Diamonds, best of all gems<\/p>\n
Fabian H. Chandra, Gemologist, Jakarta<\/p>\n
Answering the seemingly simple question, 'What kind of gems
\nare found in Indonesia?', is actually quite difficult. There are
\nlots of them but the most important are diamonds, pearls, opals,
\nquartzes and chalcedonies.<\/p>\n
Still, the best and most expensive is the diamond,
\nparticularly the pink diamond. This is similar to the sort found
\nin the Argyle diamond mines in Australia's Northern Territory.<\/p>\n
There are two diamond producers in Indonesia -- Martapura in
\nSouth Kalimantan and Ngabang in North Kalimantan.<\/p>\n
Diamonds mined in Kalimantan have relatively good clarity as
\nthey are rounded, river-tumbled stones. Therefore most of them
\nwill end up in pieces of jewelry. These diamonds are alluvial,
\nmeaning they are carried long distances by the flow of the river
\nfrom its source.<\/p>\n
Around 95 percent of Australian diamonds are of industrial
\nquality and are not suitable for use as gems. They are normally
\nused as industrial abrasives, in diamond drilling equipment, or
\nin glass cutting knives.<\/p>\n
Compared to giant producers like South Africa (with its
\nKimberley mine), Australia and Namibia, Indonesia is considered a
\nvery small producer. But being the 12th largest in the world --
\nperhaps now only 14th due to the discovery of diamond deposits in
\nNorth America -- Indonesia is still a significant player.<\/p>\n
The biggest diamond ever found in Indonesia is the Trisakti
\ndiamond, weighing in at 166.72 carats. It was found in 1965 in
\nthe Cempaka district of South Kalimantan before being cut in
\nAmsterdam. However, its whereabouts remain a mystery even today.<\/p>\n
Among the world's most famous diamonds are the Cullinan I or
\nStar of Africa, which weighs 530.20 carats and is now kept in the
\nTower of London; the Tiffany (128.51 carats), the Koh-i-Noor
\n(108.92 carats) and the Florentine (137.27 carats).<\/p>\n
The price of a diamond depends on the four C's - color,
\nclarity, cut and carat weight.<\/p>\n
Colors range from the expensive, very fine white to the less
\nvaluable light yellow and light brown. Natural highly saturated
\nyellow diamonds, known as canary yellow, are more expensive than
\ncolorless ones. Some of the other fancy colors that can be found
\nare blue, purple, pink, red, orange and green. Almost every color
\nof the rainbow is represented.<\/p>\n
The meaning of the term "clarity" varies throughout the world.
\nIn Germany, clarity means inner perfection but in the United
\nStates and Scandinavia, clarity also takes into account aspects
\nof the quality of the outer finish.<\/p>\n
The third factor is the diamond's cut. Good cutting enhances a
\ndiamond's beauty. It produces effects known as 'brilliance' and
\n'scintillation'. Brilliance is the total white light reflected to
\nthe eye from inside the stone and its surface. Scintillation is
\nthe dynamic pattern of sparkling reflections. Most diamonds are
\ncut in a round brilliant cut. Another popular cut is known as the
\nfancy cut. Lately, the square princess cut has gained wider
\nacceptance as an alternative to the brilliant variety.<\/p>\n
Carat weight is related to size. One carat equals one fifth of
\na gram or 0.2 grams. The price of larger diamonds is higher as
\nthey are harder to find in nature. Sometimes the price of a carat
\ndiamond of certain quality is US$1,000 per carat.<\/p>\n
Imagine the price of the Cullinan I (530.20 carats), which is
\nin a pear shape, if the price of one carat of a medium quality
\npear shape can reach up to US$5,000 retail.<\/p>\n
The Cullinan I is the most expensive diamond for its size. But
\nthe most expensive diamond in terms of carat weight is
\nsurprisingly small.<\/p>\n
At the end of the 1980s, Christie's in New York auctioned a
\nnatural red diamond that weighed just 0.87 carats. The offers
\nrose rapidly, with the price eventually reaching $1 million per
\ncarat or $870,000 for the tiny diamond. It is the most expensive
\ngem on earth in terms of per carat weight.<\/p>\n
As Marilyn Monroe said in one of her movies Diamonds are a
\ngirl's best friend - she might have one day referred to this
\ndiamond if she had lived longer.<\/p>",
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