Where do diamonds come from?

At Orsini we have a love for diamonds and find the romance and history of them fascinating. Particularly interesting is how they are formed as it is such a unique and rare opportunity with the perfect conditions. Diamonds are formed from carbon materials under high pressure and exposed to <1000°C heat – conditions only found in two places on Earth, the lithosphere, and at the site of a meteorite strike. The mesmerizing results of this pressure and heat are then brought closer to us here at the Earth’s surface through volcanic activity.

The word “diamond” comes from “unalterable”, “unbreakable”, “proper”, ancient Greek descriptions. This doesn’t quite capture the beauty and romance that we aim for at Orsini Fine Jewellery…as Edward Jay Epstein said in his 1982 ‘Have you ever tried to sell a diamond?’ article: “The diamond invention is far more than a monopoly for fixing diamond prices; it is a mechanism for converting tiny crystals of carbon into universally recognized tokens of wealth, power, and romance”.

Most women would agree that there is nothing more romantic for an engagement ring proposal than a diamond, because of their rarity, and their durability. After all a ‘diamond is for a lifetime’ just as your marriage symbolizes your love for eternity.

The very rare diamonds have no color (graded D colour), but the rarest ones are blue or red as opposed to the most common yellow and brown (or champagne) colored stones. As we all know, diamonds are valuable due to their scarcity. Many companies now mine diamonds across the world, with over 50% coming from Africa. However, only 20% of these rough diamonds are good enough to be polished and used for jewellery pieces such as the engagement rings, earrings, bracelets and necklaces.

We like to select premium diamonds at Orsini where ever possible and use diamonds from the most reputable grading labs such as GIA. If you are getting engaged or want to pop the question, pop into Orsini’s showroom in Parnell, Auckland, New Zealand.