The most infamous natural Black Diamonds the world has seen have to be The Black Star of Africa weighing in at 202.00 carats and The Black Orfloff, weighing in at 67.50 carats. The Black Star of Africa is part of the Cullinan collection of diamonds. Natural black diamonds are rare and are the result of numerous inclusions in the stone. The majority of these inclusions are graphite and due to the high amount of this inclusion black diamonds can appear opaque. The irony that makes them rare is that due to the high number of inclusions in the diamond they are extremely difficult to cut and will fracture easily. They are also notoriously difficult to finish and polish.


So what's the alternative? Well, black diamonds can be generated from natural diamonds. This is
achieved by treating the diamond with radiation to make the colour of the stone appear black. It's just a trick of the light. When the enhanced black diamond is placed under a fibre optic light source it displays its true colour, a very dark green. However, to the naked eye the diamond is black in colour. Buying an enhanced black diamond is not to be viewed as a compromise or a step below in quality. After all, you must keep in mind that you are purchasing a natural diamond that has been enhanced to change its colour, the quality stays the same.


When used in jewellery black diamonds can look absolutely stunning next to the contrast of white diamonds. It also looks equally stunning when set next to rubies or other gemstones. Owning a black diamond is becoming more and more popular and definitely worth the investment.