Old Mine Brilliant Cushion 4.01 carats

In an effort to keep diamond prices stable while facing a significant decline in demand, the entire diamond industry has shifted from full speed ahead to reverse in terms of production.

The first half of 2008 saw polished diamond prices go up 15% compared the previous year. Diamond mines were implementing expansion plans and there was full employment for cutters, wholesalers, and retailers worldwide.

Starting in July, diamonds started to see the same pressures that commodities like oil were experiencing. Consumer fear, triggered by reduced real estate equity and tightened credit, resulted in reduced luxury purchases and lower demand for diamonds. The inertia of the diamond industry pipeline caused an out of balance between supply and demand with the result being a 11% drop in polished diamond prices during the second half of 2008.

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Improved Process for Synthetic Diamond Production

Synthetic diamonds catch the public’s attention because they immediately think of the man-made diamonds replacing diamonds in the jewelry industry. However, the motivation behind researchers usually has more to do with industrial applications. Diamond’s hardness, high thermal conductivity, high electrical resistivity, optical transparency, resistance to chemicals, and other unique properties make it a valuable material for a variety of uses including surgical scalpel blades, equipment “windows” exposed to harsh environments, heat-spreaders for electronic devices, temperature and pressure sensors, and drill bits used in mining and oil exploration.Scientists at the Carnegie Institution‘s Geophysical Laboratory recently announced an enhanced process for growing diamond crystals using the chemical vapor disposition (CVD). Most synthetic diamond methods require high temperature and extremely high pressure to mimic nature’s own diamond growing process. However, the CVD process uses high temperature but low pressure to produce single-crystal diamonds rapidly and with more controlled results.

The Carnegie researchers add a new twist to the synthetic diamond process by heating the diamonds at temperatures up to 2000 degrees Celsius but low (less than atmospheric) pressure to alter the color of the diamond. The raw synthetic diamond crystals are usually yellow-brown in color but this special annealing process transforms the color to a colorless or light pink hue. With the ability to use low pressure, researchers have been able to identify the specific crystal defects that cause color changes in diamonds.

This annealing process uses microwave plasma to produce the high heat at low pressure, yet keeping the diamond from changing to graphite. Producing colorless diamonds has been a challenge for synthetic diamond manufacturers and getting a faint pink color could end up being a bonus. This ability to produce colorless diamond crystals has value not only in the jewelry industry but also in many of the industrial applications where colorless transparency has increased value.

Special Offers: Diamonds and Diamond Rings

2.01 carat Round Brilliant Cut diamond graded G color and SI1 clarity in 6-prong platinum mounting. 0.94 carat Asscher Cut diamond ring with H color and VS1 clarity set in a Tacori designer mounting with 0.32 tcw channel-set princess and pave-set round diamonds.2.01 carat Round Brilliant Cut diamond graded I color and VS1 clarity with 0.96 total carat weight match Pear Shaped Diamonds in three-stone pla

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1.53 carat Round Brilliant Cut loose diamond graded E color and SI2 clarity.

1.23 carat Princess Cut diamond graded H color and SI1 clarity in a 4-prong Tiffany style 14-karat white gold mounting.

4.02 carat Old Mine Cut loose diamond graded J color and SI1 clarity.

"Once in a Blue Moon" Diamond Collection

For colored diamond lovers, the annual Rio Tinto Argyle Pink Diamond Tender is the highlight of the year. A select number of special pink diamonds are offered for sale and attract top prices from “by invitation only” buyers worldwide.While it is hard to beat the beauty and rarity of the pink diamond sale, this year might be the exception. Reo Tinto’s Argyle Diamond Mine has announced the upcoming sale of a unique “Once in a Blue Moon”collection of blue diamonds. The collection will be shown to select, invited buyers during viewings in Perth, Hong Kong and Tokyo leading up to final bids closing on April 8.

Josephine Archer, Sales and Marketing Manager for Argyle Pink Diamonds, noted, “We are excited to showcase our first ever collection of precious blue and violet Argyle diamonds, sourced from several years of production at the mine. It is an enchanting collection that will appeal to connoisseurs and collectors alike.”

The “Once in a Blue Moon” collection will include a variety of colors, single cuts, matched pairs, and smaller diamonds. This event will no doubt raise the awareness of blue diamonds worldwide even though only a limited number of people will see the actual collection.