What do raw diamonds look like?
Raw diamonds are the uncut and unpolished gemstones found beneath the ground. These raw uncut diamonds are stone-like objects that have not been manipulated into specific shapes and designs by the experts. They have neither gone through any form of the polishing process. Such types of diamonds are in their high-quality state although at some point they have to be tempered with to perform specific duties just as being made to jewelry or important tools needed in the industry.
The raw diamond is said to only contain one substance which is carbon. The extreme heat and pressure beneath the ground are said to make the carbon atoms to fuse at a specified structure. After they cool down, they form a crystal-like object known to be the rough diamond. Therefore, the carbon element gives the raw diamond some color and small quantities of other elements may be present.
From the description above, we can say that raw diamonds have a brownish or yellowish tint. Researchers say that the more tints the raw diamond is the less value it has and the fewer tints it has the more value it has. There is also another kind of raw diamond that is said to be colorless or whitish and this is the one considered to be of the highest quality and very rare in the market. The white raw diamond is the one that orders a higher price in the overall diamond market.
How to identify a raw diamond
As much as raw diamonds are hard to find, they are becoming extra popular in making jewelry. It is thus hard to separate the raw diamond from other mineral products such as the quartz and any glasslike colored objects. The only way to separate the diamond from these mineral products is by scratching them with another raw diamond. If for instance, a supposed diamond is scratched by anything else other than diamond then it is said to be fake.
Three distinctive categories of a raw diamond
- Gem quality. This is the type of diamond that is used for jewelry and they come in different cuts, designs, even different sizes.
- Industrial quality. This kind is used in the industries. They have many uses which involve cutting of metallic objects, drilling of other mineral salts such as gas and oil.
From the information above, it is thus clear that about 20% of the raw diamonds are used for jewelry where else the remaining 80% is used to perform industrial duties.
How raw diamonds are cut.
Raw diamond stones especially the gems are cut and then polished to give jewelry such as engagement rings, necklaces and, bracelets. Statistics show that out of 100% raw diamonds collected, only 50% will make it to its final product. Since diamonds cut diamonds, the only way to shape the raw diamond stones is by the use of another diamond. With the use of the current technological processes and lasers, the cutting processes have been taken to a point where it’s amazingly accurate.
Some of the famous rough diamonds
- Sergio diamond
- Cullinan diamond
- Tiffany yellow diamond
- Taylor-Burton diamond
Sergio diamond
This was almost the first raw diamond to be found yet quite disappointing. It was only used in the industries since it was too large and needed to be broken for it to be functional.
Cullinan diamond
It is a gem type of raw diamond with the highest quality ever, it was 3106.75 carats. It is named Cullinan in respect of Thomas Cullinan, the mine’s chairman. It took two years for it to harvest enough interest that could be sold. It is the same diamond that made the Great Star of Africa at 530.4 carats.
Tiffany yellow diamond
The Tiffany Yellow Diamond is the largest available yellow diamond. It weighs 287.4 carats before cutting and 128.54 carats, 82 facets, 24more than the original product. It was first bought by Charles Tiffany in the year 1879 and thus the name Tiffany. The company gemologist George Kunz begun to study rough diamond cutting for about a year before commencing cutting of this particular type.
Taylor-Burton Diamond.
This is one of the most celebrated types of raw diamond although by no means is it the biggest? It originally weighs 241 carats before the prominent diamond dealer Harry Winston cut it to 69.42 carats pear shape in 1966. Later in 1969, actor Richard Burton bought the diamond for his wife and it cost him $1.1M.
The worth of raw diamond
Although the raw diamond may not sparkle compared to the polished one, it doesn’t mean that they are worthless. Instead, the quality of the raw diamond goes a long way to determining the quality of the end product. The price of the raw diamond, in this case, is determined by looking for features like the carat, color, and clarity. The carat of a diamond refers to the weight of the uncut diamond and therefore, the higher the weight the higher the worth.
Conclusions
From the information above, we can say that a raw diamond is a crystal-like object which is either clear or with a brownish tint. The colorless raw diamond is said to be of high quality when compared to the brownish ones. In some instances, the clear raw diamond is more expensive compared to the end product from the brown raw diamond. The color of the raw diamond in this case determines its worth.