We use cookies to improve your experience on our website. By continuing to browse this website, you accept the use of cookies. You can find out more in our Privacy Policy.
The Journey of a Diamond
Have you ever wondered where your diamonds come from? Has the rock on your finger or the diamond on your necklace always been a sparkling treasure, or does it start out as something else?
As jewelers, we not only ensure the diamonds we sell are top quality and handled in safe, conflict-free conditions, but we also understand the process by which our diamonds become beautiful pieces of jewelry. We recently sent our Director of Merchandising all the way to the factory in India where we refine our diamonds. There, she diligently documented the process so we could share how that little rock really gets its sparkle.
Mining
Natural diamonds form in high temperature and pressure conditions beneath the Earth's surface, and miners extract them from the ground. However, they do not come straight from the earth sparkling like the diamonds we are used to. In fact, if you saw a diamond in its natural form, you probably wouldn’t even know it was a diamond! Natural diamonds arrive at the factory in their rough form, and the process begins from there.
Scanning
First, they scan the raw stone into a computer program that creates a 3D model of the stone. The program also photographs and includes the inclusions in the 3D model so it can analyze the diamond and decide on the optimal way to cut the stone. As you can see in the picture, they can cut multiple diamonds from one stone, and different parts of the stone will provide different quality diamonds.
Bruting
We then print out a report for that stone, showing how we should cut the diamond and what quality it will be. We then give this report to a diamond cutter, who will cut each stone to match the dimensions on the report. The act of cutting the diamond is called bruting. During the bruting process, we set two diamonds onto spinning axles that turn in opposite directions. We then set them to grind against each other to give the diamonds a round shape.
Polishing
From there, facets are cut into the diamond, and then it's polished. At this point, the diamond should have its sparkling qualities. They then separate the diamonds for use in all different types of jewelry. They send some to a series of machines for placement in diamond rings, while they sort others into pairs for earrings. Each diamond's journey is different.
A diamond goes from a rough rock buried deep beneath the earth's surface to a timeless treasure sparkling on your finger. It's journey helps us appreciate just how special each diamond is!