Diamonds are the best known, most important and best-selling gemstones on the world market and enjoy continued popularity not only in industry but, of course, especially in the world of jewelry.
They are traded in all possible sizes and qualities, with the so-called 4Cs of a diamond determining its value.
The hardest mineral in the world
They consist of crystallized carbon and are the hardest mineral that nature has to offer: a solid 10 on the Mohs hardness scale! This makes them difficult to cut, but particularly easy to polish, which gives them that unmistakable shine! The high light refraction and dispersion (the splitting of white light into all its colors) give very well cut pieces of jewelry a perfect brilliance - the proverbial "fire".
The largest diamond exchange is in Antwerp.
They were formed in various geological eras, up to 3 billion years ago, deep in the earth's interior, at a depth of around 150 to 200 kilometers, at enormous temperatures and under extremely high pressure. India, Brazil and South Africa used to be the main mining countries. In recent decades, however, new players such as Russia, Canada, Angola, Botswana, Australia and China have taken over. However, this is still a tough business: up to 250 tons of rock must be mined for 1 carat of jewelry diamonds!
Speaking of tough business: everyone has heard of so-called "blood diamonds". These are diamonds that are sadly linked to human rights violations and the financing of military conflicts throughout Africa. In order to counteract these abuses, the United Nations, among others, introduced the so-called "Kimberly Process" control system , which is intended to document and thus ensure the conflict-free "history" of the gemstone from the mine to the buyer.
Around a third of the diamonds mined worldwide go to "DE BEERS" in London. This syndicate controls the international market, pre-classifies the goods and then systematically sells them to selected cutters and dealers. Extreme price fluctuations are prevented by a strictly controlled sales system.
The most important buyers are exchanges: distribution and purchasing centers for cut and uncut diamonds.
What do the 4Cs mean in diamonds?
How do you recognize a fake diamond?
