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.
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. Wondering why black diamonds are more affordable than colorless diamonds? It's simply an issue of demand.
Although most black diamonds on the market today are either superheated or irradiated to an almost black color, natural black diamonds do exist, though they are extremely rare. Carbonados, sometimes called "black diamonds," are a distinct and unusual polycrystalline diamond material.
In comparison to the rarer fancy colored diamonds, natural black diamonds are relatively affordable, and comparable in price to colorless diamonds. A fancy black diamond will cost anywhere in the region of $3000 to $5000 per carat.
They can be mined in much larger quanities and are oftentimes considered low-grade. This makes them significantly cheaper than the traditional sapphire.
Red Diamonds
Still, their rarity and their intense, crimson color make them the most expensive per carat of all the colored diamonds, and on average will cost over $1 million per carat. The largest red diamond ever sold, weighing 5.11 carats, was bought for $8 million, at $1.6 million per carat.
The Sparkle Test
Black diamonds reflect well under white light, so you can tell if they are real or not. A black diamond should be held under a light source, similar to a Dot Test. Diamonds are real if they reflect coloured beams when light bounces off them.
Black diamonds, however are more affordable than other white or coloured diamonds, in large due to the fact that they are less in demand. They are also completely opaque and cannot be graded according to their colour intensity as they are only found naturally in one colour – fancy black.
Black diamonds can be a good investment if the gem is reasonably large or has a characteristic that can create a great demand on the market, such as a special cut or a truly unique hue within the black spectrum. Natural, unprocessed black diamonds fall into a lower price category than other coloured diamonds.
Black diamonds are said to have a deep spiritual meaning and are often used as protection from evil. It is believed the beautiful dark gemstone provides a link between the spiritual and physical world. In general, diamonds symbolise a strong emotional connection - that is why they are perfect for engagement rings.
Because of their opaque nature, black diamonds do not display the sparkle or brilliance that we normally associate with a diamond. Instead, black diamonds exhibit what is referred to as an adamantine luster. It gives them a shiny and smooth appearance, very similar to the way that you'd expect an emerald to look.
Fancy black diamonds and Carbonados are both extremely rare. Only one in 10,000 natural diamonds are colored diamonds and only a portion of these colored diamonds are black. Because of their scarcity, natural black diamonds and Carbonados are the some of the most valuable and most costly.
There's little in the modern world to suggest any bad luck associated to black diamonds. Looking back though, some countries and traditions considered black diamonds to be good luck. For example, in Italy it was believed that the black stone absorbed worries and troubles and brought good fortune.
“Black diamonds are traditionally less valuable than white diamonds because they are in many ways imperfect with inclusions and generally uneven coloration.
The term carbonado was coined by the Portuguese in Brazil in the mid-18th century; it's derived from its visual similarity to porous charcoal. Black diamonds are found only in Brazil and the Central African Republic.
Cons: Despite their hardness, black diamonds can be very brittle and prone to fracturing. Both natural and heat-treated black diamonds are typically heavily included. Inclusions are essentially tiny fractures within a diamond that weaken its structure.
According to a well known diamond trade organization the ideal diamond for investment is a Round Brilliant from 1.01 to 1.49 carat, D-H in color and from IF (internally flawless) to VS2 (very slightly included) clarity.
Do Black Diamonds Crack? Because of the number of inclusions and breaks that can reach the surface, black diamonds are very tough to cut and polish. Although they measure 10 on the Mohs Hardness Scale, the fractures inside the diamond make them susceptible to chips and breaks while being cut.
Unlike traditional white diamonds, the “cut” of a natural black stone isn't about light return and sparkle. That is because black gems do not sparkle the same way (due to not being see-through). Instead, natural blacks give off a more metallic-like shine.
Unlike white diamonds, black diamonds don't shine by reflecting light. Instead, they absorb light, giving them a unique marble-like allure. Black diamonds are as hard as white diamonds, the graphite inclusions tend to make them more brittle.
The most valuable diamond in the world is Koh-i-Noor, also spelled Koh-i-Nur and Kohinoor. The diamond is also called the Mountain of Light diamond, and it's known as one of the largest cut diamonds, weighing a whopping 105.6 carats. Koh-i-Noor is a colorless diamond and features an oval brilliant cut.
By contrast, although white (not clear, but diamonds with a milky-white tone) and black diamonds are quite rare, they have not managed to capture the favour and attention of the public and are considered to be the least valuable of all coloured diamonds.
Brown diamonds are generally the least expensive of natural fancy colors. As with colored stones in general, color is paramount for fancy colored diamond pricing. Other quality factors like clarity and cut do not affect prices as much as with colorless diamonds.
If your zodiac sign is Aries, Pisces or Scorpio, you should not wear the diamond because according to astrology, diamonds can bring disharmony to your life. Diamond is the gemstone for those who are born under Virgo and Libra as it bestows good luck and prosperity.