Chocolate diamond rings have nothing to do with chocolate in case you were wondering. They are brown-colored diamonds and a lower-cost alternative to white diamonds. Since they are colored, sellers can often get away with using lower-quality diamonds.
In general, chocolate diamond rings have less sparkle and brilliance. In the 1980s, marketing efforts in the United States and Australia were made to promote certain brown diamonds as higher quality than white diamonds.
Where do Chocolate Diamonds Come From?
In 1986, the Argyle diamond mine was developed where a vast majority of brown diamonds were mined. This mine was responsible for ⅓ of all natural diamond production in the world. 80% of those diamonds were brown diamonds.
Prior to that, brown diamonds were considered relatively worthless and used mostly for industrial purposes since diamonds are the hardest matter in the world.
Where did the term chocolate diamond come from?
In 2000, Le Vian Corporation registered the Chocolate Diamond as a registered trademark. They began as a new product in their range of diamonds. Although most brown diamonds are considered inferior to white diamonds, the company claimed that less than 5% of all the brown diamonds are actually more rare and better quality than white diamonds.
See Also: What’s the Difference Between Chocolate Diamonds & Brown Diamonds?
Eddie LeVian personally loved dark chocolate and coined the term Chocolate Diamond. Le Vian’s chocolate diamond comes from Australia’s Argyle diamond mine where a majority of the world’s brown diamonds are produced. Brown diamonds can also be found in Borneo, Brazil, and Central Africa to a lesser extent.
How do chocolate diamonds compare in quality?
Within the spectrum of diamonds, brown chocolate diamonds are the lowest quality. Fancy diamonds are actually yellow, pink, red, and blue. Red and blue diamonds are the rarest of the fancy diamonds.
Notably, chocolate diamonds are classified lower quality within the spectrum because of more inclusions than other colored diamonds. Inclusions are imperfections, blemishes, or also known as birthmarks found in diamonds, which lessens a gem’s clarity and quality.
Why do people buy chocolate diamond rings?
Due to the lower price point, chocolate diamonds are an alternative that allows customers to add customizations to a ring on a fixed budget. It also adds color variety beyond the traditional spectrum of fancy diamonds, and cognac diamonds once popular in the 1970s.
Chocolate diamond rings also increase accessibility for more couples to become engaged with a diamond promise who otherwise may not be able to afford this long-standing tradition.
The 5 Second Summary
Chocolate diamonds are brown diamonds that Le Vian corporation coined with a more attractive name to create greater appeal to consumers.
Before the 1980s, brown diamonds were mainly used for industrial purposes.
They were not sold to retailers as a luxury jewelry product until 1986 with the Argyle diamond mine’s mass production.
Most brown diamonds are inferior to natural diamonds of other colors.
The lower price point gives more people the opportunity to own a diamond. This obviously erodes the value of brown diamonds as what is scarce is deemed more valuable than abundant supply.
