What are Black Diamonds?

Black Diamonds have an incredibly rich history. Named carbonados by the Brazilians who first discovered them in 1840, Black Diamonds are found almost exclusively in Brazil and the Central African Republic. Carbonado formed 2.6 to 3.8 billion years ago and is exceedingly rare. Carbonado - is a natural polycrystalline diamond and only about three metric tons have been mined, usually from stream beds.

Black Diamonds are dynamic and packed with drama, records of earth's shifting and folding land masses sculpted and transported them by water and ice. They attest to a time when Africa and South America were a single land mass that was probably struck by a class of "pre-solar" meteorites that fell to earth from outer space through the oxygen-poor atmosphere of the pre-Cambrian period. They are found in alluvial deposits in Brazil and Central African Republic, and the largest carbonado ever found measures 3,167 carats, 60 times larger than the largest clear diamond. Found in Brazil where it was named Sergio, the crystal weighs 1.4 pounds. A carat is a unit of weight, with about 140 equaling an ounce.

Black Diamonds are as hard as white diamonds and, like those diamonds, were formed when ordinary carbon was subjected to immense heat and pressure. Carbonados are believed to be significantly younger than white diamonds -- about 3.2 versus 3.5 billion years so their estimated period of origin is out of sync with volcanic evidence. The carbonados of Africa and South America come from the same meteorite or meteorites. The prevailing theory is that carbonados were born as the result of heat from natural radiation produced by the impact of rocky asteroids or exploding stars, resulting in diamond aggregates from black diamond boulders that plummeted to earth, fragmenting in the process. Black Diamonds could have rained down unimpeded and fell to earth before an ancient block of the earth's crust fractured into South American and Africa. When you look at a world map you will see that the two continents fit together like a puzzle. Diamonds have been a mysterious symbol of power and strength through the ages, but their rare beauty has also made them a symbol of love, romance and fashion. Ancient Greeks were the first to make diamonds a symbol of love and they were thought to be splinters of the stars that fell to earth or the tears from the Gods.

While it is generally true that colorless diamonds are more expensive than black diamonds, it is not true that they are better, they are just different. High quality black diamond crystals are very bright, sparkling, attractive and desirable. In this way, a Black Ice Diamonds, Black Diamond Necklace can be a subtle addition to any elegant attire. (http://www.goldandgems.com/Jewelry_Designers/Black_Ice_Diamonds/index.html)

Steven Hadley is a Jewelry Writer for Gold and Gems Fine Jewelry in Ashland, Oregon. Black diamond necklaces have seen an increase in popularity at the Southern Oregon jewelry store. http://www.goldandgems.com