Blue Diamond Rings
Blue precious stones are most often associated with sapphires, which are still precious stones, but not diamonds: they are softer and have much lesser value. Blue is beautifully calm and brilliant, and it signifies trust, stability, wisdom, confidence, and loyalty. These are all desirable traits in a union between two people – and they are best summed up in the form of a blue diamond ring.
Blue diamonds go well with almost every metal used to make rings. Silver, white gold, yellow gold, platinum, titanium…all of them complement and bring the brilliant blue color to the fore. Thus, blue diamonds can be used alone as solitaire rings, although they can also be set with multiple other diamonds, as in the Pave or princess settings.
Like other colored diamonds, blue diamonds came to be as a result of impurities in the kimberlite (truly pure diamonds are clear and have no color). Blue diamonds came to be due to the presence of boron in their crystal matrix and are categorized as a Type Two diamond. They can also be Type One diamonds due to a high nitrogen content. Uniquely enough, they can be semiconductors – a trait unique to Type IIb diamonds, which are light blue.
Now, Type IIb diamonds are extremely rare, although not as rare as red diamonds: they account for a mere 0.1 percent of gem diamonds. As a result, there is often a shortage of supply in the face of comparatively overwhelming demand for blue diamonds. Researchers and jewelers have circumvented this problem by creating synthetic blue diamonds to make up for the deficit in natural blue diamonds.
While they might look alike enough to fool the eyes of the masses, a precious stone collector or someone well-versed in precious stones will notice the difference immediately. If that is not too much of a concern, you might consider purchasing a synthetic blue diamond ring instead.
Natural vs. Synthetic Blue Diamond Rings
It’s not as scary as it sounds. The only difference between natural and synthetic blue diamond rings is the way they attained their coloring. Natural blue diamond rings get their color from particles of boron that convoluted their make-up, while synthetic blue diamond rings were not naturally blue.
They are, in fact, real diamonds. White diamonds, to be precise. The only difference is that those diamonds have undergone treatment under heat and pressure, a process engineered to simulate conditions underground, to turn the white of the stones to blue. A specialist will blast the white diamonds with radiation to unlock what they term a ‘color center’, which, as the name implies, determines the color of the stone. The irradiated diamonds are then heated to preserve their new color. They will still retain the sparkle of a naturally-colored diamond, because diamonds are still diamonds regardless of any changes to their color or shape.
Not many people might be aware of this, but there probably are more synthetic blue diamonds our there than natural blue ones. They are also cheaper by virtue of their availability. Unlike most other things it should be all right to pick a synthetic blue diamond ring in the absence of a natural one (and if the price is beyond your reach) because it is, essentially, still a real diamond ring.
Both Colors Matter
There can be two colors in the stone of any diamond ring: the main color, and an undertone. The main color is the one you see and the one diamonds are judged by, but undertones are more fickle. They can enhance the color of the stone and make it look more attractive; conversely, it can also muddle the color and lower its value.
That said, the saturation of the color is also important since this is a colored diamond ring. Generally, the deeper and more intense the color of the diamond, the higher its value.
Where to Buy
This one is a tough question. The answers, of course, are ‘online’ and ‘offline’, but the choices within each option are wide and varied. Preferably, you will be able to buy it offline in a brick-and-mortar shop so that you may personally inspect the diamond ring for any defects or false claims.
Finding a jewellery shop with the kind of ring you want, however, can be a daunting task. You can use the Yellow Pages or conduct a quick online search for the contact numbers of several jewelers near you to ask if they stock or are willing to look for a blue diamond ring. If you’re lucky, they can reserve the one you want for you, or you can go to their shop to inspect the ring – or rings, as luck would have it. However if they do not have any, you might be able to place an order with them so that they will notify you when blue diamond rings are in stock.
You can also buy one online, though this option is much riskier than the other. You should buy directly from a jeweler website where possible to reduce the risk of fraud. To reduce the risk of forgery, try gunning for reputable jewelers and insist on getting some form of validation and, if possible, a possibility for a refund should anything go wrong.
It goes without saying that visiting a store and personally choosing your ring is a much safer option.
Conclusion
A diamond ring is always an exquisite thing to have or to give, and blue is most often touted as the favorite color of a person, more so than other colors. A blue diamond ring combines both these elements and thus enables you to – so to speak – kill two birds with one stone.
It is true that there are alternatives to a natural blue diamond ring: you can get a synthetic blue diamond ring, or you can forgo diamond rings altogether if getting something blue is your priority and go for a sapphire instead – this is probably about as ‘fake’ as you can get, which doesn’t account for much since sapphires are still precious stones, just not as valuable. And your partner might actually prefer sapphires to diamonds after all. Who knows?
You can always ask before buying and save yourself some trouble (and maybe some disappointment on your significant other’s part).