A huge rarity, so the cost is incredibly high

Diamonds can be the girl's best friend, but how much do you really know about them? In addition to their dazzling brilliance and dizzying charm, diamonds are more than just jewelry.
For example, did you know that the young diamond is about 900 million years old, and the old one - about 3 billion years? Or that there are more Picasso paintings than colored diamonds?

Terrific.

We learned these pearls of wisdom and much more from Melvyn Kirtly (Melvyn Kirtly), the chief gemologist of Tiffany & Co. For more than 30 years, Curtli has been working in a luxury jewelry company and helping to select her world-famous collections of precious stones. When we were asked if we wanted to learn something about diamonds from him, we, of course, said: "Yes."

Are there any special cuts or shapes of diamonds that make the stone look bigger than it actually is?

Well no. But some cuts look different on the finger and create a different impression, depending on the frame. I think that this allows the ring to look bigger. Such cuts as "pear", for example, create a pleasant effect of lengthening the finger due to the pointed shape of the pear. And [when] there are small diamonds surrounding the central stone, the ring looks more massive, more attractive and larger in size. Therefore, there are ways to insert a diamond, which will give the impression of a slightly larger size. But this is not an optical effect, it is more connected with the frame itself.

Which of the five indicators (carat weight, cut, color, purity and certification) - 5C - is the most important?

Cut is an indicator that is really the most important, there are so many nuances, each of which makes the diamond special or simply "good". Cutting is not just about creating proportions in the stone, it's polishing, it's how the faces are exposed, it's the sharpness of the faces, it's all those elements combined that give that shine and sparkle - the light reflected off the top surface and the light going From the inside.

What is the most popular form / cut for wedding bands? Has it changed over the years?

Round diamond cut is the most preferred, and it is most bought. I think people are now open to accepting other forms, for example, cutting "emerald". And since we have several styles of frames in which diamonds are added around the cut stone of the emerald, we make them in such a way that they are more worn. But the classic round diamond cut is such a beautiful cut in the Tiffany frame, which is never obsolete - it always looks so fresh.

What do you think about vintage wedding rings?

I do not oppose the purchase of what used to be used, if it is of good quality. I think that some people like the look of antiques, and there's nothing wrong with that. The new ring, of course, is very nice for the engagement ring, because it's a new life, a new beginning, a new start and it's yours forever. In a sense, this is the most important thing.

What doubts do you have, if they exist, with respect to old-fashioned diamonds?

It may happen that the stone was worn so that during his life he could be scratched, worn, there may be problems with the frame. I think a lot needs to be checked. But again, I absolutely do not mind it. You need to be more careful and attentive.

Why are colored diamonds so terribly expensive?

They are so incredibly rare. Colored diamonds are even rarer than colorless diamonds. And when you come across a color, for example, pink or very saturated shades of pink or green, or blue or even red, which happens very, very rarely - their number, which is almost zero in the world. In the world there are more paintings written by Picasso than colored diamonds. A huge rarity, so the cost is incredibly high.

What is the most popular color?

Pink. Bright pink. Colored diamonds - this is a very interesting world, because there are shades of color - you take the main color and then there are also secondary colors that interact. Therefore, there are bluish-green diamonds or greenish-blue. There is a whole range of colors, and colors can be all the colors of the rainbow.

Are diamonds of unnatural color? In other words, white diamonds, which, by various manipulations, turned into colored diamonds?

Yes, there are, but there are ways to verify them. We do not accept such diamonds. Tiffany checks its diamonds on the side, and then our own lab technicians also check them. But diamonds can be irradiated, which causes effects similar to those used by Mother Nature to create different colors. But you can check it and find out if this shade was created with the help of artificial irradiation.

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