Color is probably one of the most elusive and captivating characteristics of a diamond. Color is graded from D to Z – from colorless to brown or light yellow. The closer a diamond's color is to D, the more colorless it is and the higher its value. Diamonds of different colors will differ dramatically in value.
The De Beers Supplier of Choice initiative, launched in the early 2000s, rewarded diamond manufacturers who ventured downstream into jewelry and retail branding efforts. As a result, we witnessed an explosion in proprietary diamond cuts that continues today, albeit to a lesser extent. A Google search can lead to hundreds of unique diamond shapes, but even within this long list of unusual diamonds there are still a few that really stand out for their creativity and uniqueness.
Clarity, one of diamonds' four basic 'C's, refers to how free a diamond is from inclusions and blemishes, internal and external features that negatively affect a diamond's shine, beauty, light refraction and its value.
Round diamonds are the most common and sought-after diamond shape in the world. We stated that diamonds are polished into a variety of shapes and that the choice of shape is mostly one of taste, best use of the pre-polished rough diamond, and, occasionally, color. Historically, diamonds were polished only into rounds, and for good reason.
The Christmas Star
The Christmas Star was commissioned by De Beers and placed on top of their 1994 Christmas tree, which toured 20 cities in Japan and was seen around the world on television including CNN.
It was developed in order to provide retailers an alternative marketing concept that would allow diamonds to be used in decorative pieces for the home, as opposed to jewelry. It is also one of the earliest examples of a branded diamond, first cut and polished by Fancoldi in Israel.