de Grisogono and the black diamond

March 2011


Fifteen years after putting the black diamond at the forefront of the international jewellery scene, De Grisogono has become renowned worldwide for his innovative designs of this precious gem.

Rich in colour, the black diamond today subtly embellishes many of the de Grisogono jewellery and timepiece collections.

de Grisogono and the black diamond

The black diamond derives its colour from the presence of a myriad of microscopic graphite or hematite particles that absorb the light and give the stone its particular lustre. However, this composition makes it all the more fragile and prone to crumbling during cutting. And so, by its very nature, the black diamond is intrinsically more difficult to work with than the white diamond, despite their equal hardness. In fact, the stone contains varying crystalline structures and different kinds of mineral deposits, each posing a challenge to the setter.

de Grisogono and the black diamond

The Boule Collection with 2,788 black diamonds weighing over 98 carats. Each stone setting from a ring with 133 black and 79 white diamonds requires as meticulous a cutting, as the one-of-a-kind high jewellery ring set with a 9.02 carat emerald cut white diamond and 180 black diamonds.

de Grisogono and the black diamond

And finally the same emotion and passion emanate from the bracelet and the bezel in black diamonds of the Piccolina, as from the fully studded dial of the Instrumentino, two of the brand’s timepiece collections.

This year at Baselworld 2011, the romance continues with a new jewellery line of Galuchat bracelets set with black diamonds in the form of the brand’s emblematic arabesque design. A new addition to the high jewellery collection includes a ring in blackened rose gold set with a 20 carat black diamond surrounded by brown diamonds, purple sapphires and ameythsts. To further honour the stone, de Grisogono launches a special edition of timepieces entitled “Black Forever”.

www.degrisogono.com