Renowned for being the hardest natural substance, diamond is one of the four precious stones. On its own or combined with other stones, it is a must in fine jewelry. Its ability to concentrate and reflect light gives it a dazzling brilliance. By breaking down light into its primary colors, it gives off colored fire from every angle along with an exceptional radiance.
Diamonds display a variety of natural tones: colorless (white), yellow, brown, green, pink, cognac, blue, black and — very rarely — red. Blue comes from the boron in its composition, yellow from nitrogen, pink and red from hydrogen, and green from uranium.
The quality of a diamond is ascertained according to four criteria. Its weight, measured in carats (0.2 g), is essential in determining its price.
Its clarity indicates the quantity or absence of inclusions in the stone. Visible under 10x magnification, it is classified into seven categories. The highest clarity grade is internally flawless (IF). In this instance, the stone has no inclusions at all and is completely transparent. In the VVS1-VVS2 (Very Very Small Inclusions) and VS1-VS2 (Very Small Inclusions) categories, there are minuscule or very small inclusions, which are very difficult or difficult to see under 10x magnification. Then comes the SI1–SI2 (Slightly Included) category, in which small inclusions can be easily seen under 10x magnification but are invisible to the naked eye. The P1 (Imperfect) category describes stones that present inclusions that can be very easily seen under 10x magnification but are difficult to spot with the naked eye. P2 (Imperfect) and P3 (Imperfect) correspond to diamonds whose many inclusions can easily or very easily be seen by the naked eye and slightly or clearly affect the stone’s brilliance.
Color is the third diamond quality criterion. It is measured in letters ranging from D to Z. D, E and F describe a colorless diamond, G, H, I and J indicate a near colorless tone, while K and L correspond to a faint yellow hue. From M to Z, the diamond presents a tinted color.
Finally, the diamond’s final finish is obtained by a high-quality cut. On the other hand, a poor cut can considerably diminish the stone’s value. This quality is specified on the certificate that always comes with the diamond: excellent, very good, good, fair, or poor.
For its elegantly refined jewelry creations, Mazet Joaillerie presents natural colored diamonds: daffodil yellow, cognac, green, orange and canary yellow (yellow green). It fashions this key stone in the world of jewelry in its workshop. After analyzing an old cut diamond, if it may be of interest, it will sometimes suggest a modern recut to enhance its brilliance.
Diamond deposits are spread all across the world: Russia, South Africa, Botswana, Canada, Brazil, and Australia. Diamond has the highest hardness of 10 on the Mohs scale.