| Throughout history, diamonds have been the ultimate symbol of power and wealth. Size, quality and rarity determine a diamond's value. Most diamonds are white but on rare occasions, diamonds are colored. Diamonds exhibit every color of the spectrum, more colors than any other gemstone. But it is the black diamond that is the rarest among the entire carbon family. Unlike other diamonds that consist of single carbon crystals, black diamonds are composed of multiple carbon crystals intertwined. This creates their dark color.
Unlike other colored diamonds, black diamonds are nearly always discovered near the earth's surface. Because of their rarity, their unique atomic structure and the fact that they are found near the earth's surface, many scientists believe their origin to be meteors that struck earth 3.5 billion years ago. Whatever their source, black diamonds are the rarest diamonds of all. |
