Diamonds Final.qxp_Layout 1 26/01/2024 17:54 Page 1
Diamonds are forever
...but the world of diamonds is changing, and you now have more choice than ever! Emma Clegg takes a deep dive into the world of diamonds, with the help of local jeweller Nicholas Wylde. She discovers that natural diamonds have exactly the same chemical qualities as laboratorygrown stones and the difference can only be identified with a specialist, high value machine. So what do those considering a dazzling purchase need to know before they buy?
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round 90 miles below the surface in areas of the Earth’s mantle, temperatures reach 2,000°F. It is here, at these depths and temperatures, where natural diamonds form under extremely high pressure. It is the fast-moving magma from deep-source volcanic eruptions that brings them closer to the surface and allows us to access them via a mining process that involves excavating the earth using heavy machinery and explosives. Once the rough crystal has been mined, usually two diamonds are cut from it into faceted gems. Cutting diamonds requires specialised knowledge, tools and techniques, and often a diamond will be used to cut a diamond. Due to their rarity, beauty and durability – they have a hardness rating of 10 on the Mohs scale – natural diamonds are highly valued. They have also benefitted from the marketing strategies of diamond companies including De Beers, which in its 1948 campaign adopted the slogan ‘A diamond is forever’, sky-rocketing the attraction of the diamond engagement ring. Ever since that time, diamonds have been endowed with a mystical power and are the most coveted gemstone in the world. Everyone loves to wear these sparkling crystals made up of pure carbon atoms, and the giving of a diamond – especially as an engagement ring – has become a symbol of a love or enduring bond that will live as long as the stone itself. The formation of natural diamonds is a complex process, but it results in a rare gift from the Earth from which goldsmiths and jewellers like Nicholas can create beautiful jewellery, that will last for generations to come.
The swift growth of laboratory-grown diamonds
Nicholas Wylde
22 TheBATHMagazine | february 2024 | iSSue 252
Jeweller Nicholas Wylde – an expert in the diamond world and creator of his own unique cut of diamond, the Wylde Flower Diamond® – tells me that things started to shift in the 1950s with a new process entering the market: the development of laboratory-grown diamonds, produced