All diamonds begin their beautiful life as a ‘rough diamond’; the stone in its natural form.

Each diamond you see at Drakes, Plymouth has more than likely existed for billions of years, hiding deep beneath the earth’s surface in ridiculously hot molten rock. After many years, unable to take the immense pressure, the volcano erupts and the diamond rock is blasted to the earth’s surface.

As the volcano cools down, the diamonds become trapped in harden magma. So how do we find the ‘diamonds in the rough?’ Sophisticated science, advanced technologies and a very hard working explorer are required as they mine the diamonds from the earths surface.

Rough diamonds are not brilliant and can appear greasy and opaque. Next, the mined rough diamonds are sorted based on quality and passed on to diamond cutters.

Through the skilled and all encompassing process of diamond cutting, the true beauty and sparkle of the diamond is revealed. It is at this stage that the diamond becomes the brilliantly sparkling gem that you admire each and every day. Once the diamond has been cut, it is weighed, measured and graded. Please see the 5c’s for more information.

The final stage of the journey is the polished and sparkly diamond being set in jewellery ready to be loved and admired for many years to come.