Today, at the peak of jewelry fashion, the cognac diamond, almost unknown until recently, is conveniently located. The stone owes its popularity to the Italian jeweler Pasquale Bruni, who presented it in all its glory at the 2001 exhibition.
It was then that the whole charm of a colored mineral, which is essentially a low-grade and inexpensive material, was revealed to a wide audience.
Chemical composition
Almost all cognac-colored diamonds are classified as "cape", that is, they are not considered fancy and are not highly valued among jewelers. The ever-increasing price of jewelry with similar stones is due only to fashion and increased demand. In terms of chemical composition, such minerals practically do not differ from standard transparent diamonds, they have a basis of carbon, with impurities of nitrogen and other elements that are responsible for the color of the stone.
Interesting, but there are very few really clean and completely transparent diamonds, and they cost fabulous money. This is due to the fact that there is absolutely no nitrogen in their composition. In most cases, the market is filled with stones with a subtle hint of yellow. The mineral receives its increased intensity due to the presence incomposed of iron and nickel.
Rare representatives
There are also very rare specimens of cognac diamonds in nature that do not contain nitrogen impurities. Such stones are called fantasy and, depending on the presence of additional impurities in their composition, they can be presented in a wide variety of colors.
The leader in value today is the red diamond. A little cheaper you can buy a fantasy green stone, which got its color due to natural radioactive radiation. There are stones of blue, blue, orange, yellow and even black colors.
Pricing
You can buy gold earrings with cognac diamonds, even of absolutely the same model, in several jewelry stores at completely different prices. The fact is that the cost of such stones is determined individually for each instance and depends on many indicators. Also, colored stones do not have a common price list and are priced separately from transparent ones. A guarantee of all the characteristics presented to a stone can only be given by a certificate of independent evaluation of a diamond by the Gemological Institute of America, the conclusions of which are standard throughout the world. If the seller cannot provide such a document, then there is a possibility that the characteristics of the stone are overestimated and in fact it costs much less. In order to be able to determine the value of a fancy diamond correctly, it is best to involve experts, since only they are able to distinguish even the almost elusiveshades in the structure of the stone.
If you want to find yourself a beautiful cognac diamond ring at the right price, then you should understand the main pricing criteria.
Evaluation criteria
As with the choice of transparent diamonds, you should definitely pay attention to the quality of the cut of the specimen, its weight, shape, clarity and, of course, color. Fantasy stones increase in value depending on the intensity of coloring within a particular color. Those diamonds that do not have auxiliary colors in the structure are valued higher. For example, a stone of pure yellow color will be valued 2 times more expensive than a similar one, but with an admixture of brown. Interestingly, it is brown and yellow colors that significantly reduce the cost of stones, and the increase in their price today is due only to the popularity of the mineral imposed by jewelers.
Colours
In total, fantasy stones have 9 primary colors, in each of which the color intensity is determined separately, which also has 9 degrees. The richer the brown color, the higher the price for earrings with cognac diamonds or other jewelry. This rule applies to all colors, and the most expensive diamonds will be specimens with a color definition of fancy vivid or fancy deep, which means the brightest and most saturated shades.
As for cognac diamonds themselves, their saturation is determined on a scale of 7 shades, the mostpopular and common of which are:
- champagne;
- "brown";
- "cognac";
- "chocolate".
Champagne-colored stones are the lightest and most often have impurities of auxiliary colors. Shade "chocolate" is the darkest and rarest.
Additional properties
In addition to the main criteria for choosing a diamond, its value is also affected by fluorescence, which ideally should not exist at all. That is, the stone should not glow under the influence of ultraviolet radiation. If such a phenomenon is observed, then the price of a cognac diamond will be 20-30% lower than its similar counterparts, only without glow.
It is also important that the stone's certificate states that its color is natural. Today, there are many methods of artificial processing of minerals that can change their color, and this is unacceptable.
Price Predictions
Fancy diamonds, like cape colored diamonds, have a minimum percentage of all diamond production. Recently, this number has decreased even more, therefore, as an investment, buying a gold ring with cognac diamonds is very profitable. The rise in prices for such jewelry is also due to the popularity imposed by jewelers.
In any case, over the past 10-15 years, the value of some colored diamonds has risen by more than 300%, while classic diamonds have risen in price by only 72%. Of course, in order to buy a really worthwhile copy, you need to purchase stones or jewelry withthem only if they have the appropriate international certificate.
Forecasts for the growth in the cost of such colored stones among experts are quite high, and the reason for this is not only the fact of a reduction in production, but also changing fashion trends and preferences. So, initially black diamonds were of no value at all and were eliminated at the extraction stage, but today they adorn many stylish jewelry.
The largest specimens
The largest cognac diamond in the history of mining, the photo of which can be seen below, was found in the southern part of the African mainland in 1888. Subsequently, a champagne-colored stone was inserted into a necklace for the Indian Maharaja from Patiala himself. The total weight of all the stones on the jewelry was 1000 carats, but the necklace disappeared without a trace during the 1947 revolution, when India gained independence from Great Britain.
Kimberley, Eastern Star and Victoria-Transvaal diamonds are no less popular. All of them were mined in South Africa at one time and gained popularity due to being exhibited at large auctions and filming in various films. Their weight is respectively 70, 111, 6 and 68 carats.
In closing
Today, minerals that were previously unknown to a wide audience are gradually gaining popularity. Their charm and uniqueness make it possible to emphasize a unique and individual style to a larger number of connoisseurs of jewelry, and, for the time being, at a low price. Low cost of colored diamonds todayIt is not at all a criterion of poor quality when comparing stones with colorless counterparts, because they also remain diamonds - the most spectacular stones.
Cognac shades of diamonds are very warm and pleasant, they look best in yellow gold jewelry, which emphasizes the play of their colors. Such stones are suitable for almost everyone, because their color is ideally combined with both light and dark skin, and the nobility of brown will emphasize the sophistication of the female image as well as the strong character of the male. If you believe the signs and horoscopes, then such a stone should be chosen for everyday jewelry by those people who daily face a certain responsibility. The aura of a brown diamond gives its owner the strength and confidence that is so necessary when making serious decisions.