Natural Diamonds, True Gifts from Nature
Diamonds, the most precious gemstone that captivates hearts around the world are nature's ultimate masterpiece. They are naturally forged deep within the earth over billions of years, resulting into something that is truly exceptional. Let me introduce you into the remarkable journey of natural diamonds, shedding light on why Halo Diamonds believe that natural diamonds are true gifts from nature.
The Formation of Natural Mined Diamonds: A Journey Through Time
Natural diamonds are born deep within the Earth's mantle, under extreme pressure (45-60 kilobars) and intense temperature conditions (averaging 900-1,300 degree Celsius). The pressure required for the formation process of a diamond is around 50,000 times of the atmospheric pressure on the earth's surface (Cape Town Diamond Museum, 2023). Carbon atoms arrange themselves in a crystal lattice structure, forming the precious gem we know today as DIAMONDS. It is this incredible natural process that imbues natural diamonds with their unique brilliance and sparkle. This process occurs deep below the Earth's surface (150-200 km down, others as deep as 800 km down). To give you some context, at minimum this depth is equivalent to the height of 17 Mount Everest stacked on top of one another, or 395 times of the height of the New York Empire State Building.
Nearly all of the diamonds found in mines were formed in the upper mantle and were brought close to the Earth's surface through seismic activities for example a volcanic or magmatic eruption (Geoscience Autralia, 2023; Smith, 2022). These volcanic eruptions create kimberlite and lamproite pipes where gemstones are found. "Most of these pipes do not contain diamonds, or contain such a small amount of diamonds that they are not of commercial interest," (King, 2023). The rarity of finding a diamond suitable for jewellery makes it even more special, sought after, and adds sentimental value.
Furthermore, the harsh conditions that is part of the diamond formation process is largely why it has a hardness of 10 according to Moh's scale of hardness (Geoscience Australia, 2023). All of these combined is why many say, 'diamonds are forever'. It is perfect as an heirloom piece, true gifts from nature to be passed down to future generations. The ultimate symbol for eternal love.
When you purchase a diamond from Halo Diamonds, we go through the various characteristics of the diamond itself (e.g. the 4C's - carat, colour, cut and clarity). When talking about clarity, we refer to the presence of (or lack of) impurities within the diamond. Impurities, or absence of them, paint a picture of a diamond's history. They reveal the conditions and elements that surrounded the diamond during its formation process, painting a vivid picture of its journey to the surface (King, 2023). These inclusions, including various minerals trapped within a diamond determine the diamond's make up and its formation process; distinguishing a natural diamond from its manmade synthetic counterparts. Inclusions such a knots, twinning wisps, and other minerals are all evidence of a stone that have been formed naturally (Mrozek, 2023; ABC News 2020). "Knowing and understanding different inclusion morphologies and suites enable gemmologists to glean a first impression, not only of the diamonds' clarity, but of its growth origin" (Mrozek, 2021).
Halo Diamonds: A Commitment to Authenticity and Rarity
In a world where authenticity is cherished, Halo Diamonds promise in delivering transparency and upholding integrity. As a small family business, we have made it our mission to continue in offering only natural diamonds to our clients. This is a commitment that we will always uphold.
Natural Diamonds are treasures that nature bestows upon us, and their scarcity makes them even more precious, meaningful, and thus making it sentimental and everlasting. With increasing demand, yet a limited supply, natural diamonds have become even more coveted by the day. According to a report published on Allied Market Research, natural diamonds dominated the market in 2022 "and is anticipated to maintain its dominance throughout the Diamond Market Forecast period" (Sughanda & Roshan, 2023). It takes a staggering 1 to over 3.3 billion years for new diamonds to form, further underscoring their truly exceptional nature.
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