Red Diamond Rings
Red diamonds are the rarest of their kind, and to see them set in a ring means that the ring is doubtlessly very, very expensive. Red is fiery, passionate, brave, strong and more – everything you’d want in love. It is also the color of your lifeblood, the one thing that keeps you alive with help from your heart. Red is therefore, unsurprisingly, the color of love.
Red diamonds are so rare because they only occur due to a structural anomaly caused by plastic deformities when their crystals are still in the process of forming. They are Type IIa gems and constitute a mere 1.8% of all diamonds found. However, an overwhelming part of that tiny number was mined in Australia. Argyle Mine, to be exact; it is the source of many diamonds supplied worldwide.
Unlike white diamonds, or any other diamonds for that matter, the asking price for red diamonds can be as volatile as it is astronomical. Because so few are in existence and even fewer never had a previous ownership (Argyle’s employs a crafty strategy to limit the supply of red diamonds to a few stones annually), they fetch almost-unworldly prices that are far beyond the reach of the average citizen. Understandably, only billionaires and a smattering of millionaires can play this game.
As of April 2010, only 60 red diamonds have found owners, making the possibility of finding a red diamond ring even rarer; one would have a much better chance aiming for a diamond with a blush of pink.
The sharp deficit of supply has led to a spawning of synthetic red diamonds for use in rings, necklaces, bracelets and what-have-you, but even so the demand remains unsated. This is due to the fact that synthetic red diamonds are difficult to create (score one to red diamonds, zero to us).
If you think you have a deep enough pocket and would like to give red diamond hunting a try, you will often find that information on it is scarce. This is, in part, due to the sheer rarity of the gem. It might also have something to do with the fact that Argyle withholds information about its red diamond buyers.
There are a few things that remain constant regardless of a diamond’s availability, though; these can be used to judge the red diamond rings that you wish to buy, even if you are hard-pressed to find specific information about it online or offline.
- The 4 C’s
This acronym refers to the four points against which every diamond is judged. They stand for cut, color, clarity and carat.
There are several cuts, which refers to the style of cutting a diamond and not its final shape. These include the marquise cut, the baguette cut and the Asscher cut. Every cut has its own emphasis point(s), and as such the final shape of the gem and the number of facets it sports – even its table, the large, flat surface of a polished diamond – differs.
Color in particular is of high importance when it comes to colored diamonds, as are red diamonds. It probably need not be reiterated that truly red diamonds are very, very rare. Rarer than pink diamonds, even. And since pink is somewhat like a precursor to red, even the slightest blush of pink (or faded red, if you prefer to think about it that way) can dramatically increase the value of a diamond. Styles such as the emerald cut help to ramp up the color of a gem. The intensity of the color is important too: the price goes up with its intensity.
The clarity of a diamond is affected by the cut and therefore by the skill of the jeweler. Any blemishes or bubbles in the stone will negatively affect its clarity. A diamond with a higher number of facets stands a higher chance of hiding these nuances than one with a lower facet count, as is the case with frugal baguettes. Sometimes, though, the ability to hide the imperfections depends on the color ad opacity of the diamond.
Finally, a diamond’s carat count refers to its implied weight or size. Diamonds of different colors might be of different sizes even though they are of similar weight; this might be due to the minute differences in their atomic makeup. Extremely small diamonds can be weighed in points rather than carats. Generally, the higher the carat count, the more expensive the diamond will be, although this also depends on its cut, the intensity of its color, and the clarity of the gem.
So as you can see, the four Cs intertwine and overlap to give as whole a view of diamonds as they can.
- Its Authenticity
No one wants to buy a diamond ring only to find out that it is not authentic. To circumvent this problem, genuine diamond rings are provided with certificates of authentication, which can be used to prove its genuineness. You should insist on procuring one when buying a diamond ring, especially a red diamond ring; if the shop is unable to produce one, just walk out.
Sometimes a company goes the extra mile to put its stamp on authentic diamonds. One such company is the Assher family company, which inherited and continued the Asscher cut for diamond cutting. The Asscher company makes each of the diamonds it cuts bear the family insignia and a unique identification number, both of which are only visible upon magnification. These minute details can help you to determine if your diamond ring is authentic or not.
Conclusion
Red diamond rings are really, really rare, and you might not even see a real one in your lifetime unless you happen to be in the company of the most affluent (or perhaps simply rich and extravagant) people in the world. So don’t get your hopes up too high and don’t be too crushed when you fail to procure one; only a select few have that privilege and there are very high chances that it doesn’t include you.
Sometimes we have to trade off romance with reality and settle for what’s already available. After all, do actions not speak better than words? Why give you and your partner little more than bragging rights (plus a healthy dose of paranoia that comes with owning such a rare object) in the verbal sense of the word, when you can settle for a more affordable diamond ring and show her how much you love and appreciate her for the rest of your union?