Why We Love Champagne Diamonds
At Orsini we are big fans of champagne diamonds, beautiful stones that are incredibly versatile and so very unique. Celebrated for their warmth, alluring spectrum of brown hues and ambient sparkle, champagne diamonds are a beautiful choice for use in a bespoke jewellery piece, and a great optionfor those that love a more unconventional approach when it comes to their signature style. Orsini founder and designer, Sarah Hutchings particularly likes mixing stunning champagne diamonds with 18k rose and yellow gold, creating a piece that will be loved for a lifetime.
What are champagne diamonds?
Champagne diamonds are part of the natural brown diamond family, and champagne diamonds can come in a spectrum of spectacular hues, ranging from pale honey-brown to rich cognac and chocolate tones. Like natural white diamonds, these are formed over billions of years, but owe their unique colour to trapped nitrogen deposits in the crystalline structure. The higher the nitrogen content, the deeper the intensity of brown in the stone, meaning that their natural tint increases their value.
The term 'champagne' was first used to describe fancy-coloured brown diamonds by the now-closed Argyle diamond mine in Western Australia. While they coined the phrase 'champagne' and certainly became famed for their diamonds of this nature, diamonds with these beautiful colourings can originate from mines all around the world.
Where are champagne diamonds found?
As mentioned, brown-ish hued diamonds contain nitrogen, which came to form the beautiful stone through compression and heat for billions of years. You can find these stones in various parts of the world, the three most popular countries where champagne diamonds are sourced being Australia, Siberia, and Africa.
Is there a preferred colour of champagne diamonds?
Champagne diamonds come in various colours due to colour intensity and shade differences, and while it ultimately comesdown to personal taste, the darker the hue, the more valuable a champagne diamond becomes. Unlike white diamonds, which are graded and valued according to the absence of colour, a champagne diamond's colour is graded by the amount and intensity of the colour present.
Brown diamonds range in colour from light to dark brown,and are often graded by gemmologists using three main factors: hue, tone and saturation. A premium champagne diamond will strike a balance with exceptional brilliance (to ensure enough light enters the stone for maximum sparkle) and colour.
Champagne diamonds are particularly arduous to cut due to their unique crystalline structure. This makes sourcing beautiful, high-quality stones increasingly harder, but all the more worthwhile.
Did you know champagne diamonds are a true ethical choice?
When sourcing colourless white diamonds, mining companies only use a very small percentage of the diamonds they find, discarding the rest as waste product or using them purely for industrial purposes. Not so long ago, champagne diamonds would have been among these discarded stones, but now they are celebrated for their uniquely beautiful qualities.
This is the first step towards sustainability - reducing waste and using all the precious resources we extract from the earth.
How do I care for jewellery with champagne diamonds?
Champagne diamonds are very hard, like white diamonds. They have a score of 10 on the Mohs Scale of Hardness. Consequently, champagne diamonds are durable, resilient stones and a great choice for pieces of jewellery that you wear often. However, to minimise scratching and wear, always store each piece of your fine jewellery separately in a soft cloth or padded container.
The best way to clean champagne diamonds or any kind of diamond is to make a solution with warm water (almost hot) and gentle dishwashing soap. Soak your jewellery for about 20 to 40 minutes, then gently brush the stone with a very soft toothbrush, finishing with a rinse under warm running water.
In addition, we highly recommend that you take all your fine jewellery to a professional jeweller at least twice a year for a thorough cleaning and inspection. And yes, we’re very happy to help!
How can I find the perfect champagne diamond piece for me?
At Orsini we love the process of helping our clients to create their dream piece of custom jewellery, especially one with such a unique jewel at its heart. The process of building and shaping an idea, then turning that idea into a true masterpiece, is one that we relish at every step.
If you have an idea in mind for a piece of jewellery that you just can’t find or don’t know where to start, we’d love to meet with you and give you an insight into our process and how it can work for you. The Orsini team consists of unabashedly creative and talented jewellery designers, premium diamond graders, gemmologists and master goldsmiths, all trained to create unique pieces of jewellery through every stage of the process, with great precision and finish. We are proud of our creations and team work, and we would love to work together with you to make your dreams a reality.
If you’re interested in sourcing a champagne diamond for your special piece, please feel free to contact us at any time.Or visit us instore at our elegant Parnell atelier, where we invite you to relax while we discuss the seemingly endless possibilities for your bespoke design. We also carry a carefully curated range of beautiful fine jewellery from some of Italy’s most esteemed names, many of which feature champagne diamonds amongst other spectacular stones.
