless counterparts, but with a deeper and more spiritual connection, offering something unique and mysterious. They generally come in two forms - natural, mined black diamonds, which are very rare and exhibit an intense color; and treated black diamonds, which start life as cloudy or gray diamonds and benefit from heat treatment which turns them into a resplendent black jewel.
Black diamonds originate from the Central African Republic and Brazil, where they formed over 3.8 billion years ago. They were originally called carbonados by the Portuguese explorers in the South American area.
What Do Black Diamond Rings Symbolise?
Black diamond rings carry more spiritual meaning than the colourless kind. Generally, these rings symbolise justice and inner strength. Therefore, when given as a promise ring, its value in both the vow and commitment is perceived to be stronger. Rarely does a person use a black diamond promise ring and take the commitment lightly. Its symbolism extends to the engagement ring, where the spiritual links and connotations give the ceremony and request a more profound impact.
Black diamond rings are not exclusively used for romantic situations. Other loved ones, such as family members, can exchange black diamond rings as symbols of trust and loyalty. Receiving one signifies your elevated status in the family or life of the giver, and binds you in trust.
A black wedding ring on a woman signifies her powerful sexuality, sophistication, and elegance, per her partner’s perception. In addition, black diamond engagement rings carry a high level of trust and commitment. Therefore, such a ring highlights the importance of the occasion and its meaning to the couple.
There are suggestions that black diamond may denote evil, dark spiritualism, and grief, but not on these occasions. Different forces and entities have used all manner of jewellery and precious stones for their less than noble objectives, and black diamonds are no different. Therefore, such fears are unfounded and entirely up to the person, not the stone.
Are Black Diamond Rings In Style?
Black diamonds gained popularity in the late 2000s, and the trend continues as more people break from convention. As mentioned, the more unusual and mysterious the engagement and wedding ceremony, the more appealing it is to the partner and the guests. You can see this preference even in the choice of decoration in the ceremony, where more individuals go for black balloons, roses, and even cutlery. Therefore, a black diamond ring is an excellent choice.
So how are black diamonds best used? A black diamond is favored in a multitude of jewellery. They can really stand out as an alternative to white diamonds and are beautifully complemented by surrounding diamonds. Commonly used as the centerpiece in jewellery design - including black diamond engagement rings or a black diamond necklace - black diamonds are not sex-specific and can be incorporated into items intended for both women and men.
True to the saying 'diamonds are forever' - black diamond is incredibly tough and long-lasting, making it ideal for keepsakes; jewellery items which can be worn for a lifetime. Black diamonds can be the focal point of jewellery given to loved ones on landmark events such as birthdays or anniversaries.
How To Buy A Black Diamond Ring?
1. Consider The Type
As you shop for a black diamond ring, you need to know of the two types: natural black diamonds and treated or enhanced black diamonds.
The natural variety is rare and more expensive, retailing at around £1,500 compared to £300 for the treated kind. Therefore, you should be able to find a black diamond ring within your budget.
2. Check The Quality
The first quality check is to look at the diamond’s certification. It’ll tell you whether you’re holding a natural or enhanced one. The 4C’s don’t apply here entirely, so next, you’ll need to focus on cut and carat weight.
Since black diamonds are more brittle, the best cut tends to be an expensive process. In addition, the diamond won’t reflect light as well as the colourless variety, but the cut helps a lot. The common cuts are round, cushion, and pear, with elaborate designs costing more.
Carat is the other important measure, although not as significant as cut, since black diamonds are denser than colourless ones. If you’re buying online, you’ll need to choose a reputable online jewellery retailer. Look for one who offers guarantees on their products.
How Do You Clean Black Diamonds?
The rarity of black diamonds increases their value, meaning you need to care for yours well. When it comes to caring for your black diamond, there is no magic trick - you maintain it like you would a colorless diamond. Don't try to clean it yourself, leave that to a trained jeweller. We have methods of cleaning jewellery using power steaming which is capable of lifting grime from black diamonds. If you must attempt to clean black diamond yourself - tread with caution! To clean your black diamond ring, you’ll need a flat dish, ammonia, a soft cloth, and a toothbrush with soft spikes.
1. Begin by soaking the black diamond in hot water for 10-15 minutes to loosen any dirt or oil layer.
2. Next, combine thinned ammonia with a quarter part plain water. Alternatively, use a coloured diamond cleaning solution from some leading jewellery stores.
3. Put the solution in a flat dish pan and dip the ring. Let it sit in there for an hour. Ensure that the diamond is completely immersed in the solution.
4. Once the hour is up, take out the ring and clean the stone with the soft spiked toothbrush. Clean it thoroughly to get rid of all the dirt.
5. Wash off the ring with pressured hot water to remove residual dirt and the ammonia or cleaning solution.
6. Finally, use a soft cloth to buff up the diamond. The soft cloth is ideal since it won’t leave any scratches on the smooth stone.
Faq
Yes, but not as intense as colourless diamonds and those in lighter colors. Since they don’t let light pass through, the sparkle comes mostly from their surface, giving off a metallic shine instead of the refractive kind of colourless diamonds.
No, they don’t because they are just as hard as colourless diamonds. However, these diamonds are quite challenging to cut and polish due to their structural patterns. As such, they are susceptible to cracking during the long cutting process. The good news is once the polishing process is over, the diamond will maintain its structural integrity well.
You can tell if a black diamond ring is real through several tests, including the water drop test, fog test, dot test, heat test, and sparkle test.
Black Diamonds are absolutely suitable for an Engagement Ring. Historically, brides have chosen a range of different center stones for their engagement rings. Black diamonds can certainly make for an engagement ring with a difference, and for many brides, a black diamond will blend better with her own tastes than colorless or different color diamonds. After they have been worn by the bride, black diamond rings can be passed down from generation to generation, being cherished for their unique look and style.
Black diamond rings symbolise eternal, unwavering and flawless love, as well as trust and strength. Its mysterious streak and unusual nature further add to the ceremony, showing deep commitment.
Yes, they are, as long as you focus on buying a natural black diamond. In addition, the more elaborate the cut, the higher the value. In terms of value, enhanced or treated black diamonds cost about £300 per carat, while natural black ones cost about £1,500 per carat.
Some people place no specific meaning on the finger they wear a ring on, but that choice matters. For instance, wearing a black ring on the index finger symbolises confidence and leadership qualities. However, wearing the ring on your middle finger can be confusing. Technically, it’s the right finger to represent balance and show off the precious stone.
Wearing a black ring on the middle finger of the right hand is also a symbol of asexuality, so you need to avoid wearing the ring in this fashion out of respect for that community unless you are a member. As such, you should wear a black obsidian ring on your left hand, on either the index or ring finger, depending on whether it’s for romantic love or another intention.
The highest quality black diamond is the natural variety, fully opaque, with a lustre that looks metallic. The quickest way to check the quality is to look at the diamond’s certification. You should find a more detailed description there. Note that the highest quality black diamonds have a flawless clarity grade and a Natural AAAA rating.
Could the most famous black diamond jewellery be the black diamond cufflinks which Angelina Jolie gave to her ex-husband Brad Pitt? Black diamonds have been worn by a host of celebrities, including; Jolie, Carmen Electra, Sarah Jessica Parker, Gwenyth Paltrow, Kat Von D, and Gossip Girl actress Blake Lively, who has been spotted in a pair of black diamond earrings. Just so the men don't feel left out; baseball star Derek Jeter is another high-profile star to wear a black diamond, in his necklace. In popular culture, you might remember the black diamond ring which Mr. Big gives Carrie Bradshaw (Sarah Jessica Parker) in Sex and the City.
Celebrities who have rocker tendencies, or favor a gothic look, can be the perfect match for pieces such as black diamond pendants, which fits in wonderfully with garments such as black leather jackets, and cosmetics like black nail varnish.
When it comes to the rarity of black diamonds, it’s important to know the difference between natural black diamonds and treated black diamonds as natural ones are far rarer and more valuable than the treated ones. Natural black diamonds are extremely rare due to the organic way they are created, compared to artificially treated black diamonds. Also, natural black diamonds are rarer than common colorless diamonds.
Gemologists consider natural black diamonds gem-quality, although they aren’t cool. They are polycrystalline diamonds known as carbonado, which are combinations of smaller diamonds, graphite, and carbon crystals. Due to their composition, they are stronger than colorless diamonds and are also harder to cut and polish. While most colorless diamonds are formed deep within the earth’s mantle, there have been unconfirmed theories as to how exactly carbonado is formed. As such, as most carbonados are made up of minuscule, porous crystals, a very high-quality natural black diamond is incredibly rare.
Due to its rarity, a natural black diamond can be more expensive than a colorless diamond of similar quality. More so, as a result of the rarity of natural black diamonds, some diamantaires began artificially enhancing low-quality colorless diamonds by burning them while still in their rough state until they receive the opaque black color. As a result, this brings down the price of black diamonds considerably, compared to the price of a natural black diamond.
Conclusion
Black diamond rings are unique, mysterious, and bear a deep emotional and spiritual meaning, perfect for acknowledging romantic love and other strong bonds in your life. When shopping for one, ensure you go for a high-quality ring to symbolise your intentions and make it a worthy investment.
