As the saying goes, “Diamonds are a girl’s best friend.” For many generations, diamonds have been a popular addition in engagement and wedding rings. As long as people get married, diamonds will continue to be mined and the industry will flourish forevermore.
Diamonds are pretty, but why are they so expensive? Let’s find out below.
It is Hard to Extract
Diamonds take a long and difficult journey before it finds its way into your engagement or wedding ring. First, carbon has to endure tremendously high pressure and heat deep underground to become a rough diamond. Then, a volcanic eruption brings Kimberlite, an igneous rock that contains rough diamond, closer to the surface.
There are a few ways to mine rough diamonds from Kimberlite, one of which is pipe mining. The two types of pipe mining are open-pit (removing the layers of sand and rock found above Kimberlite) and underground (building tunnels to reach Kimberlite). In both cases, there is a requirement to use specialized equipment, like a casing shoe that can cut through bedrock, to reach the Kimberlite.
Another way to collect rough diamonds is through alluvial mining. After thousands of years, Kimberlite reaches the surface of the earth through the process of erosion. A rough diamond can be carried to rivers and streams.
Diamonds Fit to be Used in Jewelry are Hard to Find
Not all diamonds are expensive. There are so-called low-quality diamonds that have a lot of imperfections and defects found in nature. These low-quality diamonds are ubiquitous, but they are not the ones used in jewerly. Those that have good enough color and high clarity are much, much rarer. Only a small percentage of diamonds are colorless. Most have a noticeable yellow tint and have external flaws such as a black mark or line.
Cutting a Diamond is Challenging
After mining, a diamond still has to go through several processes to become ready to be embedded on your engagement or wedding ring. First, the diamond has to be cut into a certain shape to capture the light beautifully.
You probably have heard before that diamonds are one of the toughest substances in the world. Cutting it, therefore, requires special equipment and technique as well as expertise. Sometimes, the diamond cutter has to remove a significant portion of the raw stone to eliminate flaws and keep its clarity. It is more challenging for a cutter to produce a diamond that is big, has high clarity, and proportional. Once it is polished, the diamond is ready to be put into engagement and wedding rings, earrings, necklaces, and other accessories.
The Demand is High
Diamonds are a symbol of wealth and affluence. Simply put, many people want them and are willing to pay a premium price to have them. In addition to being rare and hard to process, the high demand for diamonds in the market makes the prices rise.
Diamonds are expensive not just because they are pretty to look at. It took a long time before it made its way from underground to adorn the ring on your finger or your favorite necklace. For these reasons, diamonds should be treasured and cherished.
