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The Amsterdam Black Diamond

 
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Origin of Name
The Amsterdam diamond gets its name from the city of Amsterdam, an international power house of the
diamond industry, where the rare black diamond made it's first appearance in 1973, at the jewelry store
of D. Drukker & Zn. The rough diamond, perhaps the only black diamond discovered in South Africa, was
purchased by the Amsterdam based company, D. Drukker & Son in 1972, who got the diamond cut and
polished by expert diamond cutters of their own company. When the rough stone was eventually
transformed into the 33.74-carat, pear-shaped black beauty, with a luster of its own despite its opacity,
the owners of the diamond, decided to Christen it "The Amsterdam Diamond" in honor of the 700th
anniversary of the City of Amsterdam, that had once flourished as an important diamond cutting and
trading center in the world, particularly when the Dutch East India Company was in control of the
diamond producing areas of the Indonesian Archipelago in the 17th-century, and subsequently after the
discovery of diamonds in Brazil in the early 18th-century, and in South Africa in 1867. After World War II,
Amsterdam lost its pre-eminent position as the main diamond cutting center in Europe and the rest of
the world. This unfortunate situation was precipitated by the deportation of tens of thousands of
Amsterdam Jews, including over 2,000 diamond cutters, who died in Hitler's concentration camps during
the holocaust. After World War II, Antwerp in Belgium became the main diamond cutting center of
Europe.


The 33.74-carat pear-shaped fancy black Amsterdam Diamond

©Christie's

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Characteristics of the diamond

For black diamonds only 3Cs are relevant - Color, Cut and Carat Weight

The Amsterdam diamond is a 33.74-carat, pear-shaped, fancy-black diamond, with a total of 145 facets.
For black diamonds only 3Cs of diamond characteritics are relevant :- Color, Cut and Carat weight. The
Clarity of the diamond is not relevant as black diamonds are opaque. Black diamonds do not reflect or
refract light, properties responsible for the production of brilliance and "fire" in conventionl diamonds.
Yet, most black diamonds possess an "adamantine" luster, which in the case of the Amsterdam Diamond
is remarkble and unique, and seldom seen in other large black diamonds. A standard pear-shaped
diamond has 57/58 facets. However, the Amsterdam diamond has more than doube this number. The
number of facets appears to have been deliberately increased, perhaps to enhance the "adamantine"
luster of the diamond. It is the second black diamond of significance to make it's appearance in the
diamond trade after the Black Orlov diamond; a diamond purported to have originated in India, but whose
first authentic appearance was around 1950, when Charles F. Winson, the New York City, gem and
jewelry dealer, acquired the diamond. In the list of famous black diamonds the Amsterdam diamond
occupies the 7th position. See table below.

List of Famous Black Diamonds

Carat Price
Weight
Country/Period weight realized at
S/N Name of Rough Cut/Shape
of Origin after last sale or
Diamond
cutting auction

Unnamed
Rectangular- US$1.7
1 black     489.07
cut million
diamond
Stone
remains
Spirit of de
Central African Old Moghul- with original
2 Grisogono 587.00 312.24
Republic cut owner
Diamond
Fawaz
Gruosi

Seen for the

 The Black last time in
3 Star of Central African   202.00   Tokyo in
Africa Republic 1971

The Table Central African

4   160.18 Emerald cut  
of Islam Republic
Stone
remains
Gruosi Heart- with original
5 India 300.12 115.34
Diamond shaped owner
Fawaz
Gruosi
Round
Property of
brilliant-cut
Korloff Noir Korloff
6 Russia 421.00 88.00 with
Diamond Jewelers
standard 57
France
facets
US$360,000
Black Orlov Christie's
7 India or Russia 195.00 67.50 Cushion-cut
Diamond NY.
Oct.2006
US$352,000
The
South Africa - Christie's
8 Amsterdam 55.85 33.74 Pear-shaped
1972 Geneva.
diamond
Nov.2001

© internetstones.com

Please do not copy our tables without our permission. We may be compelled to inform the search
engines if our content and tables are plagiarised.

The pendant-setting of the Amsterdam Black Diamond surrounded by smaller cushion-cut

diamonds, exhibited at the jewelry store of D. Drukker & Zn in Amsterdam

The owners of the black diamond, D. Drukker & Zn. subsequently designed a pendant setting, in which
the pear-shaped faceted black diamond with its unique luster was made the centerpiece of the setting,
surrounded by 15 cushion-cut smaller white diamonds, producing a color contrast that was most
striking. The company then exhibited the rare black diamond in its captivating setting, beginning
February 1973, at their jewelry store D. Drukker & Zn in Amsterdam city. The diamond was also given on
loan for many charitable exhibitions around the world, increasing its international reputation as a high-
quality black diamond, leading to its staggering valuation in 1991 at US$2 Million.
 Pendant setting of the Amsterdam black diamond exhibited at D. Drukker & Zn jewelry store in
Amsterdam beginning from 1973

History

Commonest colors in diamonds are yellow and brown (98%), followed by grey and white
(2%) and fancy colored diamonds (<1%). Black diamonds are also extremely rare.

Diamonds exist in all colors of the rainbow. The commonest color in diamonds is yellow followed by
brown. Nitrogen impurities which cause yellow color in diamonds is found in almost 98 % of naturally
occurring diamonds. The yellow color can vary from a slight almost imperceptible tinge to an intense
yellow color as found in canary yellow diamonds. However, in the Argyle mines in Western Australia out
of the gem-quality diamonds produced 80 % are brown, 16 % yellow, 2 % white, 2 % gray, and less than 1
% fancy colored diamonds. After yellow and brown the next commonest are white and grey diamonds. All
fancy colored diamonds are generally rare, and their occurrence is less than 0.1 % of all naturally
occurring diamonds. Blue and pink diamonds are rare but the rarest of fancy colors are red, purple,
orange and green. A statistical analysis of the occurrence of pink diamonds in the Argyle mines shows
that only a single carat of pink diamond is produced for every one million carats of rough gem-quality
diamonds. This works out to an extremely low percentage of 0.0001 %. Thus the occurrence of extremely
rare colors such as red and purple must be even less than the low percentage for pink diamonds. The
occurence of black diamonds is also extremely rare and appears to be limited only to certain regions of
the world.

Black diamonds are found mainly in two regions of the world, Brazil and Central African
Republic, and always found in alluvial deposits and not in kimberlite or lamproite pipes

Black diamonds are found only in two regions of the world, viz. Brazil and Central African Republic, and
they usually occur in alluvial deposits. Black diamonds never occur in Kimberlite and Lamproite pipes,
and therefore they do not originate deep inside the earth like conventional diamonds. Not one black
diamond has ever been discovered in the conventional Kimberlite diamond mines of South Africa,
Canada, Australia or Russia. Even in the long history of exploitation of diamonds in the Indian Sub-
Continent, the first diamond producing country in the world, the discovery of black diamonds have never
been reported.

Some characteristic features of black diamonds

An interesting feature of black diamonds is that unlike conventional diamonds which are made up of a
single massive crystal, they are made up of aggregates of perhaps millions of tiny crystals stuck
together, giving it a porous nature. Apart from graphite, iron compounds such as hematite and magnetite
may be associated with the conglomerate crystal, giving it the black color. Black diamonds are harder
than conventional diamonds, because they do not have cleavage planes like conventional diamonds.
Thus black diamonds are extremely difficult to cut and polish. However there may be areas in the black
diamonds that are softer, due to loosely bound porous material. Hence working with black diamonds can
pose serious challenges to the experienced diamond cutter, and drastic losses of weight are a usual
occurrence in the cutting of black diamonds. The 300.12-carat Gruosi rough diamond had a weight of
only 115.34 carats after it was processed, resulting in a loss of 184.78 carats. The Black Orlov that
weighed 195 carats in the rough state, had a finished weight of only 67.50 carats. The 587-carat Spirit of
de Grisogono rough diamond had a final processed weight of only 312.24 carats.

The Amsterdam Black Diamond is the largest monocrystalline natural black diamond in
the world

According to a certificate issued by the Gem Tech Lab Geneva bearing No. 10237 and dated September
27, 2001, the Amsterdam Diamond is a rare monocrystalline black diamond, whose coloration is natural
caused by the presence of small graphite grains mainly located in its feathers. Feathers are cracks or
fissures in diamonds that resemble the design of feathers. It must be remembered that graphite is also
an allotrope of carbon, like diamond, but with contrasting properties such as being soft and brittle, and
an electrical conductor, instead of being hard and tough and a non-conductor as diamonds. If the
Amsterdam Diamond is monocrystalline it is like any other conventional diamond, and not a conglomerte
crystal made up of millions of tiny crystals like other black diamonds. At the time the Amsterdam rough
diamond was cut in 1972, by the master cutters of D. Drukker & Son, the cutting appears to have been
executed very carefully, without generating excessive heat, that would have created pyrolitic graphites,
which could have intensified the black color of the diamond, and possibly interferred with its unique
adamantine luster. If the certificate issued by the Gem Tech Lab Geneva is accepted, the Amsterdam
black diamond is without doubt the largest monocrystalline natural black diamond in the world.

Interesting history of the Amsterdam diamond's discovery

The Amsterdam Black diamond was discovered in South Africa in the early 1970s. The discovery of the
diamond was accidental. The rough diamond was originally part of a large piece of mine bort, discarded
and set aside to be broken up into smaller pieces, before being crushed into diamond powder. The term
"bort" is usually applied to refer to all rough diamonds, which for some reason or another are unfit for use
as gems, and include irregular groupings of diamond crystals. The diamond owes its discovery to the
alertness of the cleaver/crusher, who was impressed by the unusual hardness and the intense black
color of the piece of rough diamond. He reported the discovery to his supervisor, and the rough diamond
was added to the collection of gem-quality rough diamonds, suitabe to be cut and processed as finished
diamonds. It was around this time that the agent of the Amsterdam diamond merchant and cutters, D.
Drukker & Sons, visited South Africa, and was show this unusual black stone. He examined the rough
stone, and purchased it from the mine owners, for an unspecified amount. The diamond was then taken
to Amsterdam and after detailed studies by the master cutters of the company, it was decided to cut it as
a pear-shaped diamond, the best possible shape that would bring out the intrinsic beauty of the stone.
The number of facets in the pear-cut diamond was also significantly increased, compared to the
standard pear-cut, a deliberate decision, perhaps to increase the adamantine luster of the stone.

Percentage loss of weight in processing the Amsterdam diamond is relatively low

compared to other black diamonds, a possible indicator of the diamonds monocrystalline
nature.

During the process of cutting and polishing, the weight of the diamond was reduced from 55.85 carats to
33.74 carats, a loss of around 40% of the original rough weight, comparable to other conventional
diamonds. This loss is fairly reasonable when compared to losses in other black diamonds, such as
Gruosi diamond - 60% loss, Korloff Noir - 70% loss, Black Orloff - 65% loss and Spirit of Grisogono - 49%
loss. The difference is perhaps due to the nature of the black diamonds, Amsterdam diamond being
monocrystalline like conventionl diamonds, whereas the other diamonds are all polycrystalline
carbonados. Losses in carbonados are usually much greater than in conventional diamonds.

Sale of the Amsterdam Diamond by Christie's Geneva on Novemner 14, 2001

While the Amsterdam black diamond remained the property of D.Drukker & Zn. Amsterdam, it was
exhibited in its pendant sitting, in their stores in the City, and was also given on loan for many exhibitions
around the world. The exhibition of the diamond in many countries served to raise awareness among the
public, that diamonds can not only exist in almost all colors of the rainbow, but also as black diamonds, a
fact not known and appreciated by many people around the world.

In the year 2001, it appears that D. Drukker & Zn.decided to dispose of their treasured possession, the
black Amsterdam diamond. The pear-shaped diamond was removed from its pendant mount, and
assigned to Christie's Geneva to be sold at their Magnificent Jewels Sale to be held on November 14,
2001.

The Christie's auction catalogue for the sale described the diamond as an unmounted modified pear-
shaped fancy black diamond weighing 33.74 carats, in a blue leather fitted case. The diamond was
accompanied by three certificates issued by reputed institutes testifying to its credentials. One
certificate bearing No. 10565041 issued by the Gemological Institute of America, and dated January 18,
1999, testifies to the authenticity of the diamond as a natural colored fancy black diamond. A second
certificate issued by the Gubelin Gemological Laboratory, bearing No. 9911078 and dated December 6,
1999, confirms the previous finding by GIA that the diamond is a natural colored black diamond. A third
certificate issued by the Gem Tech Lab Geneva bearing No. 10237 and dated September 27, 2001
confirms the two previous findings that the diamond is a natural colored black diamond. The third
certificate was accompanied by an annex with the following information :- This historic diamond called
the Amsterdam is one of the very few monocrystalline black diamonds that can be described today as: "of
natural coloration".

Why three different independent assessments of the black diamond's credentials became
necessary ?
The necessity for three different independent assessments of the stones credentials can be appreciated
because it is a well known fact that white diamonds can be colored black, either by irradiation or high
temperature annealing. Natural black color in diamonds is caused by black inclusions such as graphite
and iron. When white diamonds are exposed to a higher dose of irradiation, a deep dark green color is
produced, that appears black. High temperature annealing involves natural diamonds being heated to a
very high temperature under low oxygen concentrations, that favors the carbon in the diamond to change
phase towards graphite, at least on the surface, imparting a black color to the diamonds. Thus, in natural
black diamonds inclusions are scattered throughout the stone, whereas in heat-treated black diamonds
the inclusions are concentrated near the surface. In heat treated black diamonds the black color is
produced by the lining of graphite near the surface, formed as a result of the treatment. Hence in testing
monocrystalline diamonds for their natural black color, it becomes necessary to exclude irradiated black
diamonds and high temperature annealed black diamonds.

The Amsterdam Diamond achieves a price per carat of US$ 10,220, the highest price per
carat achieved by a black diamond at an auction

Christie's placed a pre-sale estimate of $302,000 to $391,000 on the Amsterdam diamond, at its
Magnificent Jewels Sale 1290, held in Geneva, on November 14, 2001. After a keenly contested bidding,
the diamond was sold to an anonymous buyer for $344,837, which works out to $10,220 per carat, the
highest price per carat paid for a black diamond at an auction. This is much higher than the price per
carat achieved for another black diamond sold previously at an auction - the 489.07-carat, rectangular-
cut, black diamond that sold for US$1.7 Million, working out to $3476 per carat.

Fawaz Gruosi founder and president of de Grisogono, who popularized black diamond jewelry after 1996

Fawaz Gruosi is credited with the popularization of black diamond jewelry, marketed under
the brand name De Grisogono

The current popularity of black diamond jewelry is credited to Fawaz Gruosi, who inspired by a
photograph of the Black Orlov diamond set with contrasting white diamonds, which he accidentally saw
in a magazine in 1996, swung into action, and took a world tour scouting for black diamonds in the main
diamond producing areas of the world. Having collected enough of these under-rated stones, he got
them processed by black diamond cutting experts based in Antwerp, who transformed the stones into
jet-black beauties. Using these diamonds Fawaz, turned out a breathtaking collection of jewelry,
consisting of necklaces, earrings, bracelets, and rings. To bring out the contrast in colors he always
associated the black diamonds with other gemstones such as white diamonds, gray icy-diamonds,
pearls, rubies, emeralds, sapphires etc. The jewelry were marketed under the famous de Grisogono brand
name, and became an instant success. The black diamond jewelry became very popular among women,
and Fawaz Gruosi is credited with launching the love affair between the black diamond and women
around the world.

You are welcome to discuss this post/related topics with Dr Shihaan and other experts from around the
world in our FORUMS (forums.internetstones.com)

Back to Famous Diamonds

Related :-

1) Black Orlov Diamond

2) Gruosi Diamond

3) Korloff Noir Diamond

4) Spirit of de Grisogono Diamond

References :-

1) Christie's Magnificent Jewels Sale 1290, Geneva, November 14, 2001 - Online catalogue, The
Amsterdam Diamond - Lot Description. www.christies.com

2) Christie's Magnificent Jewels Sale 1290, Geneva, November 14, 2001 - Online catalogue, The
Amsterdam Diamond - Lot Notes. www.christies.com

3) Fancy Colored Black Diamonds - Diamond Source of Virginia, Inc. www.diamondourceva.com

4) Diamond properties, geology, exploration, mining - Part III. www.minelinks.com/alluvial/diamonds

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