In the diamond industry, these perceived blemishes are inclusions. 

For example, graphite clusters and inclusions can make a diamond appear black. And nitrogen will cause a yellow tint. Take that nitrogen and apply some heat and you have a brown diamond.

In “For Appearance’ Sake: The Historical Encyclopedia of Good Looks, Beauty, and Grooming,” Victoria Sherrow concluded that a preference for a pale appearance has correlated with class-consciousness. In other words, pale skin coincided with privilege. Darker skin, unfortunately, went hand in hand with manual labor and overexertion.

In “The Truth About Chocolate Diamonds,” Dodai Stewart asserted that “up until very recently, brown diamonds were not something anyone was interested in. Unless you just needed something hard and sharp, because you were running a factory.”

Is it a coincidence that brown diamonds have lower prices? Or that these so-called ugly diamonds were repurposed to do the dirty work? They became steel bits to drill through metal and part of saw blades to saw through wood. To put it plainly, their dark color went hand in hand with…manual labor.

The historically prized complexions of nearly translucent white women syncs up with the color grading of diamonds. Both systems follow eerily similar guidelines. The aesthetic of whiteness being interchangeable with value applies across all aspects of life. This is because white culture is the dominant culture.

The Diamond Colour Grading Scale was invented by the GIA or Gemological Institute of America in the 1950s. With the correct lighting, you view a diamond under great magnification. The diamond’s color is compared to a set of master stones. Depending on the color of the diamond, you can verify what letter grade it is and how much it is worth.

In the western world, jewelry has always been colonial. It’s kind of like a gun. It’s the white gaze that tells us what matters and what to pay attention to. In “Everything You Need To Know About Chocolate Diamonds,” Benjamin Khordipour gives us the facts. “Brown diamonds have always existed. They just haven’t been judged as worthy of inclusion on jewelry.” Moreover, in “Bravo for Brown Diamonds” the GIA referred to brown diamonds as the “ugly ducklings of the colored diamond world.”

It is worth noting there are no black or brown diamonds in the GIA master stone set. Every diamond that’s present is white and old, like members of a tiny corporate boardroom. The darkest diamond has faint hues of yellow, like blonde hair or straw.

In line with Jim Crow laws, brown diamonds are “separate but equal” and face segregation. And like the actual legal doctrine, “separate but equal” is not equal. Brown diamonds are worth significantly less.

Initially, because they were so undesirable a separate grading scale had to be created for them. This was known as the Argyle Grading Method. Today, brown diamonds are graded by the GIA against brown master stones.

With hip jewelers including brown diamonds in their designs, there is a rise in popularity. But the stigma of being brown is hard to erase. As Khordipour points out, “Because even the best chocolate diamonds are still brown diamonds, there is still a degree of snobbery present which sees them as the poor relations of colored diamonds.”

The general excuse that’s given is that brown diamonds are just so common, that they’re not worth much. Also, that they generally are of poor quality and thus are destined for industrial use. By poor quality, what’s being highlighted is that brown diamonds are full of inclusions. (It’s the inclusion of nitrogen that makes them brown.)

The same way that FOX News will highlight the worst examples of Black people and try to pass that off as the norm, the diamond industry has stereotyped brown diamonds as low-quality brown rocks.

That’s all fine and dandy, but brown diamonds often have the Three C’s: cut, clarity, and carat weight. And if they possess the holy trinity of diamond quality then why are they still of a lower rank? If we remove the excuses, the only difference at that point would be color. A brown diamond will cost far less than a colorless diamond with identical quality, clarity, and carat weight. I’ll repeat that, identical quality. And I think that says something about America. I think that says something about the world.

Brown diamonds have the same rating as a white diamond on the Mohs Hardness Scale. They are found deep under the Earth the same way white diamonds are found. They come in so many beautiful shades like chocolate, cognac, and champagne. And yet, they’re cheap. And yet, they’re called ugly. And yet they’re seen as fit for manual and menial labor.

The “aha!” moment for me, was when I realized that the reason that brown diamonds are worth less is bias. Being a Black person is no different than being a brown diamond. People look at you and assume you should be working hard in a factory somewhere. People view you as impure and less beautiful.

How is deciding that brown diamonds are worth 50% less than white diamonds any different than the Three-Fifths Compromise, where we used to count Black Americans as ⅗ of a person?

Historically white diamonds are worth more because they’re seen as purer. Why is white expensive and ecclesial and pure? Why is white right? Why is white the most beautiful color? What are we subjugating or devaluing by upholding that standard?

When we say that brown is not valuable or beautiful or worthy of display, is that truth or habit? We have to stop assuming old mentalities are timeless.

I am a brown diamond. I have been persecuted, stigmatized, and given a low appraisal. I have been fetishized and referred to as various liquors and desserts. But I don’t let subjective opinions affect my objective worth. I am a rarity.

The truth is that brown diamonds are as breathtaking as they are diverse. And like Black people, we have to stop pigeon-holing them and recognize their equality and beauty.

Image Credit: Marigold Events, Joe Escobar Diamonds

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They have the rainbow sheen of an oil spill and gleam like porcelain. Whenever I see opals I think of my childhood. There was a show I used to watch called “Dragon Tales” and  I’m not sure how many seasons it ran for. But what I do remember is that the two main characters, Max and Emmy found an enchanted dragon scale with fantastical powers. They would say “I wish, I wish with all my heart to fly with dragons in a land apart.” Then, they would get transported into these grand adventures. 

Seeing opal for the first time reminded me so much of that dragon scale. The magic of these stones lies in their color and luster.

Opals look so decadent and creamy and otherworldly that it’s no wonder people have tried to incorporate them into myths and attribute them to something higher.

Did you know that opals were once believed to be the tears of the Greek god Zeus? And because even in folklore men can’t understand consent or safely stomach rejection, Native Americans thought that opal was a Rainbow Goddess who transformed herself into stone to evade the advance of other gods. 

One of my favorite poems about the gemstone is by Pulitzer Prize winner Amy Lowell and I’ve shared it below:

Opal

You are ice and fire,

The touch of you burns my hands like snow.

You are cold and flame.

You are the crimson of amaryllis,

The silver of moon-touched magnolias.

When I am with you,

My heart is a frozen pond

Gleaming with agitated torches.

I love the imagery in this poem. The moonlit white-petaled flowers. The coldness of the ice and the warm heat of torch fire. 

Let me know your thoughts in the comments below. Is opal the stuff of legend or overhyped? 

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Getting a piece of gemstone jewelry that was labeled synthetic piqued my interest on how lab-grown gemstones and diamonds work. I had so many questions: In the 21st century, do we still need to mine gemstones if we can build them in a lab? How are synthetic gemstones and diamonds even made? How do lab-grown diamonds factor into the engagement ring trends of today?

So here’s a breakdown on lab-grown diamonds:

Many people have heard the old saying, “pressure either busts pipes or makes diamonds.” It is a well-known fact that natural diamonds are created from the perfect cocktail of heat and pressure while they are deep underground. Lab-grown diamonds, also called CVD diamonds are created by a process called chemical vapor distillation. Similarly, it employs heat and pressure to make the stone.  I won’t bore you with the details of how lab diamonds are made but David Chandler did a fascinating piece breaking down the scientific process for MIT News here. 

One thing that has always made diamonds valuable is the controlled scarcity of them. But now that lab-created diamonds have entered the scene, availability is sky-high. Diamonds are more commercially accessible than they have ever been. Creating diamonds using the CVD process affects their price point, which is good news as you hunt for a gift around the holiday season. 

You might be thinking, well if the diamonds are made in a laboratory then they’re fake. One myth to dispel is that lab-grown diamonds are cubic zirconia. That is 1000% false! These diamonds are so far from the costume jewelry you might find on sale in a department store. 

Lab diamonds are visually and even chemically the same as natural mined diamonds.  They are completely “real” and identical in their molecular composition. This also goes for man-made gemstones, the underground process that would normally yield a gem can be sped up in a laboratory with absolutely no additional costs for mining. Arguably, lab-grown gemstones can even be superior to mined gemstones because natural gemstones often have flaws and inclusions. Man-made gemstones can be grown inclusion-free and “perfect.” 

Synthetic diamonds and gemstones are ideal for engagement rings because frankly, they cost less and can be high quality. More and more millennial women are opting for synthetic stones for their engagement rings. If you’re wondering if synthetic jewels can be just as tasteful and well designed as natural ones, the answer is yes. 

One of my favorite designers who works with lab-grown stones is Soulbound Jewelry. Her recently debuted Dark World Ring features a 1.2 carat lab-grown emerald cut lab grown alexandrite. This ring was inspired by The Legend of Zelda and transitions from day-to-night from blue to purple depending on the lighting. 

See this ring and more in next week’s article: Synthetic Gemstone Jewelry To Die For. 

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