Black Diamond Rings

my mother saw this diamond ring with black and white Diamonds total of 0.5 carat in 14 k white gold. the price at the shop is 500$ i saw it on amazon on sale for 280$. it sounds really cheap to me are these fake / artificial diamonds? also the black diamonds don’t seem to let light in and don’t really sparkle is this normal for black Diamonds?

Hello,

Black Diamonds are pretty much diamonds that are still in the carbon stage so they didn’t have enough time, pressure or heat to become crystalized like the rest of the diamonds are.

Black diamonds’ value is often one tenth of a regular diamonds but it will depend on the size and shape. Obviously if it is a really large black diamonds price could go up to thousands but will still cost fraction of a regular diamond in the same size. Also there isn’t any brilliance because they don’t let the light to reflect back from the facets. They tend to look dull black like onyx.

Without seeing the diamond ring listed on Amazon.com it is hard to estimate it’s value but you should ask the weight and quality of diamonds at both places to make a decision.

Once final thing black diamonds might be the trend right now but once it passes their value even drops lower so they won’t retain their value for the future.

Personally I would go with the Amazon.com and if you really hate it you can always return it for a full refund. I don’t think I can say the same thing when you buy it from a local shop.

Good luck!

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Okay, ive inherited a blackdiamond ring. its certified, this is what the paper says:
Natural Diamonds, round brilliant,1.2 carats,clarity I-3, color black (ce)
14k gold ring, total weight of gold is 4.2 grams

Here is a picture:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/24045639@N02/2535924895/

What would this be worth if i was looking to sell it?

You have inherited an oddity. Black diamonds are rarely cut and polished, which is why you are having difficulty finding pricing on it online. Most diamonds are black or brown, and are used for industrial purposes as abrasives. While some can be attractive, they are generally not particularly valuable. Flaws in diamonds — called "inclusions" — can be cracks and fissures in the stone (even inside the stone), twinned crystals which appear white or cloudy inside a clear stone, or foreign matter trapped inside the crystal. Often this is carbon that does not convert to diamond. This foreign matter is not the same as a coloring agent — for example trace elements of, say, cobalt, might turn a diamond blue without effecting the clarity of the diamond. Black Diamonds contain enough foreign matter to "occlude" transparency and blacken the stone. As a novelty, you might be able to sell it for a few hundred dollars online to someone who is just interested in a curiosity — a black diamond, cut and polished for jewelry. As a gemstone itself, I would guess that market price (for only the stone) might be $100 to $200. I-3 is the lowest clarity grade for a gem quality diamond, but I don’t think a diamond could be black and have a higher clarity grade. The cut of the diamond will have little impact on value because cut is designed to enhance the light refractive qualities of the stone — a well cut diamond will maximize this property. In a black stone, the shape and proportion (in other words "the cut") will not change the price. Gold is something like $40 per gram to a jeweler.

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