Once mined, rough diamonds are delivered to sorting experts who categorise and assign a value to them – no mean feat considering that no two diamonds are the same. Diamonds are sorted into parcels according to their shape, size, clarity and colour, but within these categories there are thousands of variants which can affect the price.
It is at this point that gem quality diamonds are separated from industrial diamonds. Otherwise known as ‘boart’, industrial diamonds are small, lower-quality stones that can be used in equipment such as drill bits and lathes.
