Black Diamond – A Mysterious and Rare Vintage Engagement Ring

When we think of engagement rings, we automatically think of sparkling, crystal clear diamonds. But there is a very special vintage engagement ring that sparkles in a whole different way.

The real name for the black diamond is carbonado, and the reason that black diamonds are quite often referred to as mysterious is that there appears to be a lot of controversy over how they are formed. Some have more recently even promoted a theory that black diamonds are actually extraterrestrial because their inner formation resembles a meteorite more than it does the carbon from which a regular diamond is made.

During the 1950s black hematite was extremely popular for vintage rings and was often referred to as Alaskan Black Diamonds, and also as black pearl. It is actually a form of iron pyrite and most of it was produced in Germany, France and England.

Black onyx, a semi precious stone, and marcasite were sometimes also called black diamonds, and were often used in the design of many a vintage engagement ring. The black onyx ring was particularly popular during the bold vibrant Art Deco period. Marcasite was considered very sophisticated and was the choice of many who could not afford real diamonds.

The very mysterious and some say intriguing and sophisticated black diamond ring was most often produced in the round brilliant cut to show off the stone’s sparkle. Quite often the large black stone was set with clear diamonds around the edges to really show it off. Another way that the effect was increased was by using white gold or platinum for the band and setting.

So if you are considering a vintage engagement ring, why not depart from the usual and search for something a bit more mysterious and unique! Be bold, be different and go with classic black!