There are many ways that an individual can make a fashion statement. A person can do this through the wearing of clothes, hair style, tattoos, etc. Another way that an individual can make a statement is through the jewelry they wear. For example a diamond ring worn on the finger can signal love and commitment to another. Or a bracelet can symbolize a very warm relationship between two people.

Another important piece of jewelry that an individual can wear is diamond earrings. In addition, diamond earrings are available in different styles. Those styles include stud earrings, dangle earrings and hoop earrings.

Stud Diamond Earrings

A stud diamond earring is a small earring that is designed to fit into the lobe of the ear. Generally, there is a small diamond placed on a post. This post is inserted into the ear and secured with a fastener. The beauty of these earrings is that they are casual enough to wear with any outfit and yet classy enough to wear with more glamorous apparel. In addition, they are not overstated nor are they understated.

Dangle Diamond Earrings

Another style of earring that is very chic and popular is a dangle earring. Dangle earrings, as the name implies, are attached to the ear and flow downward. The length of the earring can vary anywhere from a few inches to shoulder length. Often, a dangle diamond earring is constructed utilizing a small thin wire. In addition, at various points along the wire there may be attached several diamonds.

Dangling diamond earrings are very glamorous looking and can be a stunning accessory worn during any formal occasion. They are often worn to accent the wearer’s features. Those features include a long slender neck or delicate ears. In addition, they are a perfect accent to a formal evening gown.

Hoop Diamond Earrings

One additional classic designed earring is the hoop diamond earring. These types of earrings are circular in design or can be somewhat circular in shape. In addition, these types of diamond earrings can be worn in casual or formal settings.

The actual construction of hoop diamond earrings is accomplished by using small well constructed metal tubing. The metal tubing can be made from a number of precious metals. Those precious metals could include gold, silver, platinum, etc. Fashionably attached to this tubing are a number of small diamonds. These diamonds can range in size as well as vary in the actual number of diamonds placed on the earring.

Everyone knows that diamonds are the hardest natural substance in the world, but there are many things that have to happen to make them this way. This article will look at some diamond facts that you may have never heard before.

Diamond Facts: The Unique Properties of Diamonds

Diamond is composed of carbon aligned in a cubic crystal form. This four atom form gives diamond its amazing strength. Diamond has an adamantine luster with a high refractive index, 2.42 to be exact. Diamonds are usually known as being almost colorless, but they can come in yellow, brown, blue, green, orange, red and black colorations.

While these diamond facts are interesting, there is far more to this gemstone than its physical properties. One of the least known diamond facts is how old it is. Diamonds may be up to three billion years old and in general are far older than the rock in which they are found. They begin there existence far below the earths surface at a depth of around three hundred and twenty miles.

From there the diamonds are transported to the surface via kimberlite and lampriote pipes. These rock formations form a link between surface rocks and the Earth’s mantle. One of the more unique properties of diamond is that it can burn. It is composed entirely of carbon, and if exposed to enough heat and oxygen it will ignite. It does take a significant amount of heat, around a thousand degrees Fahrenheit, to make this happen. Conversely, a cubic zirconium will not burn.

More Than Just Diamond Facts

In addition to the factual information presented above, there are many other diamond facts that are based more in myth and legend than pure scientific fact. Diamonds have been seen as a status symbol throughout history with origins dating back to the pre Christian era. Diamonds throughout history have symbolized purity and invincibility, as evidenced by the origin of the word diamond from the Greek name, adamas, meaning invincibility.

Ultimately, however, these properties come from the physical properties of diamond. Even before science was able to fully analyze the properties of this gemstone, ancient people recognized it for its rarity and incredible toughness. For thousands of years people have recognized that the properties of this rare mineral are exceptional. By reviewing diamond facts one can understand why this gem is so valued and so common for use in jewelry, decoration, and everywhere else to symbolize longevity and wealth.

Flowers are a classic symbol of more than one positive quality: beauty, delicacy, and love. For both delicacy and beauty, women are particularly fond of jewelry with floral patterns and designs. Diamond flower earrings meet the aesthetic needs of women’s jewelry and are very popular among women jewelry users of all age categories.

These earrings consist of a precious metal setting, usually gold, in the shape of a flower whose petals are fittings of a number of small diamonds. In some designs, only the nucleus of the flower carries a diamond while the petals are made of the constituent metal.

Variety of Design and Composition

In jewelry, diamond flower earrings display an impressive variety that is not seen in many other types of earrings. They are crafted stylishly in nearly all precious metals, more popular being yellow gold, whit gold, platinum, and sterling silver. Individual pairs of diamond flower earrings display numerous combinations of diamonds with other precious stones of attractive colors like rubies, sapphires, and emeralds etc.

Gold is the primary choice of most jewelry lovers and this is true in case of diamond flower earrings as well. Depending on one’s choice of display of one’s profile, platinum is usually chosen as a high-profile metal while sterling silver is picked for a lower profile. Both, however, are considered fashionable.

Styles of Use in Diamond Flower Earrings

What makes some jewelry special is their fashionable use on many occasions, matching well the demand for stylish presentation. With diamond flower earrings, style covers great grounds as these earrings come with many different fasteners and backings, complementing the variety of flower shapes. It is important to note that style does not represent an exact imitation of natural flower shapes, but it blends creative imagination with observation and produces unique designs that may represent one’s mood and spirits.

For example, diamond flower earrings with the shepherd hook backs for pierced ears best represent a jolly and/or flirty mood as they keep dangling from the ears. For a less showy display, or a more discrete style, diamond flower earrings coming with stud posts are preferred by most users. People who do not have their ears pierced may go for clip-on diamond flower earrings.

Prices

Diamond flower earrings are obviously more expensive than most other types of earrings. However, the prices vary widely deepening mainly on factors like quality of the diamonds used and the kind and carat weight of the precious metal used. The design also matters; pairs with petals made of metal only instead of diamond fittings are less expensive and some of these may come in less than $100 a pair. However, most of the elegant designs usually range from $500 to well over $1500 a pair.

If you have shopped for diamonds, you probably have run across diamond grading. If you are like most people, diamond grading seems to be some kind of abstract science. This article will attempt to make diamond grading easy for you to understand so that you can purchase your diamond with confidence.

Diamond Grading: Finding Out the Basics

Diamond grading should be in direct correlation to the price charged for the diamond. The grading is broken down into the four C’s – carats, clarity, coloration, and cut. Each of these different categories contributes points to determine the overall grade. A carat grade is based on system where 100 points equals one full carat. So a three quarter carat diamond would contribute 75 points to the overall grading.

There are approximately 5 carats in a gram and the term comes for the seed of a carob prod tree, which were used until recently to determine the weight of many precious stones. Clarity is determined by the amount, kind, size and position of blemishes within the diamond. These blemishes occur naturally in the rock in which the diamond was created, and while diamond itself is pure carbon these minerals can come in the diamond during the cooling process and affect its purity.

This rating is somewhat subjective and should be determined by an experienced grader. The next C, color, is determined by how close to crystal clear the diamond is. Many diamonds very in color, but the most desirable are the ones that have no color at all. Some coloration is expected, and some diamonds have rich color that may be more desirable.

Grading is usually done by a master grader, but can also be done by machine. It is best to make sure that your diamond was inspected and judged by and impartial master grader to assure quality and consistency. The fourth c is cut. This can be the most difficult for a normal person to judge as differences in cut are not immediately seen without comparison to stones of higher cut quality.

A properly cut diamond will sparkle brilliantly while and improperly cut one not so much so. Again, you want a master grader to look at the diamond and examine it for you to determine how well it was cut. In absence of that, bring a diamond from a friend that you know was well cut to compare.

All four of these properties add up to give you the overall diamond grading. Each has its own weight in the scoring system, but all properties are important. It is these little difference that make a gem that weighs half a carat sometimes cost far more than one that is a full carat. The diamond grading system gives you a good way to compare the two stones. However this system is only as good as the person doing the diamond grading so be sure to get someone you can trust to verify the grade your diamond was given.

One of the most versatile of all earrings is the hoop earring because it can be worn for dressy occasions as well as down-to-earth casual situations. What makes hoop earrings so much fun is that you can find them in a variety of precious metals, sizes, lengths and even shapes! Perhaps one of the most coveted of hoops is diamond hoop earrings because they are the epitome of dressy casual.

The hoop earring is one which looks like a circle on your ear lobe, as if it “looped” through it, whether it is pierced or clipped on. While the hoop is traditionally viewed as a circle as mentioned above, it could be other shapes as well, as long as they appear looped through your ear. Diamond hoop earrings could conceivably be found in the traditional circle shape or even others as well.

Size Matters

When it comes to your diamond hoop earrings, size does matter as it not only affects your overall look but also your pocket book. The larger the earring, the more diamonds would likely be on it, jacking up the price. Of course, how big your diamond hoop earrings are also of some concern style-wise as some sizes do not fit well with certain facial shapes, hair styles and even personalities.

The larger the hoop, the more likely it will overpower the look you are trying to achieve unless of course you have a personality that is very outgoing or you have long hair that is usually worn down. With long hair, you want your diamond hoop earrings to be noticeable as the hair tends to hide earrings unless of course you plan to either cut the hair or wear it up or back away from your face.

Delicate facial features and maturity of the wearer can also play a part in how large the diamond hoop earrings should be. With delicate features, large hoops can overpower the face and weigh a person down while more mature (age wise) people would look silly with larger hoops.

Design and Style

While diamonds are definitely a fashion statement, you can also find them paired with other precious and semi-precious gems in addition to being used with a variety of metals like platinum, silver, yellow gold and white gold. In addition, diamond hoops earrings have special design considerations, like how the diamonds are set into the hoop design. For the most part, many of these earrings have special channels in which the diamonds lay flush to the metal for a streamlined look.

All in all, diamond hoop earrings are a special breed and they offer a different perspective to wearing “a girl’s best friend.” They can be fun and flirty for a more casual feel but can also be classically elegant for a more formal occasion.

There are many jewelry items that an individual can wear. In addition, there are many reasons why individuals where jewelry. Some of those reasons can include the desire to accent certain portions of their body, make a fashion statement, make a financial statement or express their love and commitment to someone. An example of this type of reason can be the wearing of an engagement ring or wedding band.

Also, jewelry can be made from a number of metals or other materials. These metals can be precious metals such as gold, silver, titanium, platinum, etc. Or the jewelry can simply, but elegantly be made from precious gems. Some of those gems could include sapphires, rubies, etc.

One other example of jewelry that provides a classic style and design is diamond jewelry. In addition, there are many popular styles of diamond jewelry available to the consumer. Some of those styles of jewelry could include rings, necklaces and earrings.

Rings

Rings have always been a popular diamond jewelry item. This is because they can be conveniently worn on any of the fingers of the right or left hand. In addition, the hands of the body are always being noticed by others as well as the individual.

This allows for the individual who is wearing the diamond on one of their fingers to bring attention to that particular piece of jewelry. Therefore, the person can make one of the three statements as listed above or incorporate all three statements at the same time.

Necklaces

Another appropriate part of the human anatomy that calls for adornment by diamond jewelry is the neck. Often, when a woman wears a formal evening gown, the neck and neckline are laid bare. This backdrop provides an excellent location to make that fashion statement or express one’s affluence and taste to those around them.

Earrings

Finally, another area of the body that can be adorned with diamond jewelry is the ear and more specifically the ear lobe. Often women and men will use this particular part of the body to make their fashion statement and insert or attach to the ear lobe a diamond earring.

In addition, there are many types of diamond earrings that can be placed on or in the ear lobe. Some of those styles of diamond earrings could include a simple diamond stud or dangling earrings that allow diamonds to cascade downward from the ear.

Also, the beauty of wearing this particular piece of diamond jewelry is that individuality may be expressed. This individuality can be seen as the individual may choose to wear an earring in both ears or simply wear one earring in the ear of their choice.

Diamond mines for a long time have been a place where some of the world’s worst atrocities have been committed. These have largely gone unnoticed by the general population because of the extreme profitability of their contents. Diamond mines today have come a long way, but you the consumer should be informed as to what goes on there.

Diamond Mines: Why You Should Give That Ring Back

Diamond mines and mining are one of the most profitable businesses in the known world. The reason for this is simple, diamonds themselves cost nothing to produce, and by using slave labor are freely taken from the ground and sold for an immeasurable markup. In addition, because of this diamond mines around the world have become the center for civil conflict and wars leading to the deaths of millions of innocent people.

With the deplorable conditions in diamond mines, the first casualties are most certainly to be women and children forced into labor by oppressive governments. How is it that one of the most profitable, largest income earning, and steady sources of revenue has the absolutely poorest of workers? Sierra Leone, one of the most diamond rich countries in the world, continually ranks as on of the poorest in terms of quality of life by the UN.

People in these countries will and have done just about anything to gain control of the diamond mines. This history can not be changed, and will not change unless something is done about it. The surest way to curb the violence is to stop supporting the economy that drives it. Without a market for diamonds, the mines will be of little value and the quality of life can finally improve.

Diamonds are not required to manufacture any finished goods, they are merely ornamental. The greed of western civilization drives the poor of East Africa deeper into despair as the there is no way to end the viscous cycle. Progress in this area will never be made until the local governments are stabilized.

The only way to do that is to take away control of the diamond mines, or at the very least diminish their value. Corporations need to stop profiting on what amounts to slavery. The only way to make that happen is for consumers to dictate movement in the marketplace, to stop the flow of money to these dictators, and finally end slavery once and for all.

When someone wears a necklace containing one or more diamonds, they are truly making a statement about their personal style and tastes. Did you know that when it comes to diamond necklaces, there are several different forms or types to choose from? If you stop to think about it, you will realize that there are necklaces with a pendant containing diamonds that are classified as diamond necklaces just as there are chains which contained linked diamonds as well.

The Pendant

The pendant form of diamond necklaces consists of a chain made from your choice of materials like sterling silver, yellow gold, white gold or even platinum along with the pendant that can easily slide on the chain. This pendant can take on a variety of shapes as well as sizes so you might find a pendant with diamonds shaped like a flower or something simpler like a single solitaire.

In terms of diamond necklaces, those with pendants are more versatile because you can remove them from their chain and place them on others which are appropriate if you have different chain lengths for different clothing occasions. In addition, the pendant is more affordable than a chain made up of diamonds linked together in some way.

The Chain Links

The diamond necklaces not in pendant form are those that appear to be one single chain of the sparkly stones. The only drawback of these necklaces is that the chain is not adjustable or interchangeable so you have to be happy with the length and where it lays on your chest in terms of your clothing.

There are a variety of different diamond necklaces to choose from and each is chosen according to your specifications and taste. For example, there is the diamond bezel necklace in which single bezeled diamonds appeared throughout the length of the chain and not necessarily all together. Another type of necklace produces a simply stunning (and expensive) work of art and consists of a continuous row of diamonds in a three prong setting that appears to be the chain itself.

Of course, there are also diamond necklaces which consists of mostly chain from the clasp but attaches to a row of diamonds or some other diamond design where it would be displayed prominently in the front, around the chest or open collar area. There are simply thousands of different diamond necklaces to choose from in both pendant and chain link type of design, so it is important to shop around first and even try some on in order to get the perfect fit for you.

A diamond is the most precious and revered gemstone in the world and many people enjoy them in jewelry because of their icy brilliance and sparkle. When it comes to gift-giving, diamond pendants are among the most popular because not only are they attractive but they can go with almost any wardrobe or event. They can be dressed up with a jaw-dropping gown or present a classically casual look with a simple blouse and jeans.

The Solitaire

Perhaps the most simple, yet elegant of all diamond pendants is the solitaire that comes in a variety of sizes, colors and clarity which of course dictates price. Less is more is definitely the trend when it comes to these solitaires because these single diamonds set in a simple pendant doesn’t need anything else because their brilliance speaks for themselves. These solitaires can be found in a variety of cuts such as the round cut that most people are familiar with and the princess cut which is shaped more like a square.

Other Styles

While the solitaire is the most popular of diamond pendants, there are also countless possibilities when it comes to other types as well. You could choose a pendant representing eternity in the shape of a circle surrounded by diamonds. A curved pendant of diamonds represents life’s journeys while a starburst lined with diamonds says to the recipient “you’re my shining star.”

Teenagers and young adults may enjoy diamond pendants shaped like a heart that can slide along a chain while others may choose a shape that is representative of what they love in life like flowers or a cross. Pendants that are personal and reflect the wearer’s personality seem to come alive when worn and are more eye-catching to observers.

Locket diamond pendants are a great choice for new moms or even those with older children because they can place photos of their children inside. Of course, locket pendants are not just for moms but anyone who wishes to keep their loved ones close to their heart bother literally and figuratively.

Details, Details

Diamond pendants will come in a variety of precious metals as well as shapes and styles, as any trip to a jewelry store can attest. Personal preferences when it comes to yellow gold, white gold, sterling silver, platinum and other metals will rule when it comes to choosing a pendant.

Another matter of importance is the length of the chain as well as the pendant, because both will contribute to exactly where you want the pendant to reside when you wear it around your neck. All in all, diamond pendants are quite popular and you will discover that the possibilities are endless!

There are many factors when determining diamond prices. First and foremost is the diamond’s grading, but this may not be a tell all. Diamond prices, like value for any precious metal or gem, is constantly in fluctuation so determining what the value is today will probably change by tomorrow. There are a few simple tricks that you the consumer can use to determine your diamond prices reliably.

Tricks for Determining Your Diamond Prices

The best thing you can do is to find someone you trust locally who will look at your diamonds to give you a good idea of what they are worth. While this may seem obvious, many people just walk into a jewelry store and assume that the diamond prices they get from the jewelry are accurate. In many cases this is true, but one also has to understand that the jewelers business is to sell diamonds so he will probably be undervaluing yours.

The best way to determine the value of your diamonds is to find a disinterested third party, although you probably will have to pay for their services. Even better would be if you had a friend or acquaintance who could help you that would be perfect, but rather unlikely. Barring any of that, be sure to get multiple sources of information before you decide on what your diamonds are worth. At the end of the day, you are the one selling them and whatever you can get for them would be their price.

On the other side is determining value when purchasing diamonds. This can be even trickier as generally speaking you will not be able to price shop. You more than likely will have to go on the diamonds grade to determine its price, but luckily if you have this number you can price shop between many different diamond retailers. Each of these retailers will have different diamond prices for different grades, so contact as many as you can to compare their pricing.

Diamonds in general have a wide variety of prices, and since the value is one hundred percent completely subjective as no two diamonds will ever be exactly the same, any value you get will have to be taken with a grain of salt. Ultimately the final decision on what to pay will be up to you, but if you do your homework and compare diamond prices with a wide variety of sources you can make your purchase with confidence.