Mrs Firestone came into the studio the other day asking if I would have a look at her single stone marquise cut diamond ring as the diamond seemed to feel rough. I informed her that the diamond had been chipped.

” How could that be !! ” she exclaimed, ” I thought that diamonds were supposed to be really hard ”

I then went on to explain that yes, diamond is the hardest substance that occurs in nature - it is in fact ten times harder than the second hardest which is corundom - the family name for ruby and sapphire. Diamond is also impervious to all acids and alkalines and has an extremely high resistance to the conductivity of electricity. In short, diamond is virtually - but not totally - indestructable.

It is a common misconception, with the lay person, the thought  that diamonds are indestructable.

Diamond  has a grain running through it like wood, and just like wood, to cut across the the grain you need to saw it, with a diamond tipped saw of course. But to split it down the grain you can use a blunt tool, like splitting wood with an axe.

It is a lot easier to damage a diamond than a lot of people appreciate and is therefore, very important when mounting and setting a diamond, to protect it’s vulnarable areas.

When I am asked to design and create a peice of jewellery, and in particularly a diamond engagement ring which gets a lot of wear and tear, I advise my clients of  the best ways of setting the stones so as to maximise their safety with the minimum compromise to the style.

With gem set rings, and in particular diamond engagement rings, which are to be worn daily, it is important that the stones are protected and secured properly.

Regards

Alan