The Two Different Types Of Diamonds Available For Jewellery

This article takes a look at diamonds and offers the reader information about the different types of diamond that exist.

Diamonds are the product of very powerful forces that, over millions of years, create stunning crystals and due to their rarity, these gemstones are highly valued. Most people would be surprised to learn that there are actually 2 different types of diamond, which are as follows.

Type I Diamonds

This is a common category of diamonds, which contain nitrogen as the main impurity. A Type I diamond would absorb both infrared and ultraviolet light spectrums. If you are looking for the best round brilliant cut diamond ring price to help you come up with a special engagement ring, talk to a leading gemstone dealer who has access to loose, uncut Type I diamonds at trade prices.

Below are subcategories:

• Type Ia Diamonds – Around 95% of diamonds are Type Ia, with up to 0.3% nitrogen impurity.

• Type Ib Diamonds – These are very rare, only 0.1% of diamonds found are Type Ib diamonds, with 0.05% nitrogen impurity. This type absorbs both green and blue light. Often the stones are yellow-brown in colour. There are some very valuable fancy yellow diamonds, although they are extremely rare and are worth a fortune.

Type II Diamonds

This class has no visible signs of nitrogen impurities. The stones are caused by applying tremendous pressure over millions of years.

• Type IIa Diamonds – Around 1-2% of natural diamonds are Type IIa stones that have almost zero impurities.

• Type IIb Diamonds – Less than 0.1% of natural diamonds are type IIb, making them extremely valuable. While there are almost no nitrogen impurities, the element boron is usually present.

Bespoke Jewellery

Most couples prefer to commission the engagement and wedding ring, which is no more costly than choosing a ring from the jewellery store. Once you decide on a budget, approach a custom jeweller who would be happy to have an informal video call with you to discuss your requirements. He can show you many fine images of previous projects to give you some design inspiration and over a period of time, the perfect diamond engagement ring design is complete.

Diamond Appraisal

The diamond industry uses the 4C method to assess the qualities of a diamond, which are:

• Carat
• Clarity
• Cut
• Colour

A natural diamond should have a certificate, which would be issued by the Gem Institute of America, or another official body that has the authority to grade gemstones. When you have a diamond ring made by a custom jeweller, the expert would cut and polish the raw diamonds and send them to be graded. There are various qualities of diamond cuts that you need to consider, which is something to discuss with the jeweller.

Matching Wedding Rings

If you and your partner have just announced your engagement, you will no doubt be planning for the wedding already, and matching rings are a great idea. If you have a design concept in mind, this helps the jeweller. If you both have open minds, the jeweller can show you many fine examples of matching wedding rings. Once you find the right design, the jeweller can make a 3D image to show you how the finished product will look.