NeerDoWellBlog: Black Diamonds

Natural black diamonds are essentially colored by dark inclusions or impurities, which are great in number and evenly distributed throughout the stones. Many black diamonds in the marketplace are treated for even coloration and durability.

Large natural black diamonds are very rare, but irradiated black diamonds are abundant and utilized in many jewelry styles.

To a lot of rap music artists the latest must-have symbol of conspicuous consumption is jewelry made up of black diamonds.

Black diamonds are called Fancy Black with a notation of natural or treated color on laboratory reports.

GIA does not grade black diamonds as they fall outside of its normal clarity range, but the lab will issue a "Colored Diamond Identification and Origin Report (CDIOR) for identification purposes.

Known as the Black Orlov, or “The Eye of Brahma,” the most famous black diamond is haunted by a curse that reportedly began when the original 195-carat diamond was removed from the eye (forehead) of the idol of Brahma at a shrine near Pondicherry, India.

The diamond is tied to the deaths of three former owners who apparently killed themselves. In an attempt to break the curse, the diamond was re-cut into three separate gems and since has been owned by a succession of private owners, all of whom seem to have escaped the curse. J. Dennis Petimezas, current owner of the famed diamond has found no reported tragedies linked to the diamond since 1947.

The Spirit of de Grisogono at 312.24 carats is the world's largest cut black diamond, and the world's 5th largest diamond. In a white gold mounting, it is set with 702 white diamonds totalling 36.69 carats.

The man behind the stone is famous Swiss jeweler de Grisogono. He was the first major jeweler to create eye-catching collections of black diamond jewelry and watches. He is also responsible for cutting the Gruosi Diamond, the largest heart-shaped black diamond in the world.