Gassan Diamonds

Would you like to give a talk about diamonds or write a school paper about diamonds? You can find a lot of information here. We first describe the origin of diamonds. Then we will describe the process by which rough diamonds are turned into sparkly cut brilliants. After that, there is some information about how we determine the price of a diamond. You can also download pictures and photographs to make your talk or paper even more dazzling! Finally, we have some tips for interesting links, brilliant books and exciting stories about diamonds.
We wish you the best of luck with your project and naturally hope that you will get a brilliant score.

How is a diamond formed?

The ancient Greeks believed that diamonds were slivers of stars that had fallen to earth. Others claimed that they were the tears of gods. Another legend has it that the floor of an inaccessible valley somewhere in Central Asia is covered in diamonds. It is said to be guarded by terrifying birds of prey and murderous snakes. We hardly need to point out that while interesting, these legends are actually rather far from the truth. Diamonds were formed as the result of a millennia-long process, through the scorching heat and enormous pressure in the earth’s crust. Over time, pure carbon crystallised in such a way as to produce material of unsurpassed hardness.
The first diamonds were found more than 2,000 years ago in India. That is where many famous diamonds like the Koh-i-Noor and the Orloff come from. In the 18th century, the first diamonds were found in South America, and in the 19th century in South Africa, where the largest diamond ever found, the Cullinan Diamond, comes from. These days, most diamonds come from Africa, South America, Australia and Russia.
So how is a diamond formed?
1. Diamonds start off as a chunk of carbon in the earth.
2. -All living creatures consist partially of carbon. The tip of your pencil is also made from carbon.
3. -The pressure in the earth’s crust compresses those chunks of carbon, creating a diamond.
4. -This process takes many centuries!!!
Where are diamonds found?
- In countries like Brazil, Canada, Venezuela and Russia.
- Most diamonds are found in South Africa.
- We find diamonds in mines; sometimes they pop out of volcanoes.
- When a diamond comes out of a volcano, it is wearing a stone coat. Such a coat is called kimberlite. It is a blue volcanic stone.
- The first diamonds were found by people in India 2,000 years ago.

Diamond cutting process

A rough diamond looks so much like a pebble that most people would not think it worth a second look. A diamond’s true beauty is hidden in its core and it is the task of diamond cutters like the experts at Gassan Diamonds to reveal this beauty in its full splendour. Diamond cutting process consists of three phases: sawing, bruting, and polishing. The cutter selects the cut, which is the future shape of the stone, based on the weight, shape and purity of the rough diamond. The different facets of the diamond are cut one by one, to gradually reveal the diamond’s ultimate beauty and brilliance.

Diamond cutting

1. When a diamond is found, it has no brilliance yet. This is also called a rough or uncut diamond.
2. - A rough diamond looks like two interlocked pyramids.
3. The top is sawn off. Sawing just means that the diamond is cut in half. It is then rounded.
4. Finally, the diamond cutter cuts flat faces to reveal the diamond’s brilliance.
5. These flat faces are called facets.
6. Facets are cut in three stages. The girdle, table and culet are cut first. The girdle is the round edge on the diamond. The table is the flat part on top of the stone. The culet is the point on the bottom. 9 facets are then cut: 5 on the top half (crown) and 4 on the bottom part (pavilion). This results in the cross cut. When looking into the stone, you can see a cross.
7. The cutter then adds 8 facets at a time until the diamond has 57 facets.
8. This is called a brilliant cut diamond, which is a diamond with 57 faces or facets.
9. Gassan’s proprietary cut is called the Gassan 121. It has 16 more facets on the crown and 48 facets below the girdle.

The value of a diamond

A diamond’s value is determined by 4 factors. These are called the 4 Cs because all factors start with the letter C. All four have an impact on the diamond’s value. Because diamonds are a natural product, no two diamonds are the same. As such, diamonds do not have a fixed price.
CARAT The unit of weight for diamonds is the carat. One carat equals 0.2 grams. One carat adds 100 points to the total value. So a diamond of 25 points is 1/4 carat.
COLOUR Although we find diamonds of many different colours, only the colourless and yellow-tinted stones are actually graded.
From the highest-ranking colour to the lowest, we distinguish:
- River (blue-white)
- Top Wesselton (fine-white) Colourless
- Wesselton (white) Colourless
- Top Crystal (slightly tinted white) Colourless
- Crystal (tinted white) Colourless
- Cape (yellowish) Colourless, but with a yellowish shine
- Yellow
CLARITY Clarity is a very important element in determining the value of a diamond. It is determined by an expert using a magnifying glass that magnifies every detail ten times. Except for the absolutely perfect ones, all diamonds have what we call inclusions. Inclusions are enclosed minerals or small cracks. The size, colour (light or dark) and position of these inclusions determine the clarity of the diamond.
- Perfect: this is the highest clarity. An expert cannot detect any inclusions with his magnifying glass.
- VVS (Very Very Small inclusions): Very difficult to detect with a magnifying glass.
- VS (Very Small inclusions): Difficult to detect with a magnifying glass.
- SI 1 + 2 (Small Inclusions): Easy to detect with a magnifying glass.
- Piqué 1: Inclusions are clearly seen with a magnifying glass, but do not affect the sparkle.
- Piqué 2: Inclusions can be seen with the naked eye, and do affect the sparkle.
- Piqué 3: Inclusions are clearly seen with the naked eye and the sparkle is diminished.
CUT The best-known cut is the round brilliant cut. There are other diamond cuts as well, the main ones being the Gassan 121, emerald, marquise, pear shape, oval, baguette, and square.

What does a diamond cost?

- Once a diamond has been cut, its value is determined by the four Cs.
- The four Cs are Carat (weight), Colour, Clarity and Cut.
- The more rare the diamond, the more expensive it is.
- The diamond is then set into a piece of jewelry by a goldsmith. A goldsmith is someone who makes jewelry. The customer first picks his or her preferred setting in white, pink or yellow gold.

Books on diamonds

The Great Diamond Robbery
Geronimo Stilton
I, Geronimo Stilton, am no sports mouse. But that didn't stop Grandfather William from dragging me to a golf tournament so I could be his caddie! Once I arrived, who should I bump into but my friend Kornelius Von Kickpaw, a.k.a. Special Agent 00K. Someone was plotting to steal the Super Mouse Cup, and it was up to me and Kornelius to crack the case!
Listening from about 7 years, independent reading from about 9 years of age.