Some brick and mortar companies provide diamond cleaning services at no additional charge for your diamond if you purchased it from them. Typically, these services are included in an agreement and protection plan that you can purchase along with your diamond to ensure luster and longevity for your diamond. However, not everyone has the opportunity to go to a professional jeweler for their diamond cleaning. The good news is that there are several tips that you can follow for your own diamond cleaning practices in the comfort of your own home with products that you may already have on hand.The first tip for diamond cleaning is to understand that not all jewelry cleaning solutions are created equal. What that means is that if you choose to use a cleaning solution especially designed for jewelry, you must make sure that the one that you use is appropriate for diamonds. Never assume a cleaner will work for all of your jewelry, diamond or not. If it is not right, you may tarnish the look of your diamond and cause problems in the future, which is not what you want when your entire goal is to make your diamond sparkle and shine. Continue reading »
Any fan of the Beatles will recognize the chorus to one of their most well-known and much debated songs “Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds”, but while many of us have entered into the discussions of the true meaning of the lyrics, there are those among us who have never once imagined a night sky actually full of these precious stones.In 2004 scientists discovered that the famous pop band was not far off the mark, and announced the discovery of the biggest diamond known to exist, but as the lyrics of the song predicted it exists in the night sky. Continue reading »
Most of the natural diamonds that you admire in a jewelry store today were created millions, and perhaps billions, of years ago. Deep below the Earth’s surface (about 100 miles or more) the basic element of carbon was placed under intense levels of pressure and heat, and diamonds were born. The diamonds would have existed permanently in the molten rock of the Earth’s mantle, but small fissures and fractures formed in the mantle and crust and the magma, or molten rock, shot up to the Earth’s surface through these cracks. Acting just like an elevator the magma deposited diamonds, minerals and other stones along its path, and left behind what is called a kimberlite pipe.The pressures and forces of the magma reaching the surface caused an incredibly violent and powerful eruption, which left a vast crater in the surface full of sediments, volcanic rock, minerals, stones and diamonds. Kimberlite pipes were created by volcanic activity on most of the Earth’s continents and are identified by geologists and miners by the kimberlite rock that always accompanies diamonds. Continue reading »
Imagine a ten billion, trillion, trillion carat diamond. That’s not a typo - it’s the actual size of the largest diamond known to humankind today. This diamond would certainly be worth a sum so great, no person or nation could afford to buy it. Fortunately for those who can’t stand to be outclassed, this gigantic diamond is entirely off limits to everyone.The mega-diamond is located in the center of a white dwarf star referred to as BPM 37093, located in the Centaurus constellation. It is situated at a distance approximately 17 light years from Earth. In case you would like to do the math, a light year is about 6 trillion miles. BPM 37093 is the white dwarf’s official name, but scientists also refer to it as “Lucy,” named after the Beatle’s song, Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds. Continue reading »
While modern culture assigns value to diamonds for their tremendous beauty and their indicator of an individual’s wealth or fortune, many ancient people gave the stones value for their strength and symbolism.The Greeks gave the stone its more modern name by calling it “adamas” which translates to “unconquerable”. The hardness of the stone is no mystery, and the tools of the ancient time of the Greeks would have found the stone impossible to cut or conquer. Other societies have given the carbon crystal value for its “magical” or healing properties and as protection. Continue reading »
The Crater of Diamonds State Park is a state park found in the U.S. state of Arkansas. It is located near Murfreesboro in Pike County. Currently, it is the only diamond bearing site in the world that is non-commercial and open to the public. What can you expect from the Crater of Diamonds State Park?The state park contains over 911 acres and rests over an eroded lamproite volcanic pipe. The crater measures 37 1/2 acre. It must be occasionally plowed so that buried diamonds and other gemstones rise closer to the surface. Though the crater itself is a large area, the entire park has more amenities to look through, including a visitor center, diamond discovery center, camping and hiking grounds and an aquatic playground. Where is Murfreesboro, you ask? It is found just south of Hot Springs, Arkansas and is accessible all year long. Continue reading »
Beatles fans are certainly quite familiar with the notion that diamonds are in the sky. Now, though, astronomers have been able to point to evidence that diamonds really do exist in the sky and not just in the imagination of the Beatles.The largest known diamond to exist in the universe was discovered to be situated in the sky above Australia. The diamond was discovered inside a white dwarf star within the Centaurus constellation. The constellation is located directly next to the Southern Cross. The diamond is estimated to weigh some 2.27 thousand trillion trillion tonnes. To put that number into diamond terms: that is the equivalent of 10 billion trillion trillion worth of carats. In comparison to the largest diamond ever found on Earth, it is substantially larger. In fact, the largest diamond to be discovered on Earth to date is now part of the British Crown and weighs in at a “mere” 530 carats: the Star of Africa. This is just a minuscule fraction of the large diamond discovered within the white dwarf star above Australia. Continue reading »
Urban legends have been spread about all kinds, whether person, place or thing, including many about diamonds. There is a lot of diamond related hearsay, some of which is true, while others are gross exaggerations or falsehoods. Consider a few of the more popular and persistent diamond urban legends. Continue reading »
The most obvious difference between genuine diamonds and fake diamonds (also called synthetic diamonds, simulated diamonds or diamond enhancements) is that real diamonds form naturally inside the earth. Fake diamonds are created in a laboratory or factory and are manufactured rather than mined. Simulated diamonds are designed to look like real diamonds and many companies that manufacture these products are quick to announce that their product cannot be distinguished from the genuine article. Continue reading »
In a pine forested area of southwest Arkansas there is a treasure trove. It is not some long buried loot from the days of the American “Wild West” or an archaeological find from ancient history, it is a 35-acre field loaded with diamonds.At the Crater of Diamonds State Park in Murfreesboro, Arkansas the public is welcomed into the world’s only diamond site that allows free exploration of an active diamond field, and where “finder’s keepers” is the only rule. Since 1972, when the state of Arkansas purchased the properties that make up the park, over 26,000 diamonds have been found. The site is the eighth largest diamond deposit in the world, and the only one opened to the public. Continue reading »
