The beauty of blue diamonds

Back in April at a London​-based jewelry sale, a 5.3-carat stone carved into a "Trombino" ring by Italian jewelry designer Bulgari was sold for $9.6 million. The artist created the stunner back in 1965 when he situated the cushion-cut, deep-blue diamond horizontally and framed it with baguette- and brilliant-cut white diamonds on either side. However, the size of this stone (which is said to be about the same diameter as a dime) is no where near as large as the 25.5-carat stone that was recently sold for approximately $16.9 million. Blue diamonds are rare and beautiful, but most jewelry novices aren't sure exactly where these stunners come from or why they are so valuable.

What is a blue diamond?
Many diamonds release visible fluorescent light under different circumstances. When you place a diamond under a blacklight, the fluorescence is heightened, and often results in a display of orange, yellow, white and blue hues. Blue diamonds allow a decidedly blue color to shine through, offering a gorgeous display of blue brilliance.

Where do blue diamonds come from?
The large, 25.5 carat rare blue diamond was excavated from the Cullivan mine in South Africa. Blue diamonds are reported to be incredibly rare, which is why such a large sum is often paid for the stones. According to David Bennett, head of Sotheby's international jewelry department, blue diamonds only come from one mine - the aforementioned Cullivan Mine.

Fluorescent blue diamond research
According to the results of a study conducted by Gems & Geology, diamonds that have a strong presence of blue fluorescence are perceived to have an overall better appearance than those with other fluorescent hues. Four sets of round, brilliant-cut diamonds were used during the test. The diamonds used for the experiment ranged from colorless to a faint yellow, and each diamond had a different strength in order to represent the vast array of diamond species. Blue diamonds are considered to be both attractive and valuable, which increases their demand among jewelry lovers.

Brian Gavin Blue: a new diamond line
For those who admire the beauty of blue diamonds but may not have millions of dollars to spend, Brian Gavin Blue, a special line of fluorescence diamonds, is a great alternative at a competitive price.

The respected Texas-based jeweler Brian Gavin offers a line of medium to strong diamonds that produce a strong fluorescence that has no overall effect on the diamond's performance.

Brian Gavin Blue diamonds can be custom made. Brian Gavin Diamonds specializes in diamond cut shapes such as hearts and arrows, among many other traditional styles. All Brian Gavin stones are certified conflict free diamonds, so you never have to worry about the integrity of your stone.