Black Diamond Engagement Rings

Black Diamonds were once considered unlucky in India as they resemble the eyes of spiders. In Italy, however, black diamonds were once thought to revive failing marriages. Touching black diamonds would pass the badness in the marriage to the diamond. One famous Black Diamond, the Black Orlov is said to have caused the deaths of three previous owners by suicide; however, Princess Leonilla Bariatinska lived to 102, Princess (Nadia) Nadezhda Petrovna Orlov to 90, and no evidence of the third supposed death of a jeweler has ever been found, so presumably the so-called curse is an invention.

The word 'Diamond' originates from the Greek word 'Adamas' meaning "indestructible."

Diamonds that have natural coloring are known as 'Fancy.'

If you heat a diamond to 763 degrees Celsius it will disappear with no solid residue, just a little carbon dioxide gas.

The biggest diamond in the universe is named Lucy after the Beatles song 'Lucy in the Sky With Diamonds'. It is a crystallized white dwarf star whose composition is diamonds. The weight? 10 billion trillion trillion carat. Stellar name: BPM 37093.

Diamonds are weighed in chocolate! Carat, the unit of weight of diamonds, derived from the Greek word 'keration' meaning "fruit of carob bean", the Arab word 'qirat' and Italian 'carato'. The carob bean is a cocoa-like substance whose seeds were used on a balance to weigh diamonds, since carob beans appear to be of uniform size and therefore were thought to have the same uniform weight.

Choosing a black diamond engagement ring will depend on the style, shape and carat you prefer. Diamonds are weighed in Carats and black diamonds weigh more than white diamonds, so a heavier black diamond will be smaller than a white diamond.

Many black diamonds have a simple cut of sixteen facets or surfaces, or they may be cut into established diamond cuts:

Round-cut diamonds are the most common cut.

Oval-cuts will accentuate long fingers.

The princess-cut is a square cut with corners of 90 degrees.

Emerald-cut is shaped like an emerald - rectangular with cut corners.

Brilliant-cut is designed to be multi-faceted.

The cushion-cut or pillow-cut has larger facets and round corners.

Assher-cut is named for Joseph Asscher, a famous diamond cutter. It is similar to emerald-cut but is square with cut corners.

Pear-cut is a composite of two cuts: round-cut and marquise-cut, so the result resembles a teardrop. It can make fingers appear slimmer.

Heart-cut is a pear-cut formed with two rounded edges. The Gruosi is the largest known heart-cut Black Diamond.

Baguette is a rectangular-shaped step cut often used on large diamonds.

Marquise-cut has a length twice the width with pointed ends. It was reputedly named for the Marquise de Pompadour's smile.

So what shape will best fit your finger? Short fingers need larger rings; step-cut rings or marquise-cuts will lend the fingers more length. Long fingers can take unusual shapes, such as emerald-cut or heart-cut. In the end, you must be the judge - if it looks right, wear it!

Black diamonds should be cleaned with a suitable chemical-free cloth. Use a soft-bristled toothbrush and a little water and mild soap to remove dirt. Rinse and gently wipe dry. Never steam or ultrasonically clean black diamonds as this may spoil the color permanently.

Black diamond rings should be cleaned once a year by a professional jeweler; the setting should be checked too. Store in a soft cloth pouch to prevent scratching and harm to other jewelry.