Would you like to give a talk about diamonds or write a school paper ...
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<strong>Would</strong> <strong>you</strong> <strong>like</strong> <strong>to</strong> <strong>give</strong> a <strong>talk</strong> <strong>about</strong> <strong>diamonds</strong> <strong>or</strong> <strong>write</strong> a <strong>school</strong> <strong>paper</strong> <strong>about</strong><br />
<strong>diamonds</strong>? You can fi nd a lot of inf<strong>or</strong>mation here. We fi rst describe the <strong>or</strong>igin of<br />
<strong>diamonds</strong>. Then we will describe the process by which rough <strong>diamonds</strong> are<br />
turned in<strong>to</strong> sparkly cut brilliants. After that, there is some inf<strong>or</strong>mation <strong>about</strong><br />
how we determine the price of a diamond. You can also download pictures and<br />
pho<strong>to</strong>graphs <strong>to</strong> make <strong>you</strong>r <strong>talk</strong> <strong>or</strong> <strong>paper</strong> even m<strong>or</strong>e dazzling! Finally, we have<br />
some tips f<strong>or</strong> interesting links, brilliant books and exciting s<strong>to</strong>ries <strong>about</strong><br />
<strong>diamonds</strong>.<br />
We wish <strong>you</strong> the best of luck with <strong>you</strong>r project and naturally hope that <strong>you</strong> will<br />
get a brilliant sc<strong>or</strong>e.<br />
How is a diamond f<strong>or</strong>med?<br />
The ancient Greeks believed that <strong>diamonds</strong> were slivers of stars that had fallen<br />
<strong>to</strong> earth. Others claimed that they were the tears of gods. Another legend has it<br />
that the flo<strong>or</strong> of an inaccessible valley somewhere in Central Asia is covered in<br />
<strong>diamonds</strong>. It is said <strong>to</strong> be guarded by terrifying birds of prey and murderous<br />
snakes. We hardly need <strong>to</strong> point out that while interesting, these legends are<br />
actually rather far from the truth. Diamonds were f<strong>or</strong>med as the result of a<br />
millennia-long process, through the sc<strong>or</strong>ching heat and en<strong>or</strong>mous pressure in<br />
the earth’s crust. Over time, pure carbon crystallised in such a way as <strong>to</strong><br />
produce material of unsurpassed hardness.<br />
The first <strong>diamonds</strong> were found m<strong>or</strong>e than 2,000 years ago in India. That is<br />
where many famous <strong>diamonds</strong> <strong>like</strong> the Koh-i-No<strong>or</strong> and the Orloff come from. In<br />
the 18th century, the first <strong>diamonds</strong> were found in South America, and in the<br />
19th century in South Africa, where the largest diamond ever found, the<br />
Cullinan Diamond, comes from. These days, most <strong>diamonds</strong> come from Africa,<br />
South America, Australia and Russia.<br />
So how is a diamond f<strong>or</strong>med?<br />
1. Diamonds start off as a chunk of carbon in the earth.<br />
2. -All living creatures consist partially of carbon. The tip of <strong>you</strong>r pencil is also<br />
made from carbon.<br />
3. -The pressure in the earth’s crust compresses those chunks of carbon,<br />
creating a diamond.<br />
4. -This process takes many centuries!!!<br />
Where are <strong>diamonds</strong> found?<br />
- In countries <strong>like</strong> Brazil, Canada, Venezuela and Russia.<br />
- Most <strong>diamonds</strong> are found in South Africa.<br />
- We fi nd <strong>diamonds</strong> in mines; sometimes they pop out of volcanoes.<br />
- When a diamond comes out of a volcano, it is wearing a s<strong>to</strong>ne coat. Such a<br />
coat is called kimberlite. It is a blue volcanic s<strong>to</strong>ne.<br />
- The fi rst <strong>diamonds</strong> were found by people in India 2,000 years ago.<br />
Diamond cutting process<br />
A rough diamond looks so much <strong>like</strong> a pebble that most people would not think<br />
it w<strong>or</strong>th a second look. A diamond’s true beauty is hidden in its c<strong>or</strong>e and it is<br />
the task of diamond cutters <strong>like</strong> the experts at Gassan Diamonds <strong>to</strong> reveal this<br />
beauty in its full splendour. Diamond cutting process consists of three phases:<br />
sawing, bruting, and polishing. The cutter selects the cut, which is the future<br />
shape of the s<strong>to</strong>ne, based on the weight, shape and purity of the rough<br />
diamond. The different facets of the diamond are cut one by one, <strong>to</strong> gradually<br />
reveal the diamond’s ultimate beauty and brilliance.<br />
Diamond cutting<br />
1. When a diamond is found, it has no brilliance yet. This is also called a rough
<strong>or</strong> uncut diamond.<br />
2. - A rough diamond looks <strong>like</strong> two interlocked pyramids.<br />
3. The <strong>to</strong>p is sawn off. Sawing just means that the diamond is cut in half. It is<br />
then rounded.<br />
4. Finally, the diamond cutter cuts fl at faces <strong>to</strong> reveal the diamond’s brilliance.<br />
5. These fl at faces are called facets.<br />
6. Facets are cut in three stages. The girdle, table and culet are cut fi rst. The<br />
girdle is the round edge on the diamond. The table is the fl at part on <strong>to</strong>p of the<br />
s<strong>to</strong>ne. The culet is the point on the bot<strong>to</strong>m. 9 facets are then cut: 5 on the <strong>to</strong>p<br />
half (crown) and 4 on the bot<strong>to</strong>m part (pavilion). This results in the cross cut.<br />
When looking in<strong>to</strong> the s<strong>to</strong>ne, <strong>you</strong> can see a cross.<br />
7. The cutter then adds 8 facets at a time until the diamond has 57 facets.<br />
8. This is called a brilliant cut diamond, which is a diamond with 57 faces <strong>or</strong><br />
facets.<br />
9. Gassan’s proprietary cut is called the Gassan 121. It has 16 m<strong>or</strong>e facets on<br />
the crown and 48 facets below the girdle.<br />
The value of a diamond<br />
A diamond’s value is determined by 4 fac<strong>to</strong>rs. These are called the 4 Cs<br />
because all fac<strong>to</strong>rs start with the letter C. All four have an impact on the<br />
diamond’s value. Because <strong>diamonds</strong> are a natural product, no two <strong>diamonds</strong> are<br />
the same. As such, <strong>diamonds</strong> do not have a fixed price.<br />
CARAT The unit of weight f<strong>or</strong> <strong>diamonds</strong> is the carat. One carat equals 0.2<br />
grams. One carat adds 100 points <strong>to</strong> the <strong>to</strong>tal value. So a diamond of 25 points<br />
is 1/4 carat.<br />
COLOUR Although we find <strong>diamonds</strong> of many different colours, only the<br />
colourless and yellow-tinted s<strong>to</strong>nes are actually graded.<br />
From the highest-ranking colour <strong>to</strong> the lowest, we distinguish:<br />
- River (blue-white)<br />
- Top Wessel<strong>to</strong>n (fi ne-white) Colourless<br />
- Wessel<strong>to</strong>n (white) Colourless<br />
- Top Crystal (slightly tinted white) Colourless<br />
- Crystal (tinted white) Colourless<br />
- Cape (yellowish) Colourless, but with a yellowish shine<br />
- Yellow<br />
CLARITY Clarity is a very imp<strong>or</strong>tant element in determining the value of a<br />
diamond. It is determined by an expert using a magnifying glass that magnifi es<br />
every detail ten times. Except f<strong>or</strong> the absolutely perfect ones, all <strong>diamonds</strong><br />
have what we call inclusions. Inclusions are enclosed minerals <strong>or</strong> small cracks.<br />
The size, colour (light <strong>or</strong> dark) and position of these inclusions determine the<br />
clarity of the diamond.<br />
- Perfect: this is the highest clarity. An expert cannot detect any inclusions<br />
with his magnifying glass.<br />
- VVS (Very Very Small inclusions): Very diffi cult <strong>to</strong> detect with a magnifying<br />
glass.<br />
- VS (Very Small inclusions): Diffi cult <strong>to</strong> detect with a magnifying glass.<br />
- SI 1 + 2 (Small Inclusions): Easy <strong>to</strong> detect with a magnifying glass.<br />
- Piqué 1: Inclusions are clearly seen with a magnifying glass, but do not affect<br />
the sparkle.<br />
- Piqué 2: Inclusions can be seen with the naked eye, and do affect the<br />
sparkle.<br />
- Piqué 3: Inclusions are clearly seen with the naked eye and the sparkle is
diminished.<br />
CUT The best-known cut is the round brilliant cut. There are other diamond cuts<br />
as well, the main ones being the Gassan 121, emerald, marquise, pear shape,<br />
oval, baguette, and square.<br />
What does a diamond cost?<br />
- Once a diamond has been cut, its value is determined by the four Cs.<br />
- The four Cs are Carat (weight), Colour, Clarity and Cut.<br />
- The m<strong>or</strong>e rare the diamond, the m<strong>or</strong>e expensive it is.<br />
- The diamond is then set in<strong>to</strong> a piece of jewelry by a goldsmith. A goldsmith is<br />
someone who makes jewelry. The cus<strong>to</strong>mer first picks his <strong>or</strong> her preferred<br />
setting in white, pink <strong>or</strong> yellow gold.<br />
Books on <strong>diamonds</strong><br />
The Great Diamond Robbery<br />
Geronimo Stil<strong>to</strong>n<br />
I, Geronimo Stil<strong>to</strong>n, am no sp<strong>or</strong>ts mouse. But that didn’t s<strong>to</strong>p Grandfather<br />
William from dragging me <strong>to</strong> a golf <strong>to</strong>urnament so I could be his caddie! Once I<br />
arrived, who should I bump in<strong>to</strong> but my friend K<strong>or</strong>nelius Von Kickpaw, a.k.a.<br />
Special Agent 00K. Someone was plotting <strong>to</strong> steal the Super Mouse Cup, and it<br />
was up <strong>to</strong> me and K<strong>or</strong>nelius <strong>to</strong> crack the case!<br />
Listening from <strong>about</strong> 7 years, independent reading from <strong>about</strong> 9 years of age.