Ever Considered a Black Diamond Engagement Ring?

Thinking about a diamond engagement ring? Black diamonds’ incredibly dramatic and exceptional style is becoming increasingly popular. Generally, people associate the colour black with death and grief, but this rich colour is also associated with authority, power, strength, certainty and passion. Such a bold gemstone is perfect for a woman who isn’t like anyone else.

When people are asked to picture a diamond engagement ring, they usually imagine the stereotypical clear diamond, but diamonds can come in lots of different colours. Black diamonds are real diamonds; their colour caused by graphite inclusions or, more commonly, enhancement by irradiation and heat. Many black diamonds on the market, in fact, owe their solid – almost opaque - black hue to colour enhancement techniques, especially as the inclusions in natural black diamonds generally produce a greyish, almost patchy colour. Generally, colour-enhanced black diamonds are also considerably cheaper than a natural black coloured diamonds, as well as looking better.

Unlike other diamonds, black diamonds don’t sparkle, but they do have a unique and highly reflective adamantine lustre. Given the opaqueness of black diamonds and the fact that the passage of light is not as important as in a colourless stone, a black diamond engagement ring has few setting limitations and is quite flexible, though they tend to particularly suit prong, pave or channel settings. It is recommended, however, that a black diamond centre stone be accented with small clear diamonds, which makes a wonderful contrast between the white and black. This is also the reason why a black diamond engagement ring is usually set in white gold or platinum, as the white tone enhances the intense black colour.

While black diamonds generally weigh a bit more than standard colourless diamonds, a one-carat black diamond will be smaller than a one-carat colourless diamond. However, these stones are a wonderful low-cost alternative to the classic diamond. With their rich, mysterious aura, these precious stones complement both contemporary and vintage designs and have only very recently become popular. Their rise in popularity dates back to 1996, when a Swiss jeweller called Fawaz Gruosi started the trend with a highly successful collection of black diamond jewellery. Other particularly famous black diamonds include the Black Orlov, the Amsterdam Diamond, the Table of Islam and the Korloff Noir.

Choosing such an exquisite ring would be a mark of a couple’s love and passion and is the perfect choice for those couples looking for something more unusual and less traditional. The meaning of a black diamond can also be incredibly romantic, as in Chinese it is the symbol of water. Since humans cannot live without water, what could be more romantic than receiving or giving an engagement ring which portrays that your partner could not live without you.

Frederick Holm writes for the F&L Designer Guides, which hosts a thriving community of independent engagement ring designers in the UK. Inspired by their journey of discovery in search of a distinctive, one-of-a-kind diamond engagement ring, F&L now celebrates the works of their favourite designers and helps promote the notion of "Go Bespoke" as a more imaginative and interesting alternative to the limitations of High Street shopping.

Writer and Online Marketing Manager in London.