By Alethea Inns

In 2016, the stunning 14.62-carat Oppenheimer Blue sold at auction for a record-breaking US$57.5 million. It was graded Vivid Blue, VVS1, and its mesmerizing colour captivated collectors worldwide. What made this diamond so extraordinary wasn’t just its size or clarity but the secret ingredient in its atomic makeup—the presence of the trace element boron. At the atomic level, imperceptible to the human eye, boron atoms were woven into the diamond’s crystal … Continue reading Without a trace: Decoding diamond’s invisible story