In the jewellery world, absolutely nothing can be more sparkling than a diamond. This exceptionally brilliant gemstone is simply captivating and just one look at it can make you go weak in the knees. Unparalleled beauty and radiance make this precious rock the most sought-after gemstone available in today’s market. An interesting fact about diamonds is that even if most of them look alike, they are not the same. Depending upon their physical and chemical properties, gemologists can divide them into different categories.
Generally, consumers classify diamonds based on their appearances, whereas experts take into consideration the scientific aspects of the gemstone. In this article, we will discuss about these different types of diamonds, their features and also their different colours.
General Categorization of Diamonds:
- Natural Diamonds: As soon as you hear the word ‘diamond’, an image of a colourless, sparkling rock pops in your head, right? That is exactly what natural diamonds are. Diamond is the hardest substance on earth and made up of a single element – carbon. These naturally occurring gemstones are mostly colourless.
- Treated Diamonds: Diamonds that cannot be sold in their natural form and have to undergo an artificial process to improve their appearance are called ‘treated diamonds’. Treatments like colour enhancement and inclusion filling help to manipulate the attributes of these gems and make them worth selling. These treated diamonds are usually sold at a much cheaper price than the natural ones.
- Man-Made Diamonds: This variety is also known as ‘lab-grown diamonds’. They are made in a controlled environment in labouratories under constant supervision. They are as real as natural diamonds, but come for much lower prices as they are a result of technological innovations. Also, they are ethical and eco-friendly.
Scientific Categorization of Diamonds:
Diamonds are made up of pure carbon, but almost all of these gems contain impurities or trace elements like boron or nitrogen in their basic structure. These trace elements are either acquired during the natural formation process or added as a result of labouratory treatments. Based on the presence of these elements and impurities, natural diamonds can be segregated into the following categories:
- Type I: These diamonds contain the trace element of nitrogen in their composition. They are further classified as below:
- Type Ia: Approximately 95% of natural diamonds fall in this category. Their structure shows the presence of nitrogen atoms in clustres. They vary in colour from nearly colourless to a light yellow.
- Type Ib: These diamonds also contain nitrogen, but as isolated atoms rather than clustres. They are extremely rare and often bright yellow in colour.
- Type II: These diamonds do not have or show the presence of very few nitrogen atoms in their structure. They are further classified as below:
- Type IIa: These diamonds do not contain measurable nitrogen or boron impurities. From all the diamonds, those belonging to type IIa are the most chemically pure. They are usually colourless, but can also be found in grey, light yellow, light pink or light brown hues.
- Type IIb: They are known to be the conductors of electricity. They contain the trace element boron, which is responsible for most of them having a blue or greyish-blue colour.
Diamond Colours:
Most common belief when it comes to diamonds is that they are colourless, which is not true. Naturally occurring coloured diamonds are called ‘fancy diamonds’ and they are exceptionally rare. They are found in a variety of hues like yellow, pink, blue, brown, purple, orange, green, red, black and even grey. Most commonly available fancy diamonds are pink and canary yellow, while the others are extremely rare and costly.
There is no doubt that diamonds truly are Mother Nature’s most beautiful gift to mankind. Are you heads over heels in love with these spectacular gems and desire to know more about them? Then do take a look at our detailed educational guide on diamonds.
