What Causes the Coloration in Blue Diamonds?
Although seemingly shocking to find such a beautiful colored diamond that is not manmade, blue diamonds are, indeed, created in nature. Just as any other diamond is formed, blue diamonds are no different in the fact that they are elements of carbon fused together during times of intense heat and pressure over millions of years. The element, boron, is the main cause of a diamond’s blue color, but nitrogen also plays a role in determining the intensity of the blue. If nitrogen is low during the formation process of the diamond, then the diamond’s tone will be much richer when mixed with the high levels of boron. Naturally, blue diamonds are found with their color, but in order to prep the diamonds for jewelry, the cutting and polishing involved may affect the color. Only a few locations in the world produce blue diamonds. The Cullinan mine in South Africa and the Argyle mine in Australia are currently the only mines where blue diamonds can be found, but in the past, blue diamonds were also known to have developed in the Golconda mine in India.
Popular Jewelry Pieces Made from Blue Diamonds
Blue diamond engagement rings, blue diamond earrings, blue diamond wedding rings, and blue diamond necklaces are among some of the most popular choices for blue diamond jewelry. However, a blue diamond’s rarity has, in turn, made the value quite high, making these jewelry options rather pricey. While they are more valuable than most other diamonds, the value of a blue diamond is determined by the same factors such as color, intensity, size, and cut.
Natural vs Lab Made Diamonds
While blue diamonds can be naturally found in nature, they can also be produced in a lab synthetically. Of course, the synthetic diamonds are less valuable than the natural blue diamonds. The main difference between these two types of blue diamonds is the color. First of all, the manmade blue diamonds are actually white diamonds that have been treated with heat. Therefore, they are not truly blue diamonds at all. Second, manmade diamonds tend to have noticeably different tone than blue diamonds found in nature. This difference in hue can immediately point out an imposter blue diamond to a gemstone professional. That being said, however, blue diamonds can come in a variety of colors and still be deemed as natural. Blue diamonds can be found in straight blue, grayish blue, violet-blue, and greenish blue, but as mentioned, the deepest, richest blue diamonds are the most valuable due to their rarity. Along with the spectrum of hues, the diamonds can vary in intensity which will also ultimately affect the value of the diamond. The color is not the only difference between natural and manmade blue diamonds. The boron in a natural blue diamond gives the stone the ability to conduct electricity, clearing marking a distinct difference between the two stones.
The most popular blue diamond is the blue moon diamond. This large diamond is a whopping 12 carats of a flawless blue color. This diamond has such a high rarity that when bought by a billionaire in Hong Kong, its priced reached over 48 million dollars. Interestingly enough, the billionaire did not buy the blue moon diamond for himself, but rather, he bought the beautiful stone for his seven-year-old daughter. While most people just refer to the diamond as the blue moon diamond, its proper name is the “Blue Moon of Josephine,” named after the billionaire’s daughter. The blue moon diamond was not just expensive, but rather it was the most expensive diamond ever bought, regardless of color, at an auction. Its price-per-carat also broke records to be the highest in history. This diamond found in South Africa in 2014 is truly incredible, but it is not the first diamond that the billionaire has purchased for his daughter. In fact, he is known to commonly purchase diamonds at auction and name them after his dearest Josephine.
Over the past few years, a record number of blue diamonds have been found in the rough. Not only are the diamonds breaking records in terms of quantity, but also in size. These blue diamonds that have been most recently found have been some of the highest valued blue diamonds ever found. The prices will continue to rise as the demand is increasing, but the supply is decreasing. Therefore, purchasing a blue diamond engagement ring today could be not only smart, but also an investment that will increase in value as the years go by.
