Carbonados, sometimes called "black diamonds," are a distinct and unusual polycrystalline diamond material.
Yes! Black diamonds are real diamonds. Natural diamonds, Carbonados, and treated black diamonds are all found in nature. Unlike natural diamonds and Carbonados, treated black diamonds aren't naturally black, they're treated with heat to get their color.
But how much do black diamonds cost? The price ranges between $1,500-$3,000 per carat for black diamonds weighing between 1.00 to 3.00 carats. On the other hand, colorless diamonds may range between $2,500 to $153,000 per carat for clear diamonds weighing between 1.00 – 3.00 carats.
Natural AA black diamonds are the third highest quality stones in terms of color grading. This grading bracket represents the top 10% of gemstones, making them great choices for fine jewelry pieces.
Black diamonds are cheaper than white diamonds. This is partly because many of the black diamonds are in fact created in a laboratory nowadays. Natural black diamonds, however, are very rare.
They're just heavily included, which is what gives the stones their dramatic, dusky appearance. Although the graphite also prevents light from coming through, that doesn't mean black diamonds are dull. In fact, they shine and sparkle in a similar way to white diamonds, thanks to their facets, or polished surfaces.
Red diamonds are the rarest of the colored diamonds, with only 20-30 existing in the entire world. They get their beautiful red color from a rare process during their formation, which changes the crystal structure of the diamond and causes light to pass through it differently than colorless diamonds.
Although these diamonds are hard and won't scratch, their brittleness does put them at risk of being damaged. Smaller black diamonds are much less likely to fracture than the larger ones.
A black diamond's nature is such that it may contain hundreds if not thousands of microscopic fractures. Although diamond is prized for its superior hardness, these multiple fractures make black diamonds more vulnerable to breakage from sharp blows than colorless diamonds.
The Rarity & Affordability of Black Diamonds
Black diamonds are much more rare than colorless diamonds, which may come as a surprise if you're familiar with these diamonds' price points– black diamonds are much less expensive than colorless diamonds.
Diamonds are incredibly tough and can resist extremely high heat. Another test to determine if a black diamond is genuine is the Heat Test. To do this, use a lighter to heat the black diamond for a few moments, then drop the hot diamond immediately into a glass of water, If it breaks, then it is a fake diamond.
“Black diamonds are traditionally less valuable than white diamonds because they are in many ways imperfect with inclusions and generally uneven coloration.
These too have a lot of inclusions present, however their inclusions form graphite clusters, which gives the stone a black, metallic appearance. The organic way in which natural black diamonds are created means they are extremely rare, and thus quite valuable – much more so than artificially treated black diamonds.
If you decide you want a natural fancy black diamond, make sure your black diamond is accompanied by a GIA grading report that confirms that the color is natural and not treated. To judge the quality of black diamond engagement rings, you can't use the same 4Cs as colorless diamonds.
The world's biggest known black diamond, the Korloff Noir diamond, is believed to give a person good luck and happiness when touched. This myth may come from Italian culture where couples believe that if you touch a black diamond, an ailing relationship can be saved.
Not Quite Rare, But Hard to Find
Natural black diamonds are only found in Brazil and Central Africa, and it is hard to find ones with an extremely high amount of inclusions and clusters of graphite to make them deeply black all on their own.
While there may not be many naturally-occurring materials out there that are stronger than diamonds, certain man-made metals like tungsten and steel have a higher tensile strength. That means a direct hit with an ordinary hammer can absolutely break a diamond.
In order to assess the grades of colour, coloured diamonds are placed into one of nine categories: faint (least valuable), very light, light, fancy light, fancy, fancy dark, fancy intense, fancy deep and fancy vivid (the rarest and most expensive).
The highest color grade for a diamond is “D”. “D” color diamonds are very rare and not commonly found in traditional jewelry. Most diamonds used in jewelry have a slight presence of color. It is possible for diamonds to have a very high concentration of desirable color.
While black diamonds are an unconventional choice for an engagement ring, they're perfect for those who set their own trends. They're thought to symbolize power, passion, and inner strength, making them a suitable choice for couples who value the hard work they put into their relationships.
Black can signify power, courage, or strength, as well as show conviction or belief. In relation to marriage, a black ring can symbolize the power of love. Wearing black rings can be a way for a couple to show that they are dedicated to their marriage and that they believe in the strength of their union above all else.
In general, diamonds symbolise a strong emotional connection - that is why they are perfect for engagement rings. Black diamonds symbolise justice and inner strength while they also represent courage to stand out from the crowd.
Arguably, fancy blue diamonds are the second rarest diamonds on the market. Comprising only 1% of all the mined colored diamonds in the world, blue diamonds are often associated with royalty. The color grading ranges from a very faint blue to a fancy vivid blue.
Black diamonds are found only in Brazil and the Central African Republic.