BLACK DIAMOND

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8/10 carbonado (natural)  Natural, untreated black diamonds are among the rarest diamond types on Earth. They account for only about 0.1% to 1% of all diamonds found worldwide. Treated black diamonds are far more common, we don't use those.

7–8/10 (carbonado)  Value is driven more by origin, narrative and design context (their opacity/ blackness) than traditional diamond metrics (ie cut, clarity, brilliance).

Natural carbonado (the 'space' diamonds) are one of the rarest and certainly the most mysterious members of the family. Unlike other diamonds, they are polycrystalline, meaning they are made of millions of tiny carbon diamond crystals fused together. 

Many scientists believe carbonados formed in supernova explosions billions of years ago, likely arriving on Earth inside a massive meteorite that crashed into the supercontinent Pangea before Africa and South America split apart.

Unlike traditional diamonds, they are highly porous, containing traces of nitrogen and hydrogen (common in space). They have also never been found in traditional diamond-bearing volcanic pipes (which is how diamonds usually come to the surface). 

Carbonados are truly a unique, and fascinating stone - but beware of treated, or synthetics. These are increasingly prevalent.

Brazilians in the early 1700s were the first to find carbonado diamonds, discovered during gold-mining expeditions. Interestingly they were initially dismissed as low-value because they could not be faceted traditionally.

For years the were adopted for industrial use. It was only much later, in the late 20th century, when testing methods became more advanced, that we realised the true unique formation and structure of these stones, sky-rocketing their value.