What Is a Black Diamond?

Diamonds are one of the world's most sought after gems. They are the hardest mineral in the world and are one of the most valuable. Of all diamonds, black diamonds are the only diamond that cannot be found in diamond fields and are the most exclusive. Whether black diamonds are genuine or not is often debated but black diamonds should not be confused with enhanced black diamonds, which are man made.

The black diamond is a multi-crystallized diamond found in alluvial deposits. Black diamonds are only found in Brazil and the Central African Republic. At one time, Brazil and the Central African Republic were once adjacent so, in a sense, black diamonds are location exclusive. Natural black diamonds are black because they absorb light, which makes the diamond appear less "sparkly.” Black diamonds are also referred to as carbonado; this is because the black diamond appears burnt or carbonized.

Black diamonds are the most difficult to cut and polish because they are made up of millions of tiny crystals, where as other diamonds contain a single crystal. Not only does this make the black diamond hard to work with, but it also makes it the most fragile.  At one time, black diamonds were not well sought after by consumers because they were not well promoted due to the fact that they are hard to work with to make jewelry. The elegance of black diamonds soon caught the eyes of jewelers and promoters. Consumers soon took notice of the diamonds making them more popular.