Joined: Mon Oct 17, 2005 10:56 am Posts: 6461 Location: The frozen north prairie :-/
If it's a natural diamond, it is one with numerous black inclusions lining its cleavages and fractures. There will be some colorless areas within the structure.
If it's an irradiated diamond, it will actually be a dark blue or dark green throughout with no colorless areas inside.
_________________ IIJA Registered Gemologist GIA Graduate Gemologist
Thank you ladies, I read it and understood quite a bit. But tell me this, if a diamond is consist of more than 50% graphite can it still be called a diamond ? Someone please shed some light in what cases a diamond could be called a natural black diamond ?
this being said, I think one should make the difference between a black diamond of polycrystalline structure, and a black diamond of monocrystalline structure.
That is right, the polycrystalline (Carbonado) is pretty different as it is not only hard, it is also tough. Like difference between rock crystal and chalcedony.
boart (bort) is polycrystalline and can also be black, just like carbonado.
note that there's quite some confusion about the term 'boart' because some people use it to refer to any low quality diamond (polycrystalline or monocrystalline) while this term should only be used in reference to a polycristalline variety of diamond. There are three polycrystalline varieties of diamond: carbonado, boart, and ballas, all three are polycrystalline but their structure is different one from another.
Joined: Wed Dec 28, 2011 6:06 am Posts: 2 Location: New Jersey
Black Diamonds are real genuine diamonds.They come out of the earth as Diamonds that don't look exactly black. It has enhanced and after that it become black diamonds.
Joined: Sun Oct 16, 2005 12:22 pm Posts: 21602 Location: San Francisco
There are naturally occurring, untreated blacks, like the Black Orlov. Read this thread for a little clarification Jamesdiamonds: viewtopic.php?f=7&t=13301
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