Page 54 - 18 KARATI GOLD&FASHION 233

THE NATURAL DIAMOND
more unique than rare
Cooling down, the magma shapes the rock called kimberlite (from the town Kimberley in South Africa), into vertical structures known as kimberlite pipes. The structure of a diamond is composed of crystals which form an octahedron or a hexakis-octahedron. Most of the time other shapes can evolve into these shapes, for example some triangular incisions. The four factors which determine the value of the diamond are the four “Cs”, from the initials of the four terms in English: “carat”, “cut”, “clarity”, “colour”. There are two types of deposits from which diamonds are extracted: primary and secondary. In primary deposits the diamonds are found inside the kimberlite and are extracted through crumbling. The secondary deposits are present in the areas surrounding the primary deposits, usually consisting of alluvial deposits. The most important diamond deposits are concentrated in several countries, the principal ones are: Russia, with a mining production of 16 million carats; Democratic Republic of Congo, with a mining production of 13 million carats and the second biggest reserve in the world (150 million carats); Australia,
In alto: collana/bracciale “Zip”, a forma di cerniera, composta da maglie a spina di pesce bordate da motivi a cuore, evidenziate da diamanti taglio brillante. Firmata Van Cleef & Arpels. A fianco: anello con diamanti taglio cuscino e brillante, con diamanti rosa, montato in platino e oro rosa 18 Kt. Firmato Van Cleef & Arpels.
Top: “Zip” necklace/bracelet, composed of herringbone links bordered by heart motifs, accented by brilliant cut diamonds. Signed Van Cleef & Arpels. At the side: ring with cushion and brilliant cut diamonds and pink diamonds, mounted in platinum and 18 Kt rose gold. Signed Van Cleef & Arpels.