When you have 100+ cannabinoids and 500+ terpenes that are all derived from the cannabis plant, you have the ability to make seemingly endless combinations out of them, resulting in a wide variety of effects. In this article, we are looking at a cannabis concentrate that combines high amounts of THCa with a terpene-rich sauce. What are liquid diamonds exactly though, and how do they differ from other concentrates, let’s find out!
Understanding Liquid Diamonds
Liquid diamonds, also known as diamonds and sauce, are a relatively new spin on classic concentrates like wax and shatter. Unlike those concentrates, liquid diamonds have a more fluid consistency, whereas they have a more solid texture. This happens due to the terpene-rich sauce that’s combined with high-potency THCa crystals to create our liquid diamond extract.
How are Liquid Diamonds Made?
Liquid diamonds are some of the most potent and pure cannabis extracts around, and it all has to do with how they are created.
Step 1: Extracting Cannabis Concentrates
To kick off the process, various extraction methods such as butane or CO2 can be used to remove the trichomes that contain the cannabinoids and terpenes away from the rest of the plant material. This step is standard when making everything from CBD oils to THC salves. A unique thing about liquid diamonds, however, is the flower is often frozen immediately after harvest and left uncured.
Step 2: Winterization
Next, the extract is dissolved in a polar solvent (ethanol) at sub-zero temperatures to remove waxes and lipids.
Step 3: Filtration and Solvent Removal
After winterization, any remaining solids and traces from solvents are removed.
Step 4: Diamond Formation (Diamond Mining)
The remaining concentrate, now free of impurities, is placed in a sealed jar and left to undergo the diamond formation process. While the crystals rich in THCa are forming, a sauce rich in the other cannabinoids, terpenes, and flavonoids develops alongside. Controlled temperatures play an enormous part during this process.
Step 5: Combining Diamonds and Sauce
After the diamonds and live resin sauce have had all the time they need to develop, they are separated before reintroducing them in specific ratios to create the final product. Additionally, the sauce can be refined before reintroducing to separate and isolate specific components.
As you can see, this manufacturing process produces an incredibly pure and highly potent cannabis extract that’s free of non-therapeutic plant material that you’ll find in rosin, flowers, and on.
The Appeal of Liquid Diamonds
When it comes to all the various cannabinoid extracts, it can get really confusing fast when trying to understand the nuances between products like liquid diamonds and your more traditional distillates and concentrates, and why liquid diamonds are so appealing.
Appeal #1 – Better Aroma and Flavor
High-quality liquid diamonds in a live resin sauce are usually derived from fresh, frozen flowers, whereas distillates and concentrates tend to use dried and cured flowers along with trim. During the drying and curing process, a lot of terpenes that contribute to flavor and aroma are lost due to their volatile nature.
Appeal #2 – More Consistent & ‘Natural’ Effects
Liquid diamonds are almost always derived from the same plant/strain, whereas distillates and concentrates are often a mixture of different plants/strains.
Appeal #3 – More Control
Liquid diamonds allow you to decarb with your preferred method (dabbing, vaping, etc.).
When compared to a THC distillate, liquid diamonds tend to have a more pleasant and well-rounded high thanks to the addition of the terpene-rich resin sauce that may contain some additional cannabinoids that are tagged along. When compared to a THC concentrate that often retains non-therapeutic plant material like waxes, liquid diamonds are very clean as they remove all that “junk”.
At the end of the day, a lot of these products are going to deliver similar results, especially when they share the same cannabinoid/terpene profile. Unless you are super familiar with various cannabis extracts, you may not notice the subtle nuances between them, so experiment around. Now, many manufacturers are quickly becoming fans of liquid diamonds because comparatively, the distillation process tends to involve more complex steps, such as fractional distillation, which separates and refines cannabinoids based on their boiling points.
Consumption and Usage of Liquid Diamonds
Another appeal of liquid diamonds is their ability to be consumed in several different fashions, with smoking, dabbing, and vaping all being very popular methods. Along with being highly potent, liquid diamonds are said to provide some of the best flavors and aromas around, and vaping is a great way to reap these vs. smoking.
Due to their incredible potency and lack of other cannabinoids that can buffer some of THC’s side effects, you need to go low and slow with liquid diamonds. Thankfully, that terpene-rich sauce can help decrease THC-related side effects.
Legal and Safety Considerations
It’s always important to stay up-to-date on the laws that govern cannabis in your state, but even more so with liquid diamonds due to their incredible potency. While lawmakers are becoming more accepting of cannabis items, high-potency products along with edibles that have kid-appealing packaging are hot topics for debate — even in states where they are currently legal. It is entirely possible that liquid diamonds are banned while lower-potency concentrations and distillates stay legal.
While marketed as a cleaner product, which they can be, you should follow all the same guidelines you would when buying another cannabis item. That means purchasing liquid diamonds that come with a certificate of analysis (COA) from reputable dispensaries. Start with small doses and slowly increase over time, and remember to keep these items away from kids and pets.
To Summarize
Thanks to the various manufacturing processes liquid diamonds undergo, you’d be hard-pressed to find a cleaner and more aromantic cannabis concentrate that’s as free of lipids, waxes, and unknown isomers.
With potency levels easily exceeding 90% THCa, I can’t express enough caution when it comes to starting your dosages low. The same goes for always purchasing from a reputable source that provides 3rd party lab-tested results (COA). Last, please stay aware of any changes in cannabis laws, as high-potency items like liquid diamonds are quickly finding themselves at the center of the legalization debate.
Nicholas McKenzie - Cannabis Research Specialist
Nicholas has spent the last ten years teaching gardeners, businesses, and enthusiasts how to succeed in the exciting and ever-changing world of cannabis. Whether he’s in the field getting his hands dirty or in the lab studying cannabinoids and their uses, Nicholas is passionate about bringing well-researched, factual, and concise information to an industry that very much needs it.
