Diamond, a very Precious Mineral

After a period of formation lasting hundreds of millions of years, volcanic explosions brought a mineral with an irresistible fascination for mankind to the surface.
The word "diamond" comes from the Greek "ademas" which means indomitable. For a long time, in fact, men tried in vain to mould the carbon atoms that make up the diamond, the so-called "invincible" stone, the hardest mineral known to nature. Since the extraction of the first diamonds in India more than 2,800 years ago, many centuries passed before the modern mining industry discovered South Africa's fertile mines in the 19th century and modern cutting and polishing techniques allowed goldsmiths to enhance the beauty of the diamond, transforming it into a jewel to be worn, and much more.

Diamanti Italia

Diamond, a very Precious Mineral

After a period of formation lasting hundreds of millions of years, volcanic explosions brought a mineral with an irresistible fascination for mankind to the surface.
The word "diamond" comes from the Greek "ademas" which means indomitable. For a long time, in fact, men tried in vain to mould the carbon atoms that make up the diamond, the so-called "invincible" stone, the hardest mineral known to nature. Since the extraction of the first diamonds in India more than 2,800 years ago, many centuries passed before the modern mining industry discovered South Africa's fertile mines in the 19th century and modern cutting and polishing techniques allowed goldsmiths to enhance the beauty of the diamond, transforming it into a jewel to be worn, and much more.

Diamanti Italia

Diamanti Italia

Rare and Exhaustible Diamonds

Diamonds come from the most remote depths of the Earth and have taken hundreds of millions of years to form. These are rare stones, especially the highest quality ones that are selected for investment and are destined to run out over time. In fact, mines are not forever. There were important deposits in Namibia, Botswana and Australia that were abandoned some years ago due to a shortage of raw material.
It is only possible to find diamonds in a few parts of the world today. Russia, and in particular Siberia, Canada, Angola and Botswana are the main sites where the most fruitful mines are located today, managed by a few producers, the most important of which are Alrosa and De Beers.
Rarity and exhaustibility give diamonds, and consequently investments, preciousness and high value. Their price grows steadily over time as a result of increased demand, due to the increase in world population and average per capita wealth.

Rare and Exhaustible Diamonds

Diamonds come from the most remote depths of the Earth and have taken hundreds of millions of years to form. These are rare stones, especially the highest quality ones that are selected for investment and are destined to run out over time. In fact, mines are not forever. There were important deposits in Namibia, Botswana and Australia that were abandoned some years ago due to a shortage of raw material.
It is only possible to find diamonds in a few parts of the world today. Russia, and in particular Siberia, Canada, Angola and Botswana are the main sites where the most fruitful mines are located today, managed by a few producers, the most important of which are Alrosa and De Beers.
Rarity and exhaustibility give diamonds, and consequently investments, preciousness and high value. Their price grows steadily over time as a result of increased demand, due to the increase in world population and average per capita wealth.

Diamanti Italia

The 4Cs System

Today a detailed and internationally recognised evaluation system establishes the value of a diamond through the "4Cs" method: cut, clarity, colour and carat. Investment diamonds are very rare because they have quality characteristics that are very difficult to find in nature.
For this reason, the certified diamonds invested represent only 2% of the world market.

THE CUT

The cut is the operation that transforms the rough stone into a multi-faceted gemstone, capable of reflecting the light in the best way possible, therefore shining more brightly. The perfect cut is identified with EX, which means Excellent, followed by VG – very good, G – good and then ending with two negative levels which are F (Fair) and P (Poor) which have non-compliant standards.

1C Diamanti Italia

CLARITY

Clarity, or purity, indicates the presence or absence of inclusions in the stone – small fractures or imperfections inside the diamond that may affect its fineness. Maximum clarity is given by the complete absence of internal elements and is identified with the symbol IF, Internally Flawless. VVs1 or VVs2 are such slight inclusions that even an expert has difficulty locating them under optimal observation conditions. A diamond of SI (Small Inclusions) clarity is devoid of inclusions that would compromise its beauty.

3C Diamanti Italia

COLOR

The colour denotes the shade of the diamond. Although there are in nature diamonds of various colours, some very common and others extremely rare such as blue diamonds, most of them actually have an appearance that varies from colourless to very light yellow. The maximum value is given to a diamond that is colourless. The best colour of all is D.

4C Diamanti Italia

CARAT – THE WEIGHT

The carat is the unit of measurement of the weight of diamonds, not to be confused with the size, which is instead measured with a precision calibre. In terms of weight in grammes, one carat corresponds to a weight of 0.2 grams. For example, a diamond of about 5 carats weighs only 1 gramme.

2C Diamanti Italia

The 4Cs System

Today a detailed and internationally recognised evaluation system establishes the value of a diamond through the "4Cs" method: cut, clarity, colour and carat. Investment diamonds are very rare because they have quality characteristics that are very difficult to find in nature. For this reason, the certified diamonds invested represent only 2% of the world market.

THE CUT

The cut is the operation that transforms the rough stone into a multi-faceted gemstone, capable of reflecting the light in the best way possible, therefore shining more brightly. The perfect cut is identified with EX, which means Excellent, followed by VG – very good, G – good and then ending with two negative levels which are F (Fair) and P (Poor) which have non-compliant standards.

1C Diamanti Italia

CLARITY

Clarity, or purity, indicates the presence or absence of inclusions in the stone – small fractures or imperfections inside the diamond that may affect its fineness. Maximum clarity is given by the complete absence of internal elements and is identified with the symbol IF, Internally Flawless. VVs1 or VVs2 are such slight inclusions that even an expert has difficulty locating them under optimal observation conditions. A diamond of SI (Small Inclusions) clarity is devoid of inclusions that would compromise its beauty.

3C Diamanti Italia

COLOUR

The colour denotes the shade of the diamond. Although there are in nature diamonds of various colours, some very common and others extremely rare such as blue diamonds, most of them actually have an appearance that varies from colourless to very light yellow. The maximum value is given to a diamond that is colourless. The best colour of all is D.

4C Diamanti Italia

CARAT – THE WEIGHT

The carat is the unit of measurement of the weight of diamonds, not to be confused with the size, which is instead measured with a precision calibre. In terms of weight in grammes, one carat corresponds to a weight of 0.2 grams. For example, a diamond of about 5 carats weighs only 1 gramme.

2C Diamanti Italia

Diamanti Italia

Ethical Diamonds

In 2000, the Kimberley Process was born – a UN-controlled agreement that ensures that profits from the diamond trade are not used to finance civil war. In particular, this agreement monitors the diamond market and guarantees its ethicalness on the basis of three requirements:

diamonds must not be used to fund rebel groups or other organisations that aim to overthrow a government recognised by the United Nations;
each diamond to be exported must be accompanied by a certificate proving compliance with the Kimberley Process scheme;
no diamond may be imported from, or exported to, a country that is not a member of the Kimberley Process.

This agreement between producers, countries and mining companies certifies all diamonds traded on the legal market, controlling the supply chain at every step and guaranteeing the end customers the ethicalness of their precious stone.

Ethical Diamonds

In 2000, the Kimberley Process was born – a UN-controlled agreement that ensures that profits from the diamond trade are not used to finance civil war. In particular, this agreement monitors the diamond market and guarantees its ethicalness on the basis of three requirements:

diamonds must not be used to fund rebel groups or other organisations that aim to overthrow a government recognised by the United Nations;
each diamond to be exported must be accompanied by a certificate proving compliance with the Kimberley Process scheme;
no diamond may be imported from, or exported to, a country that is not a member of the Kimberley Process.

This agreement between producers, countries and mining companies certifies all diamonds traded on the legal market, controlling the supply chain at every step and guaranteeing the end customers the ethicalness of their precious stone.

Diamanti Italia

Certified Diamonds

Only diamonds of the highest quality, with colour gradation between D and H, and clarity from IF to SI2, are classified as "investment diamonds", based on the scales of the “4Cs" method. The characteristics of a diamond must be stated in its certificate, issued by an international gemmological institute and as such recognised globally. Thanks to solid partnerships with the main players of the World Diamond Exchanges (Antwerp, Tel Aviv, Mumbai) and with the major international gemmological institutes, Diamanti Italia offers certified diamonds, imported directly from the main diamond centres in the world without the aid of intermediaries. All investment diamonds marketed by Diamanti Italia are certified by GIA, the Gemological Institute of America, HRD (Hoge Raad voor Diamant) or IGI, the International Gemological Institute.

The Price of Diamonds

First published in Antwerp in 1978, the Rapaport is now the only official tool that provides information on the prices of cut diamonds, which are valid throughout the world and which can be used in the gemstone trade. It is issued every Friday in New York and the prices, expressed in dollars per carat, are defined for each combination of the "4Cs". Reserved exclusively for professionals, this price list, available by subscription, allows the diamond market to move transparently and for professionals in the sector to analyse variations in the price of the raw material treated, adapting to it. For the logic of trade and the free market, a diamond sold at retail level has a retail price, which inevitably takes into account the retailer's fees, operating costs and margins, as with any distributed goods or other alternative investment goods, such as real estate or works of art.

An Investment to be Enjoyed Every Day

Diamond is the hardest mineral in nature, is not subject to wear and is used in many industrial and technological applications because of its unique properties. It is considered the most precious stone used in the jewellery industry, and together with gold has been made into jewellery and treasures of kingdoms and empires. In order to be able to appreciate and experience your investment diamond in everyday life, Diamanti Italia offers the possibility of having the stone set in a jewel of your choice to be worn on any occasion. In case of disinvestment we will take care of the recertification of the diamond at the same gemmological institute that issued the certificate. The investor will be able to enjoy his or her safe-haven asset transformed into a precious jewel to wear every day.

Diamanti Italia

An Investment to be Enjoyed Every Day

Diamond is the hardest mineral in nature, is not subject to wear and is used in many industrial and technological applications because of its unique properties. It is considered the most precious stone used in the jewellery industry, and together with gold has been made into jewellery and treasures of kingdoms and empires. In order to be able to appreciate and experience your investment diamond in everyday life, Diamanti Italia offers the possibility of having the stone set in a jewel of your choice to be worn on any occasion. In case of disinvestment we will take care of the recertification of the diamond at the same gemmological institute that issued the certificate. The investor will be able to enjoy his or her safe-haven asset transformed into a precious jewel to wear every day.

Diamanti Italia

TOP