(
I-Canada-News.Com, June 11, 2013 ) Toronto, Canada --
Mercantile Diamond Group, Inc looks at the Amber Diamond and the Shelby Red as quoted from Rapaport report of March 2012 by Ettagale Blauer:
In the world of fancy color diamonds, the cutter partners with nature to create unique, one of a kind masterpieces. The number of tones found within a colored diamond may be infinite and coaxing the optimal color from the rough is a process both scientific and artistic. It requires a visionary artist who, like Michelangelo, can find the David within the marble. But, just as with David, only a genius can take away exactly the right amount, in exactly the right places, to produce the diamond masterpieces seen on these pages.
These two extraordinary examples from within the red spectrum show how truly varied and exquisite colored diamonds can be. At the same time, such stones pose the ultimate challenge to the Gemological Institute of America (GIA), whose graders must consider the multitude of varied tones within the stones before issuing color and clarity grades.
The Ember Diamond
The magnificent SI1, 1.26-carat stone named the Ember Diamond evokes the rich and varied tones of autumn leaves in Maine. This octagonal stone was certified as fancy reddish orange by the GIA, which examined it in minute detail. The Ember Diamond is believed to have come from a piece of rough found in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) in Africa, formerly known as Zaire.
In order to preserve the rich, dominant color within the rough, the cutter of the Ember Diamond employed a variety of techniques. According to the GIA description, "With the chosen proportions and interfacet angles, the octagonal shape – similar in symmetry to the round shape – efficiently collects color in the center of the stone, resulting in a deeply saturated face-up appeal. Broad, flat facets on the bottom of the stone allow the color to return to the eye as relatively large planes, thus becoming the focus for the observer.”
The cutter’s skills produced an optimal and distinctive visual experience and a one of a kind gemstone. As with any masterpiece, only those who understand the challenges involved in cutting such a stone can truly appreciate the achievement.
The Shelley Red
In modern gemology, designating a diamond as fancy red with no modifiers is a rare event. One such rarity is the .69-carat VS2 fancy red stone dubbed the Shelley Red. The stone is a pear-shaped modified brilliant cut that, “helps to strengthen and concentrate the apparent red color” seen in the stone face up. This face-up color strength or saturation is found at precisely the point within the GIA’s three dimensional box where the pure color red is situated. This is an extremely rare natural occurrence. This purity of red is quite unusual for a natural diamond.
Noted colored diamond expert Stephen Hofer goes on to say that the Shelley Red, which received its GIA certificate on February 14, 2011, “has a distinct red hue when compared against the most saturated red color chip in the Munsell color notation system, the Munsell 5R 4/14 color chip.”
Hofer dissects the interior of the diamond, noting that “This stone exhibits obvious pink/red graining inside the crystal....This complex mosaic of bright and deep, pink and red reflected colors gives this diamond its unique beauty and singular appearance as a gemstone.”
Cutting played a prominent role in achieving the fancy red grade for this diamond. In his December 14, 2011, monograph on the stone, Hofer writes, “This well-made modified brilliant cut with four pavilion main facets also distributes the color fairly evenly, giving this gem a high degree of color symmetry.” He concludes that red diamonds “continue to be regarded as the ‘rarest of all’ diamond colors and that they are seldom to be seen in the diamond trade, possessing extreme natural rarity and each one is considered a true collector’s item.”
Disclaimer:
This report is based on information available to the public. The information and any statistical data contained herein has been obtained from sources we believe reliable, but we do not represent that they are accurate or complete and should not be relied upon as such. The material contained herein is for information purposes only.
About Mercantile Diamond Group, Inc.
Mercantile Diamond Group is the publisher of The Mercantile Diamond Analyst -- a quarterly report written by some of the best technical people involved in the science of Natural Colored Diamonds. It includes major auction and private sale results worldwide, as well as topics of interest to anyone contemplating an investment in Colored Diamonds.
To subscribe to the report, go to
http://www.mercantilediamondgroup.com or contact us at the telephone number or e-mail listed below. Please allow two weeks to receive your first report copy.
Mercantile Diamond Group Inc.
David Metcalfe
416-679-1550
info@mercantilediamondgroup.comSource:
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