If you are thinking of investing in diamonds, this article looks at the steps involved in making a diamond.
How is a diamond made?
Before a diamond can be made, in the sense that most retail investors understand a finished diamond to be, they first need to be sorted.
There is believed to be somewhere in the region of 5,000 different categories of rough diamonds. Many of the diamonds mined are shipped to Central Selling Organisations in London and Antwerp.
There, they are sorted into different categories determined by their weight, colour, inclusions, shape and clarity using a combination of automation and human sorters.
Next, the rough diamonds go to the rough diamond expert who decides how to treat each stone to maximise its ultimate yield.
The diamonds are then physically sawn (a process that can take from hours to weeks), shaped and polished.
The process of making a diamond
The first step in the process of making a diamond is the cut and polishing stage. Diamond cutting converts a rough stone into a faceted gem and there are various forms of cut.
For example, diamond shape can be square, oval, round, pear etc. The diamond quality within the shape can have a significant impact on price.
The process of making a diamond traditionally involves extraordinarily levels of skill and today requires highly specialised equipment. The main process steps are:
1. Planning
Each rough stone is analysed to decide how best to maximise its commercial value and minimise time to sale: value is exponentially related to weight, and specific shapes are more desirable depending on the form of the original stone.
Often there is a need to eliminate flaws and inclusions. Even though 3-dimensional computer analysis is commonly used, losses are high: 50% weight loss is not unusual.
2. Diamond cleaving or sawing
Traditionally, cleaving the rough stone into separate pieces is carried out using a special kind of hammer and chisel, though diamond saws and lasers are now mostly used.
3. Diamond bruting
Diamond bruting refers to cutting a diamond round. Nowadays, a laser is often used, or a diamond impregnated disc. Sometimes two diamonds are ground against each other to achieve a high degree of roundness.
4. Diamond polishing
This creates the facets in the diamond. The rounded diamond is mounted on a rotating arm and polished using a spinning polishing wheel to develop smooth and reflective facets. The process is highly skilled and determines the ultimate value of the stone.
5. Diamond inspection
The final step is to clean the diamond and carry out a detailed examination to ensure it achieves the necessary quality standards.
The diamond industry
if you want to learn more about the diamond industry, then please click here.
