WHAT IS A DIAMOND?

A diamond is composed almost entirely of a single element: carbon. Under high pressure and temperature, these carbon atoms can bond together growing crystals essentially all the same way in all directions. This crystalline carbon is a diamond, the hardest known mineral (10 on the Mohs hardness scale). Only another diamond can scratch a diamond. 

Natural Diamond

Natural diamonds are one of nature’s billion year old wonders. Natural diamonds are formed deep in the earth’s mantle and were brought to the surface by volcanic eruptions- through a kimberlite or lamproite pipe. When a natural diamond is found, it's rough shape is often like an octahedron. Diamond mining companies must remove a million parts of host rock to find one rough diamond. These rough diamonds then get sent to either a grading laboratory or diamond cutting center.

Read more on how diamonds are mined.

Photo: Robert Weldon/GIA. Courtesy: Fusion AlternativesPhoto: Robert Weldon/GIA. Courtesy: Fusion Alternatives

Highly skilled diamond cutters will use the latest cutting technology, such as lasers, to transform a piece of diamond rough into highly polished faceted diamonds. Most of these finished diamonds are then sent to grading laboratories to determine their quality and characteristic. Each diamond will be unique in that no two diamond will ever be identical. 

Lab Grown Diamond

Lab created diamonds are grown in highly controlled laboratory environments that uses advanced technology to duplicate the conditions of how a natural diamond is develop when it is formed beneath the Earth’s crust, within the mantle. Lab grown or man made diamonds consist of carbon atoms arranged in the characteristics of a diamond's crystal structure. Because they are made of the same composition as a natural diamond, lab grown diamonds will exhibit the same physical, chemical, and optical characteristics as natural diamonds.

Conflict-Free Diamonds

At Carat & Co. all of our diamonds adhere to the Kimberley Process for conflict free diamonds. The Kimberley Process is an international certification scheme that regulates the trade in rough diamonds to prevent the flow of conflict diamonds and help protect legitimate trade in rough diamonds.

Certification

All of our diamonds come with a grading certification from GIA, AGS, or IGI.