The diamond
The diamond
Diamond is a transparent volcanic mineral composed of pure carbon crystals. It is the hardest and most brilliant of all gemstones.
Formed more than 150 km below the earth's surface, some diamonds date back nearly 3 billion years.
Diamonds are mainly mined on the African continent, in South Africa and Botswana, but also in Canada and Russia.
The word diamond comes etymologically from the ancient Greek "adamas" meaning invincible, indomitable. The first diamonds were discovered in India, and were called "fruits of the stars" because of their geographical origins and their connotations as sacred stones.
This gem of incomparable brilliance was described as a symbol of luxury, elegance and purity. It has always been considered the ultimate gemstone, due to its rarity and nobility.
Historically, diamonds were strongly associated with power and wealth. The most beautiful jewels in history were worn by royal and noble families as heirlooms from generation to generation.
Diamonds also refer to love in the Bible. Cupid, the god of love, had diamonds at the end of his golden arrows to touch two soul mates.
Today, diamonds often evoke union and marriage. It's the stone of choice for engagement proposals. Traditionally, the fiancé-to-be proposed by passing a diamond solitaire to his bride.
Salmon's diamond
From 0.30 carat upwards, all our diamonds are certified by the Gemological Institute of America (GIA). GIA is a world-renowned institution, recognized by the world's leading jewellery houses for its accurate and precise analysis of diamond classification and certification. We prefer this organization for the impartiality of its judgement. GIA is the originator of the "4C", the four key criteria used to determine a diamond's value: Carat (weight), Color (Color), Clarity (purity) and Cut (size).
We insist that our stones meet a precise quality threshold. All our diamonds cannot exceed colors below G, nor inclusions above SI (Small Inclusions). In this way, we guarantee diamonds in the "extra white" range, free of impurities visible to the naked eye.
All diamonds are laser-engraved with a serial number to maintain absolute transparency with our customers. This number is inscribed in the roundel of the stone, i.e. between the table and the breech. This kind of traceability also gives you a guarantee of authenticity when you purchase your jewel.
Our ethical diamonds
We only work with diamonds from sources certified by the "Kimberley Process", which guarantees that 99% of rough diamonds come from countries that are not at war, and whose revenues do not contribute to financing armed conflict.
The Kimberley Process is an international certification scheme for rough diamonds that brings together government institutions and the diamond industry. Our diamonds come from Canada, Botswana, South Africa and Russia. Once mined, these rough stones are sent to the bourses to be sorted by size and quality. They are then cut in India, one of the world's leading stone-cutting and polishing countries. Finally, they are sent to independent certification laboratories (GIA, HRD, IGI...) and then to the world's diamond exchanges for sale to professionals. We work with the Antwerp World Diamond Exchange. All our diamonds, from 0.30 carats upwards, are GIA-certified, the most widely recognized laboratory used by the major jewellery houses. As part of our ethical approach, we are committed to establishing a relationship of trust and transparency with regard to the impact of our activity.