Today I have to admit I had a severe case of writer's block and was about to give up on the idea of even creating a post today. I had just started to sip my first cup of coffee since it was early, and it was still dark out so I didn't wander into the backyard like I normally would. Instead, I hopped online and was checking out the crypto prices and checking for any great deals on precious metals. I do that every day to be honest, but not usually so early. Then I saw something incredible, and today's post was born.
I have always been an amateur treasure hunter and have dove in search of lost treasures and combed the beaches of the Caribbean. Some of my favorite cons come from shipwrecks, literally the treasures the pirates of the Caribbean would plunder centuries ago. When I saw this coin on APMEX.com this morning, I fell in love. This is the Black Diamond from the Pirate Series produced by T&S Coin, last year they produced Treasure Island. Just have a look at this really cool piece of silver:
From APMEX.com
About the coin:
From numista.com
First off, I have to admit I am not a fan of colorized coins, but this one really isn't too bad. The design is a complete homerun with so many elements of the days of of piracy past. The detailing is amazing, and to top it all off, they placed an actual black diamond in the ring of the skeleton captain's finger. Another aspect I like is that it's two solid Troy ounces of pure silver. Now for the painful part, the price... $329.99. That is a pretty penny for the amount of silver, but it is limited production of only 500 coins. I can see this one becoming an expensive item in just a few year's time!
Black Diamonds
Rough black diamonds as found in nature
youtube.com
Jewelry cut black diamonds
atelier-yuwa.ciao.jp
Diamonds may be a girls best friend, but they are spewed to the earth's surface by extremely violent volcanic eruptions known as kimberlite eruptions. They come from the earth's mantle and often carry with them elements from deep in the earth, and occasionally diamonds. The last know eruption of this type was millions of years ago, so currently active volcanoes don't have any diamonds in them, sorry. A kimberlite tube, which is a vertical shaft down into the earth, is the result and these are where diamonds are typically found. I found one myself in Arkansas many years back, but that's another story...
Black diamonds are a different animal altogether. Often known as carbonados they are found in Brazil and the Central African Republic and aren't associated with volcanos. As a matter of fact no one really agrees on where they may have come from, some argue they came from meteor impacts or carried inside of an asteroid that split into two pieces crashing where they are found today. Others argue they are produced deep in the earth, but can't explain how or what brought them to the surface.
They are composed of carbon like normal diamonds but have impurities like graphite, carbon, and even some heavy metals. Used for years exclusively for industrial uses as they are harder than white diamonds, they now are being used more in jewelry as well. Value wise they are less expensive than a typical white diamonds, but they have been going up in price for the clearer ones. However, they are very pretty stones and tougher than the run of the mill white or colored diamond, thus less prone to crack.
If you have been looking for an extraterrestrial piece of jewelry, this may be for you!
The Enigma Diamond
nationaljeweler.com
Now for something really interesting, a 555.55 carat cut black diamond which is the largest in the world. The exact origin of the diamond isn't stated, but all of the carbonados in the world have been found in Brazil or The Central African Republic. It was cut to to look like the Middle Eastern palm sign of Khasma, which is meant to represent protection or strength.
What really makes this interesting is that it was sold in 2022 for $4.3 million at auction in Sotheby's of London. It was paid for in cryptocurrency (which is really cool), and the SEC claims that the crypto came from misappropriated PulseChain investor funds. So a huge black diamond purchased with stolen funds in crypto! That would make any pirate proud, and it's a whole lot bigger than the tiny black diamond on the coin!
That will wrap up the post for today, it's not a true treasure hunting post, but I came close! I do have to admit that the research was a lot of fun and I'm itching to get out treasure hunting again. Please feel free to leave any questions or comments below, and as always thanks so much for all of your support! I hope you liked the coin as much as I do! Have a great week everyone!
References:
https://www.apmex.com/product/310682/2025-niue-2-oz-silver-black-diamond-box-coa
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carbonado
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Enigma_(diamond)
https://www.livescience.com/enigma-black-diamond-auction
https://www.naturallycolored.com/buying-guide/black-diamonds-value
https://en.numista.com/catalogue/exonumia451919.htmlht
Disclaimer:
I am not a financial planner and this isn't financial advice. Please always do your own research before investing your money. You worked hard enough to earn it!
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