LifeGem^®.  Diamond Education.

Diamond, the hardest known material is pure carbon, crystallized under a very high pressure and temperature. In nature, such an environment exists only at depths of 90 to 125 miles (150 to 200 km) below the surface of the earth. Volcanic eruptions drive the diamond bearing rocks called "Kimberlite" and "Lamproite" to the surface of the earth where the diamonds can be extracted.

What happens next?

The diamonds are mined by numerous and very diverse methods, depending on how the diamonds are presented at the earth's surface. Some diamonds are freed by erosion and carried along by rivers. Riverbeds are dug away and the river silt is sieved. Another approach is to dredge the sandy coastal strata.

Finding diamonds is typically the result of large industrial operations, but occasionally can be found with small-scale methods, or even manual labor.

Diamonds are rare. It is usual that 250 tons of rock, sand and gravel must be processed to yield one carat of diamond.  The saying goes, "Five billion truckloads of earth for ONE truckload of diamonds."

Once the diamonds are found and removed from the earth, they need to be transformed from rough crystals to polished gems.  A rough diamond obtains its final shape and brilliance by a succession of manufacturing processes : cleaving, sawing, and polishing.

Finally, the quality of the diamond must be defined.  The quality of a diamond is determined by the four C's. Carat , Color, Clarity and Cut.  A diamond is graded for quality in a certificates laboratory such as the European Gemological Laboratory (EGL).

Now for some information on the best kept secret.  Colored, or "fancy" diamonds are the MOST rare and priceless diamonds available.

Many people have never even heard of colored diamonds.  Almost all of the publicity and advertising for diamonds is slanted towards convincing consumers that white, or more accurately colorless, is the only desirable color for diamonds.  Fortunately, an educated public makes a wiser consumer.

Diamonds occur in a wide variety of colors. Many of these colors are very attractive and the diamonds, due to their rarity, are even more desirable than colorless ones.  This is especially true of intensely colored diamonds.

You may wonder why, if colored diamonds are so fabulous, you don't hear more about them?

Most likely, the main reason colored diamonds are never promoted is the very fact that they are so rare.  Why bother to promote something with a very limited supply that you can't get enough of?  Intense, or "canary" yellow is the most common, with only a handful of natural blues and reds even known to exist.  The prices for these natural colored diamonds can easily top $100,000 per carat, with some reaching well over $1,000,000.  Take a look for yourself - here or here.

This is why we are so excited to not only provide you with the most exquisite and timeless memorial of your loved one, but also the chance to own the equivalent of one of natures most prized possessions.