The apex of hardness and rarity is the precious diamond, a miracle of compact carbon; because the carbon is tightly bound together in a cubic structure, it's both difficult to absorb light and knock electrons "free" so visible light appears to pass right through. The grey diamond nuggets in these delicate necklaces would be classified as bort, or opaque industrial grade diamonds that lack the transparency of gem grade diamonds. Impurities or other irregularities in the carbon matrix cause bort to be more granular and less transparent, but it maintains all the toughness and high refraction (sparkle) of diamond. The only conditions of sufficient heat and pressure to form diamonds are found in the upper mantle, which is still more than 95 miles deep. (For comparison, the continental crusts average about 20 - 30 miles deep.) Diamonds are brought to the surface in magma drawn from the mantle that rises and evenutally cools as narrow wedges or pipes at the surface, referred to as kimberlite after the South African locale where the structures were found. The South Africa diamond mines are relatively depleted, and most diamonds come from Australia, Congo, Russia and more recently, Canada.

The two diamond necklaces can be purchased and worn separately; one has sterling silver components and the other features 14kt gold-fill. The gold-fill necklace is slightly longer at 21" to the 20" of the sterling silver necklace, and the hook clasp of the gold-fill necklace fits nicely on the toggle clasp of the silver necklace. They are delicate and lightweight for an easy bit of interest to an outfit.

Cost: $120.00 USD (necklace with silver)

Gift Recipient Name

Cost: $122.00 USD (necklace with gold-fill)

Gift Recipient Name

If this item is going to be a gift, enter the gift recipient name in the text box when you add this item to your cart. If your entire order is going to one recipient (yourself or other), no other action is needed and you can specify the shipping address in PayPal checkout. However, if you would like multiple recipients in the same order, we can accommodate that! Before you check out, make sure to add a gift box to your cart for each gift recipient in your order. You will be charged $4.95 USD for each recipient other than yourself and you'll need to add the recipient name and address to the gift box text field. Also, each recipient can receive multiple items for the same $4.95 gift box fee; just continue to specify their name when adding items to your cart.

• Color: neutral - light
• Material: tough enough
• Type: necklace - mid
• Tasting Menu: pinot noir
• Something Special: unexpected elegance

Length: necklaces - 20", 21"

Materials:

• rough grey diamond (bort) nuggets
• sterling silver beads
• 14kt gold-fill bead
• sterling silver 1mm ball chain and toggle clasp
• 14kt gold-fill satellite chain and hook clasp
• Soft Touch light duty nylon coated stainless steel cord (10 lb. load test)

Care & cleaning: Beading cord may be kinked or broken through hard jerks or severed through prolonged exposure to rough or sharp edges; store necklace flat when not in use to prevent stretching or kinking cord. The small holes drilled in the diamond nuggets required using a small diameter beading cord that is more vulnerable to sharp tugs so care should be taken not to snag the necklaces on nearby objects. Clean with warm soapy water and avoid chemical or abrasive cleaners. Use a soft jewelry polishing cloth to clean tarnish appearing on silver.

Diamond is tough, and this toughness works against using diamonds as beads as the drilled holes tend to be small and beading cord quite narrow. It's recommended to keep the necklaces out of reach more for the sake of the cord than the components. As with all beaded jewelry: do not let young toddlers chew on it.

The small scale and comfortable mid-length 20" and 21" lengths work well with a variety of necklines, from boatnecks and shells to scoop necks and V-necks. These are lightweight pieces so they might not drape as nicely over chunky knits or other tops with volume.