Diamonds -- white, pink or yellow -- can seem to be distant points of light in a budgetary galaxy that's light years away from your earthly income.
But it's still possible to make a dazzling statement by fading to black.
Black diamonds -- dramatic, distinctive and dashing -- are bringing sexy black to formal and casual attire, from Goth-style brooches to engagement rings to understated men's cufflinks.
And their price can be downright terrestrial.
Tim Moses, co-owner of Moses Jewelers in Seven Fields, says black diamonds can offer a novel, less-costly alternative.
"You have fashion, you have look and you have a lower price," he says. "And you have a conversation piece.
"Since they're a fraction of the cost of pink and yellow diamonds it makes them attractive to a large audience because the price is much lower. ... They are a fashion piece, so it's not like you're investing in a diamonds. You're buying a piece of jewelry to enjoy."
But that hardly means black diamonds are generic. They're also on the shopping list of "the fashion sensitive woman who already owns diamond jewelry and wants something unique," Moses says.
These after-six sparklers have been spotted on singers Mandy Moore and Fergie. Ditto for James Bond girl Olga Kurylenko, who appeared in the most recent 007 film, "Quantum of Solace." Designers like David Yurman and Catherine Angiel have deployed black diamonds in their jewelry lines.
Last year, the smoky gems got a boost when Carmen Electra showed off her black-diamond engagement ring, which is set amongst white diamonds. "That is exactly the same thing that happened when J-Lo got engaged with a pink diamond," says Helena Krodel, spokesperson for the Jewelry Information Center in New York City. "People said, 'What the heck is this?' " And lets not forget the Black Diamond Fantasy Miracle Bra, created by jeweler Martin Katz and set with 3,575 black diamonds and other precious gems. Victoria's Secret featured the $5 million dazzler in last year's holiday collection. Black diamonds get their color from internal "inclusions" of graphite, magnetite hematite and iron. In their raw state, the color is actually closer to a dark green. Their color is often enhanced through heat treatment or irradiation to produce a uniform black. "I think that the traditional diamond is always going to be No. 1 when it comes to engagement rings," says Heather Levine, fashion and beauty editor for theknot.com, a popular wedding Web site. "But for brides who are looking for something different, a black diamond is a great direction to look." More couples seem to opting for Goth weddings, with their black-and-red color scheme and supernatural imagery, says Levine, a Squirrel Hill native who lives in New York. This trend could be a result of the movie version of the hit vampire-romance series "Twilight."
"Black is going to stay in style forever, just like the little black dress," she says. Another appeal is the dramatic contrast of a black gem with gold or sterling silver, says Veronica Guarino, who co-owns Louis Anthony Jewelers in Bethel Park with her husband, Lou. A guy can set himself apart with a pair of black diamond cufflinks or tuxedo shirt studs. "It gives them a little bit of glitz without being over the top like a white diamonds would," Guarino says. Black diamonds make for a dramatic contrast when set against rose-colored gold. "The contrast between that warm pink-y shade and the black together, it really creates a designer look," she says. "It makes the diamonds pop. It shows the rosiness of the gold."
