http://www.philippine-resorts.com/diamonds/ articles and guide about diamonds en-us http://www.philippine-resorts.com/diamonds/index.htm articles and guide about diamonds http://www.philippine-resorts.com/diamonds/american-topaz.htm The world's largest cut topaz, called the American Topaz, resides at the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, DC. A 172-faceted topaz weighing 22,892.50 carats (5785 kg), it's the largest cut yellow topaz in the world, and one of the largest faceted gems of any kind in the world http://www.philippine-resorts.com/diamonds/amethyst.htm Amethyst is a violet or purple variety of quartz often used as an ornament or jewelry. The name comes from the Greek A (not) and methuskein ("to intoxicate"), a reference to the belief that the stone protected its owner from drunkenness; the ancient Greeks and Romans wore amethyst and made drinking vessels of it in the belief that it would prevent intoxication http://www.philippine-resorts.com/diamonds/beryl-colors.htm As much as we love diamonds, we're also in love with colored stones and gems like aquamarines and morganite, which can range from peach to lavender in color, are becoming more and more prevalent in gemstone jewelry http://www.philippine-resorts.com/diamonds/beryls.htm The beryl is the family of crystal that creates emeralds and aquamarines, when its color is green or blue-green, respectively. Red beryl is bixbite or red emerald or scarlet emerald, pink beryl is morganite, white beryl is goshenite, and a clear bright yellow beryl is called golden beryl. Other shades such as yellow-green for heliodor and honey yellow are common. It can also come in violet http://www.philippine-resorts.com/diamonds/blue-heart-diamond.htm There is a spectacular diamond in the Smithsonian Collection called the Blue Heart Diamond. Fans of the movie Titanic might think the "Heart of the Ocean Diamond" was based on this stone, and it may have been! However, this diamond hasn't been cast in the ocean, but is safe and sound at the Smithsonian! http://www.philippine-resorts.com/diamonds/carats.htm Many people equate the term carat with the size of a diamond, and as carat size increases, so will the carat weight. But the operative word there is weight. Carat refers to the weight of a diamond and is equal to roughly 200 milligrams which is less than a ¼ of an ounce. A carat can also be broken up into 100 points. So ¾ of a carat is also 75 points http://www.philippine-resorts.com/diamonds/care-of-diamonds.htm Diamonds are durable and strong, but should be cared for as though they were fine breakable china or more fragile gems. They can chip or scratch if you’re not careful, and they can get quite dirty with oils from your skin and cosmetics, hair sprays or perfumes http://www.philippine-resorts.com/diamonds/certified-diamond.htm Diamond certification is essential when you're buying a diamond and is different from a jeweler’s appraisal, although the certification is part of any appraisal. Many diamonds look the same, but not all of them are going to be of the quality you might like http://www.philippine-resorts.com/diamonds/citrine.htm Citrine is any quartz crystal or cluster that is yellow or orange in color. Although, often cut as a gemstone, citrine is actually somewhat rare in nature. Citrine is one of the most affordable gemstones, thanks to the durability and availability of this golden quartz http://www.philippine-resorts.com/diamonds/clarity.htm Diamond clarity is one the 4Cs of diamond qualities. It refers to any flaws, or inclusions in the diamond, and how visible or detectable they are. Inclusions can be foreign substances, or minute cracks or flaws. It also refers to the appearance of any surface flaws or scratches http://www.philippine-resorts.com/diamonds/color.htm When it comes to the 4Cs of diamonds, color, or lack of it, is an especially important characteristic. Diamonds are given letter grades to denote the level of color, starting with the letter D for a flawless, colorless diamond. Why D, and not C, B, or A? http://www.philippine-resorts.com/diamonds/colored-diamonds.htm Many people are starting to favor the fancy, vivid colored diamond gem stones over the traditional transparent, or white, diamond. Some diamonds are found in their natural colors when they are mined, others become colored by gemologists and jewelers during a treatment process http://www.philippine-resorts.com/diamonds/colors-of-gems.htm Millions of Americans schedule a Mexico vacation. If you are interested in scheduling a vacation in Mexico, or you already have, you may be wondering what you can do while on vacation http://www.philippine-resorts.com/diamonds/common-uncommon-gemstone.htm Gemstones quite literally can take our breath away when we see them. Who hasn't seen a beautiful diamond or sapphire ring and exclaimed over it? Is it only their beauty that makes them so valuable? Why else are they valuable to us? http://www.philippine-resorts.com/diamonds/corundum.htm Corundum is the form of mineral from which sapphires and rubies are derived. The mineral is naturally clear, but can have different colors when impurities are present. Transparent corundums are used as gems, and if they're red, then they're rubies, while all other colors are called sapphire http://www.philippine-resorts.com/diamonds/couples-diamond.htm The smart groom-to-be does his research before buying his fiancée a diamond ring! There are more styles and cuts to choose from than ever before. It’s not enough to be educated about the four Cs of diamonds – cut, color, clarity and carats. Now there are all types of diamond cuts and settings to choose from http://www.philippine-resorts.com/diamonds/diamond-an-inner-look.htm Astrologically Diamond is the birthstone of April. It is also the gemstone for the 10th and 60th anniversary. Diamond is supposed to strengthen the planet Venus to increase luxury and enjoyment in your life. If you are a Virgo then according to Vedic astrology Diamond is the right gemstone for you http://www.philippine-resorts.com/diamonds/diamond-carat.htm When shopping for a diamond, you've no doubt heard references to the 4 C's of diamonds. Diamond carat is one of those popular "c's" to consider when evaluating a diamond, and it's a term used to describe how much the diamond weighs. A single diamond carat is equal to the weight of 200 milligrams, or .2 grams http://www.philippine-resorts.com/diamonds/diamond-care.htm There are a few different ways that you can provide diamond care for your precious jewelry, in particular, there are different cleaning processes you can use to keep it looking as brilliant and sparkling as the day you brought it home from the jeweler http://www.philippine-resorts.com/diamonds/diamond-certificates.htm Diamond certificates from independent organizations such as the Gemological Institute of America (GIA) provide a diamond grading report, that gives you valuable information about the 4 C's that were taken into consideration when the diamond was priced http://www.philippine-resorts.com/diamonds/diamond-clarity.htm Diamond clarity is the measure of flaws found in and on the outside of a diamond. The less flawed a diamond is, the more value it has and the higher the price tag. There are very few diamonds which can be categorized as having no flaws at all, however, most diamond flaws cannot be seen without magnification of at least 10 times http://www.philippine-resorts.com/diamonds/diamond-color.htm What exactly is diamond color? While most people think of the classic, transparent diamond, which happens to be the most rare and valuable, the colors of diamonds actually range from transparent all the way to a brownish color. There are different saturations of diamond color, and tones http://www.philippine-resorts.com/diamonds/diamond-cost.htm If you are in the market to purchase a diamond, you'll be learning all about the 4 C's of diamonds; cut, color, clarity and carat. But in the mind of the average buyer, there is a fifth “c” that just may be the most important of all them: the diamond cost http://www.philippine-resorts.com/diamonds/diamond-cutting-styles.htm Our love of diamonds and admiration of their fire and brilliance has given rise to many different cuts of diamonds. While we still see some of the earliest styles of diamond cuts – such as the round and emerald-cut, there are many more cuts today, some of them patented by their designers and costing hundreds of thousands of dollars http://www.philippine-resorts.com/diamonds/diamond-durability.htm Diamonds are among the hardest substances on earth; in fact they use diamonds and diamond dust to cut diamonds. Other gemstones are hard as well, but not nearly as hard as a diamond. Diamonds and other gemstones are measured by the Mohs scale. It runs from 10 (hardest) down to 1 (softest). It is somewhat arbitrary and not linear. The range from 9 to 10 is much greater than 8 to 9 http://www.philippine-resorts.com/diamonds/diamond-flaws.htm When a diamond is considered to have a flaw, it is an imperfect gem stone. Something about the diamond did not form correctly, or there are tiny imperfections within the stone. Diamond flaws and inclusions are often not noticeable to the average person, and you need not worry about the small inclusions that occur in most diamonds http://www.philippine-resorts.com/diamonds/diamond-history.htm Diamond history varies greatly depending on your source of documentation, as diamond history is as rich in myths and folklore as it is in physical facts and records. Diamond history is one filled with mythical stories, such as one where snakes guarded a land full of diamonds, and the history has fascinated people with the romance and beauty that surrounds our most precious gemstones; diamonds http://www.philippine-resorts.com/diamonds/diamond-mines.htm The very mention of diamond evokes fantasies of fabulous riches and dreams of love and power. Up to the Middle Ages they were so rare and expensive that only royalty could afford diamonds. But in modern times even ordinary people are able to possess a few, thanks to the discovery of numerous diamond deposits elsewhere on the planet plus high, albeit controlled, production http://www.philippine-resorts.com/diamonds/diamond-shapes.htm If you thought all diamond shapes were the same, you may be surprised at the abundant number of diamond shapes that are available http://www.philippine-resorts.com/diamonds/diamond-your-dream-companion.htm Do you want to gift your girl friend an Anklet, Ring or a Diamond bracelet, Diamond stud Earrings? At the least, you might even think of a Diamond watch or Mont blanc pen also. A piece of diamond is bound to make your girl friend more obsessed. Doesn't your memory cherish the famous song of Nicole Kidman “Diamonds are a girl's best friend”? http://www.philippine-resorts.com/diamonds/emerald.htm Emerald has one of the longest histories of all gemstones. The first known emerald mines were in southern Egypt and were operated from before 1000 BC into the 1700's. This is a testament to the high value people have placed on emeralds for many centuries as the work was hard and dangerous and the stones small and poor by today's standards http://www.philippine-resorts.com/diamonds/famous-diamonds.htm Around the world there are many diamonds that have been talked about or written about in various stories and official documents. Famous diamonds are part of our world's history, and have been found in various parts of the world, by all types of people. From royalty to the gods, famous diamonds are often as well known as the people who owned them http://www.philippine-resorts.com/diamonds/fire.htm The term fire is commonly used to describe a diamond, but what does it refer to? The ancient Greeks thought that fire in a diamond symbolized the eternal flame of love. Fire in a diamond is the dispersed light that appears as rainbow-like flashes of color http://www.philippine-resorts.com/diamonds/fluorescence.htm We're all familiar with the 4Cs of diamonds - cut, color, clarity and carat weight. But diamonds also possess a quality called fluorescence that's part of the evaluation and assessment of a diamond. It's actually called photo-luminescence and it’s caused by small amounts of the chemical boron in the diamond. It's activated by UV light http://www.philippine-resorts.com/diamonds/gachala-emerald.htm Emerald, the birthstone for May, is one of the world's most valued gems. Mined by the Egyptians more than 3,500 years ago for the Pharaohs, this precious green stone also has been worshipped by the ancient Incas and Aztecs, the Indian Maharajas and Maharanis, and kings, queens and other royals all over the world throughout history http://www.philippine-resorts.com/diamonds/garnet.htm Garnets have been known and used in jewelry for thousands of years. Legend says that Noah used a garnet lantern to safely steer his Ark through the darkness of the night and the great flood. Garnets are found in jewelry from ancient Egyptian, Greek and Roman eras http://www.philippine-resorts.com/diamonds/gem-cutting.htm How does a lump of mineral or crystal become a dazzling diamond, ruby or sapphire? It's an amazing process called gem cutting or lapidary and makes all the difference in the final value of the stone http://www.philippine-resorts.com/diamonds/gemstones-are-mineral-crystals.htm What specifically are gems and gemstones? We know some of the most common ones – emeralds, rubies, sapphires and diamonds. But what exactly are they, how are they made and why we do we prize them so highly? http://www.philippine-resorts.com/diamonds/heat-conduction.htm Except for most blue diamonds, which are semiconductors, diamonds are good electrical insulators, meaning they reduce the flow of electricity. Blue diamonds owe their semi-conductive property to boron impurities, which act as a doping agent and cause p-type semiconductor behavior. Diamonds appear cold and hard, but they’re good conductors of heat because of the strong chemical bonds within the crystal http://www.philippine-resorts.com/diamonds/hindu-lore-rubies.htm Rubies are a type of corundum, a rare mineral made up of densely packed aluminum and oxygen atoms, which are normally colorless. When other atoms are substituted for a few of the aluminum ones, bright hues emerge http://www.philippine-resorts.com/diamonds/hooker-emerald.htm There’s something incredibly mysterious about the largest emeralds. It’s one of the rarest of gemstones, unattainable for most of us, at least in a good-quality stone. This magnificent 75.57-carat emerald was supposedly owned by the Ottoman Empire until 1900. Legend has it was used in the belt buckle of a sultan! http://www.philippine-resorts.com/diamonds/hope-diamond.htm Is there anyone who hasn't at least heard of the famous Hope Diamond? Many people are surprised when they first learn that this famous stone isn't a clear diamond, but instead is a brilliant blue stone, surrounded by white diamonds and suspended from a diamond necklace http://www.philippine-resorts.com/diamonds/how-diamonds-are-made.htm Diamonds form between 75-120 miles below the earth's surface. According to geologists the first delivery of diamonds was somewhere around 2.5 billion years ago and the most recent was 45 million years ago. The carbon that makes diamonds comes from the melting of pre-existing rocks in the Earth's upper mantle http://www.philippine-resorts.com/diamonds/how-to-buy-a-diamond.htm The first diamonds were mined in India, more than 2800 years ago. The diamonds that we find today are all extremely old. In fact, most are 900 million years old or more, with the oldest known diamond being 3.2 billion years old. Like snowflakes, each diamond is entirely unique. There are no two diamonds that are exactly the same http://www.philippine-resorts.com/diamonds/industrial-vs-gem-quality-diamond.htm Diamonds are the hardest known naturally occurring material Its hardness has been known since ancient times, and is the source of its name. However, there have been synthetic diamonds created which are even harder http://www.philippine-resorts.com/diamonds/jewelry-lab-certificates-and-appraisals.htm Most people have both jewelry lab certificates and appraisals for their valuable jewelry, but the two documents are not one in the same. They serve different purposes and contain a different set of information that is helpful to jewelry owners, as well as to people who are looking for new jewelry to purchase http://www.philippine-resorts.com/diamonds/judging-diamond-quality.htm If you want to begin judging diamond quality, you must first learn and understand the 4 C's, which are four characteristics of diamonds that give the gem stone it's overall value. The 4 C's for judging diamond quality include the diamonds color, clarity, carats and cut http://www.philippine-resorts.com/diamonds/marie-antoinette-earrings.htm There’s no more fascinating subject in history than the doomed French Queen Marie Antoinette. Much maligned by history (she never said “Let them eat cake,” in response to the people’s need for bread), she was an unwilling part of the one of the greatest revolutions in history http://www.philippine-resorts.com/diamonds/marie-louise-diadem.htm There were a few benefits to marrying the Emperor Napoleon, if you loved jewelry, that is! The Marie-Louise diadem, now part of the Smithsonian Collection, was a wedding gift from Napoleon I to his second wife, Empress Marie-Louise in 1810 http://www.philippine-resorts.com/diamonds/minerals-are-crystals.htm The earliest forms of jewelry were items that early humans found naturally, such as shells or bits of bones. Early gravesites have also revealed that pre-historic man buried his dead with flowers and with carved ivory beads. These primitive beads would have taken at least an hour each to make http://www.philippine-resorts.com/diamonds/napoleon-diamond-necklace.htm One of the most spectacular all-diamond pieces of jewelry in the Smithsonian Insitution is the Napoleon necklace. Thought to have originally been owned by Catherine the Great of Russia, it was presented by the Emperor Napoleon of France to his second wife, Marie-Louise of Austria on the birth of their son in 1811 http://www.philippine-resorts.com/diamonds/national-gem-emeralds.htm The Smithsonian Institution in Washington, DC is home to so much that’s rare and wonderful on the planet. One of the more spectacular collections is the collection of gems in the Museum of Natural History http://www.philippine-resorts.com/diamonds/other.htm The appeal of diamonds and other precious gems has endured for eons. They confer on the wearer a feeling of beauty, value, status. We are drawn to them and we all have our personal favorites. Sometimes it’s our birthstone. For others, a particular stone reflects a favorite color. There is almost a magical feeling when you are near them, the energy they create it is palpable http://www.philippine-resorts.com/diamonds/palaeolithic-age.htm As a species, we love to adorn ourselves with jewelry, makeup, hair accessories. We do it now to enhance our looks, to attract a mate and because it just makes us feel good about ourselves. Some forms of adornment are symbolic - like wedding rings http://www.philippine-resorts.com/diamonds/portuguese-diamond.htm There's something so exciting about these incredibly large and perfect stones. Sometimes they have well-documented histories and we know where they came from and who owned them and when. But others have a past that's not as well-known, and that only adds to the romance and mystique surrounding them http://www.philippine-resorts.com/diamonds/quartz.htm While quartz is the most plentiful mineral on earth, it also provides endless fascination and beauty for experts and casual observers alike. It is found in nearly every geological environment and is at least a component of almost every rock type. It is also the most varied in terms of varieties, colors and forms http://www.philippine-resorts.com/diamonds/quartz2.htm In ancient Egypt, glazed quartz served as a substitute when no high quality examples of Turquoise could be found. The Greeks had originally named quartz, krystallos, the word for ice, but this soon came to mean any crystal. In China’s Ming Dynasty, quartz often showed up as stone in jewelry work. In Pre-Columbian America, explorations of Mixtec graves have uncovered quartz use for ear jewelry http://www.philippine-resorts.com/diamonds/rose-quartz.htm Who doesn’t love rose quartz in all its varying hues of pink? Rose quartz takes its name from the flower because of its translucent and delicate pink color caused by traces of iron, manganese or titanium. Rose quartz is usually very large - meaning that it doesn't form crystals http://www.philippine-resorts.com/diamonds/royalty-diamonds.htm When did diamonds first become recognized as precious stones and used for jewelry? The earliest reference to them has been found in a Sanskrit document dated around 300 BCE. They were associated with the gods and were used to decorate religious icons and statues. In India, only kings, the highest caste, were allowed to own them http://www.philippine-resorts.com/diamonds/ruby-sapphire.htm It's hard to imagine that a mineral with a name as mundane as corundum yields gems as exquisite as the ruby and sapphire, or even that these two stones, so different in color and mystique, are actually the same mineral family http://www.philippine-resorts.com/diamonds/shapes.htm The cut of a diamond refers to the way the stone is shaped and polished, how the facets are arranged and how deep or shallow it’s cut. There are various cuts of diamonds that refer to that, many of them patented. Both Asscher and Princess diamonds are square-shaped diamonds, but they are vastly different in how the facet are cut and arranged http://www.philippine-resorts.com/diamonds/smithsonian-collection.htm Some of the world's most spectacular diamonds and other gems are located in the National Gem Collection in the Museum of Natural History in Smithsonian Collection in Washington, D.C. In the collection are diamonds known to almost everyone, such as the Hope Diamond, as well as other large diamonds and other precious gems and jewelry http://www.philippine-resorts.com/diamonds/spanish-inquisition-necklace.htm One doesn't normally associate beautiful jewelry with the time of the Spanish Inquisition. But in the Smithsonian Institution's collection of gems, there is an exquisite necklace of diamonds and emeralds http://www.philippine-resorts.com/diamonds/sri-lanka.htm One of the world's most beautiful and exotic islands, Sri Lanka, (formerly Ceylon) lies just below the southern tip of India. This pear-shaped bit of tropical paradise, about the size of Sicily, is a tourist's delight offering British teahouses, rubber plantations, and gem mines http://www.philippine-resorts.com/diamonds/victoria-transvaal-diamond.htm The Victoria-Transvaal is a 67.89-carat, brownish-yellow pear shaped stone. It was cut from a 240-carat crystal that was found in the Transvaal, South Africa. The first cutting produced a 75-carat 116-facet stone that measured 1 x 1³/8 inches; a recutting retained the same length and width, but reduced the depth to better proportions, making it more brilliant http://www.philippine-resorts.com/diamonds/why-most-minerals-not-popular-as-gems.htm There are millions of minerals that exist on the earth, but few of them are prized as gems and used for adornment. Many of them aren't in colors that are usually highly prized for jewelry. Or they're not able to be cut and polished to be made wearable as jewelry