Tenth Anniversary Gift Guide: Diamond

Wow, ten years of marriage.  That's a full decade! You and your spouse have now been married for a double-digit number of years.  This is an amazing feat that deserves to be celebrated in a big way.

The tenth anniversary is considered by some to be an extra special "angel number". It is thought that this milestone represents a turning point in your now mature relationship. Specifically, you are now entering a new stage defined by an even deeper mutual understanding and appreciation. 

A huge part of being in a long-term relationship is maintaining your own sense of self. In this, your tenth year of marriage, you may notice marked personal growth and experience a perceptible boost in confidence. This state of self-assurance feeds back into your marriage to make your connection with your partner even stronger.

The traditional gemstone gift for the tenth wedding anniversary is aptly the diamond. Diamonds are the hardest naturally occurring mineral on the planet. They can exist for billions of years nestled deep within the Earth before being brought to the surface by the explosive power of volcanic activity. If you care for your diamonds with the same love you bring to your marriage, their beauty will last for generations. 

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What are Diamonds?

What do you envision when someone mentions diamonds? If you are in the majority, you see a sparkling colorless stone. Fortunately, this is not the only option that you have.  Diamonds can be found in all colors of the rainbow. Any stone that is not colorless is called a "fancy-colored diamond". 

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Here are the basics of diamond chemistry. A colorless diamond is a mineral made up of carbon atoms that bind to each other in a highly stable formation as the result of intense heat and pressure. The carbon atoms are locked together so tightly that the crystal is virtually impervious to scratching. This makes diamonds the perfect gem to celebrate a tenth wedding anniversary! 

Fancy colors in diamonds like pink, blue, and yellow are expressed due to a variety of reasons including chemical impurities, natural irradiation, and exposure to excessive heat/pressure after they have formed. 

Value of Diamond

The value of colorless diamonds is perhaps the most highly regulated of any gemstone on the planet. In fact, there are guides that are updated daily. This means that two similar unmounted diamonds being sold through different sellers should have comparable price tags. The consistency in the pricing of the gems allows you to focus on finding a setting you love when shopping for tenth anniversary gifts. 

Perhaps you have heard of the 4C's? These C's are cut, color, clarity, and carat weight and they are the four factors that gemologists consider when grading a diamond. What is so great about the 4C's is that you can easily manipulate them to find a gem whose qualities match up with your personal preferences. Perhaps, as an example, you want a perfectly colorless gem with eye-clean clarity. In this case, you may opt for a smaller diamond with a high color and clarity grade. Alternatively, maybe you want a big stone and don't really care about the other C's. This is a system that is meant to be customized so that buyers can find a stone with qualities that matter to them which also fits within their budget. 

When shopping for tenth anniversary diamond presents, be sure to communicate with your jeweler honestly about what you want and how much you want to spend - the more detail the better. There are lots of diamonds out there so a professional can help you find exactly what you are looking for!

When it comes to fancy-colored diamonds, each color has its own range of per-carat values. You can treat each of them as an independent gemstone species. At the more affordable end of the spectrum, yellow and brown gems will likely be priced similarly to colorless gems of comparable size. If you are looking for tenth anniversary gift that has a unique flair, these diamonds may be the perfect fit.

The other colors are rare and can be considerably more valuable. As an example, it is not uncommon for pink diamonds to have six-figure per-carat values. These astronomical prices are obviously too exorbitant for most shoppers. Happily, there is an alternative.  Synthetic fancy-colored diamonds are now available through many different retailers with per-carat values that are in the same ballpark as natural colorless diamonds. We will discuss synthetic diamonds in greater detail below.

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It is also important to note that natural diamonds may be treated to assume one of these fancy colors. For example, some colorless diamonds may be treated with a combination of heat and pressure to become pink. Sellers will make it clear if their diamonds are natural, synthetic, or treated.

If you are searching for a truly one-of-a-kind diamond anniversary gift, there is a fourth option available - the salt-and-pepper diamond. Salt-and-pepper diamonds are each wholly unique because they feature lots of natural, eye-visible inclusions. Their beauty comes from their faults and no two stones look alike. Not only is each gem unique, but they also tend to be very affordable. But be careful! These diamonds are especially sensitive to impacts so be mindful of when you choose to wear rings. 

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Are Diamonds Durable?

We have all heard that diamonds are the hardest material on Earth. However, in the field of gemology, hardness is not the only consideration when it comes to overall durability. Yes, it is true that diamonds are supremely hard. So hard, in fact, that the only material that can badly scratch the surface of your diamonds is other diamonds. 

While the surface of your diamonds is likely to endure in beautiful condition for many years, their' delicate edges and corners are in danger of chipping, especially if they are exposed to lots of impacts. If your tenth anniversary diamond gift is a necklace or pair of earrings, this isn't something that you need to worry about. However, when it comes to rings and bracelets, it is best to take into account how your partner is going to wear their present. If you are buying a ring for someone who is very active and wants to wear their gift often, find a design that protects the outer edge(s) of the diamond. On the other hand, if you purchased a piece intended to be worn only on special occasions, durability doesn't need to be a primary concern. 

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Where Diamonds Come From

There are diamond-bearing deposits all over the world. From Canada to Australia to Russia, many countries play host to active diamond mines. In some places like South Africa, massive operations dig open pit mines whose mouths span multiple acres. In other places like Namibia, Mother Nature has lent a helping hand by weathering the gems out of their host rock and washing them into the ocean where they are retrieved by specialized diamond-recovering ships. 

Some countries have established diamond-processing hubs even if they don't have their own deposits. India has not been a major contributor of raw diamonds for decades, but about a million people there work in diamond-related industries like cutting and polishing. Another example is Israel which has put forth quite a bit of effort in developing incredibly accurate laser-cutting technology.

When it comes to colorless diamonds, it can be impossible to tell where they come from if their journey was not documented from their initial discovery. This is because diamonds go through many pairs of hands before arriving in your jewelry box. The diamonds set in your tenth anniversary gift may have been mined in one part of the world, sorted in another, cut and polished somewhere else, and sent to yet another location to be set in jewelry, before finally making it to your local or online jewelry store. It is a truly global effort!

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Natural vs Synthetic Diamonds

Perhaps the most controversial subject in the gems and jewelry world today surrounds natural and synthetic diamonds. The word "controversial" is important because the truth is that there is no right or wrong answer here! Once you understand the difference between natural and synthetic diamonds, you are free to make your own judgment. 

Regardless of what anyone says, natural and synthetic diamonds are the same gem. They are both made of pressurized carbon and have identical physical properties. This means that they have the same durability and the same sparkle. The single difference is that one gem grew over millions of years inside the Earth while the other was grown in a matter of days or weeks in a machine. The technology behind diamond growing has advanced so much in recent years that if you were to bring a natural and a synthetic diamond to a gemologist or jeweler who does not have advanced testing machines, in many cases they won't be able to tell you which diamond is which. 

When you shop for a tenth anniversary gift, the question of whether or not to seek out synthetic diamonds really comes down to budget. A synthetic colorless diamond costs a fraction of the price of a similar, natural gem, but no one will be able to tell which one is set in your present just by looking. This enables you to maximize each and every one of those 4C's.

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^{Both of these diamonds sold by James Allen weigh 1.01 cts., are E color, SI1 clarity, and Ideal Cut. The lab-grown gem on the left costs less than half the natural diamond on the right. Can you see a difference?}

As for those fancy-colored diamonds that used to be reserved exclusively for the very wealthy, synthetics are now on the market with much lower per-carat values that are not far from that of colorless stones. You can even find gems with stronger color expression than naturals usually express.

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Types of Diamond Jewelry

Thanks to their inherent strength, diamonds can be worn in any design that you can imagine! Nothing is off-limits! Here is just a sampling of the options available to you.

Rings

• Eternity Bands - You can find diamond tenth anniversary gifts with many different forms. From cluster rings to halo designs, anything goes! That being said, there is one motif that many choose for their anniversary gifts - the eternity band. Eternity bands are so named because the band of diamonds completely encircles the finger, so the design has no beginning or end. Eternity bands are a great choice of anniversary presents for a number of reasons. First and foremost, they are meant to be stacked with existing engagement and wedding bands. While you can certainly wear an eternity band on its own, the neutral design goes with anything. 

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A quick shopping hint - because diamonds completely cover the band, eternity rings often can't be resized. Make sure you know your partner's ring size before making your purchase! 

• Masculine Diamond Bands - Adding more metal to a ring design instantly achieves a decidedly more masculine style. 

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• Rings for Heavy Wear - If your tenth anniversary present is a ring that is going to be worn frequently, it is important to select a design that keeps all diamonds secure and protected.

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Bracelets

• Tennis Bracelet - The tennis bracelet is basically a flexible eternity band for your wrist. While some dispute the origin of the name, no one can argue that the tennis bracelet has been considered a must-have item since it was worn by Chris Evert in the 1987 US Open. This is a great tenth anniversary gift because you really can't go wrong with a tennis bracelet. It can be worn with a tee shirt and pair of jeans as well as a decadent ball gown. 

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Necklaces

• Heart Motif - Sometimes being direct is the best bet! You can choose any size heart to suit the style of your partner.

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Earrings

• Studs - Another jewelry classic is a pair of diamond stud earrings. This design manages to be both the most basic motif possible as well as the most versatile jewelry item one can own. You can opt for small diamonds weighing a fraction of a carat for a discrete look or choose large gems weighing multiple carats to create some drama. To add some excitement, consider studs with a halo or gem cluster.

• Hoops - If you are looking for a more dramatic look, diamond hoops may be the ticket.  

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Caring for Your Diamond Jewelry

Diamonds are super easy to care for so you can keep your tenth anniversary gift looking its best all the time! Feel free to use any gemstone cleaning solution or warm soapy water with a soft brush. For a deep cleaning that will remove caked-in grime, ultrasonic machines and steamers are both safe to use. 

When it comes to storing your diamond jewelry, be mindful of the potential for the gems to rub against other objects. The only serious threat to a diamond is another diamond. If two stones scrape against each other, scratches will happen. All other gems like sapphire, emerald, and amethyst will sustain damage if rubbed by diamonds. As such, it is best to wrap your jewelry to keep gems isolated and protected.