Tracking Down Blues

It's interesting to learn what trace elements create color in fancy color diamonds, but there's also evidence supporting that certain locales tend to produce certain colors of natural diamonds.

Before diamonds were discovered in South Africa, the world's only known source for diamonds was Golconda, India. And while blues were scarce as contrasted to the total output, India produced some jim dandy blue specimens. We're talking the Tavernier Blue from 1642 or the Idol's Eye. The famed blue Hope Diamond is agreed to have come from India owing to its age.

South Africa's Premier Mine, opened in 1903, is famous for producing the world's largest diamond, the gargantuan 3,106 carat Cullinan doorstop. But it has yielded numerous blue stones too along with other South African mines like Jagersfontein and Koffiefontein.

While there may not be much data showing correlation between geologic conditions and the blue colored crystals, it is captivating to consider why that part of the world produced more of these rare colored stones.

The Alisa Mousssaieff blue diamond shown here is emblematic of the renowned London jeweler's elite stock. "These diamonds are so scarce" she underscored, "when one comes up for sale, you have to grab it." Wouldn't we all grab it ---if we could!