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The complete guide to natural mined diamonds

Everything you need to know about natural diamonds. Should you buy a mined, natural diamond?

09/24/2019
6 minute read

What are the advantages of buying a natural diamond?

A natural diamond has a certain authenticity, romantic quality and a finite supply. These are all things that will help natural diamonds keep their value and fascination over time. Just to think of the journey that a diamond makes to reach the Earth’s surface is inspiring. Natural diamonds are special from the beginning, and there will always be admirers of what nature has produced.

What makes a natural diamond rare?

Natural diamonds go through quite the journey. The diamonds were formed nearly 3.2 billion years ago, hundreds of miles beneath the Earth’s surface. Mother Nature had to combine 50,000 times the atmospheric pressure and heat of 1,300 degrees Celsius for carbon to crystalize into diamonds. Through powerful volcanic eruptions, natural diamonds were transported to the Earth’s surface remaining embedded in the molten lava as it cooled –waiting for somebody to find them nestled within the rocks.

What makes a natural diamond valuable?

Throughout history diamonds have been prized for their strength and inherent beauty. The world's love of diamond can be traced back to India where the trade in diamond started in the 4th century BC. By the 1400's diamonds had become more valuable as European women began wearing them to social events. By the 1800's the demand for diamonds surged across Western Europe and the United States. For centuries people have used diamonds to store and transport wealth not only through countries but generations as well.

Will natural diamonds hold their value?

In today’s world, many factors are at play with this one. In the last decade prices for natural diamonds have remained stable –which is why we offer a 100% trade up on natural diamonds. However, it doesn’t mean that diamond prices (especially smaller sized and lower qualities) won’t experience a decrease as lab diamonds gain popularity. Prices for larger natural diamonds (over 3 carats) and rare natural colored diamonds are likely to remain firm.

Why are natural diamond sometimes portrayed as bad or unethical in the movies and in the press?

Through the years, people have believed that the diamond industry has caused forced labor and damage to our environment. Before the year 2000, there was really no system in place to assure the integrity of the supply chain for the natural diamond industry. As a result, a portion of diamonds fell into the wrong hands and were used to fund conflict by rebel forces in Africa.

Wherever there is conflict, there is suffering. The press and the movie industry recognized a story that needed to be told in order to be corrected.

A couple years later, 37 countries signed to the Kimberley process which aimed at stemming the flow of conflict diamonds. Today, the Kimberley process has participants from 82 countries and has worked to stem 99.8%of the global production of conflict diamonds, and there is still more work to be done.

Exciting things are happening in our industry to trace the origin of diamonds to their original source with blockchain and GIA origin reports.
In our opinion, this traceability will be invaluable not only to hold producers accountable for working conditions and integrity of the supply chain, but to also tell the story of how diamonds can do good for those who live where diamonds are a natural resource.

Should I buy a diamond that has a GIA report?

Just like when you buy a car or a house, you also need documentation when buying diamonds. A certification from the GIA (Gemological Institute of America) is without a doubt the most respected diamond documentation you can get, for many reasons.

This is a non-profit organization that is certain to provide the most impartial and accurate analysis of diamonds that are submitted for grading. The GIA invented the grading scale known as the 4 C’s (carat, cut, clarity, color) for diamond quality. They are also the world’s leading gemological education institution and have educated over 365,000 professionals worldwide.

A GIA certification gives a completely unbiased verification based on scientific evidence of the authenticity and quality of the natural diamond you are buying. A lot of the time, treatments to enhance a natural diamonds appearance are difficult for a jeweler to detect. This is why it’s important to make sure you get that certification when purchasing a diamond to ensure what you are buying is legit to protect your investment.