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Diamonds have been a source of fascination for centuries. The word "diamond"
comes from the Greek word “Adamas”, meaning "Unconquerable". Diamond is a
transparent gem made of carbon, which is one of the Earth's most common
elements. Even though the diamond is the hardest of all gemstones known to
man, it is the simplest in composition: it is common carbon.
The ancient Greeks believed that diamonds were splinters of stars fallen to earth.
It was even said by some that they were the tears of the Gods or perhaps
crystallized lightning or hardened dew drops. The truth is, however, that the
exact origin of diamonds is still something of a mystery, even to scientists and
geologists.
In ancient times only kings wore diamonds as a symbol of strength, courage and
invincibility. Over the centuries, the diamond acquired its unique status as the
ultimate gift of love. It was said that Cupid’s arrows were tipped with diamonds
that have magic that nothing else can ever-quite equal. But it wasn’t until 1477,
when Archduke Maximillian of Austria gave a diamond ring to Mary of
Burgundy, that the tradition of diamond engagement rings began. Even the
reason a woman wears it on the third finger of her left hand dates back to the
early Egyptian belief that the vena amoris (vein of love) ran directly from the
heart to the top of the third finger, left hand.
The hardness and durability of the diamond have always stood for an eternally
incorruptible principle that protects its wearer from evil. In addition, the fact
that white light is composed of all colors convinced the ancients that the
diamond, the gem of light akin to the sun, was a combination of all the other
precious stones.
The diamond has played a part in almost every religion. In the Talmud, a gem
supposed to have been the diamond was worn by the high priest and served to
show the guilt or innocence of one accused of any crime. If the accused were
guilty, the stone was supposed to turn dim; if innocent, it shone more brilliantly
than ever.
The Hindus classified diamonds and rubies according to four castes. The
Brahman diamond meant power, riches, friends and good luck; the Kshatriya
diamond was reputed to prevent the onset of old age; the Vaisya stone was
supposed to bring success; and the Sudra was supposed to bring all manner of
good fortune. Soldiers believed that a diamond carried into battle would keep
them safe from harm and even render them invisible.
The far-reaching magic of the diamond included indomitable power against
poison, fears, nightmares, sorcery, quarrels, lunacy and possession by devils.
Diamonds brought power, riches, success, friends, everlasting youth and the
promise of serenity and contentment.
Like the emerald, the diamond was reputed to be a reliable test for fidelity. A
stone placed on the breast of a sleeping lover was expected to make him tell all.
Another device was to rest a diamond on a wife's head without her knowledge
while she slept. If she was faithful, she would turn to her husband in her sleep; if
not, she would move away.
An old English ballad tells of the romance of a beautiful princess who gave her
suitor a ring set with seven diamonds as a memento on his departure for a sea
journey. Some distance from home, he observed that the diamonds had turned
pale. He saw this as a sign that the princess had found a new love. He hurried
back just in time to prevent her marriage to another. Need we add...they lived
happily ever after.
The first recorded history of the diamond dates back some 3,000 years to India,
where it is likely that diamonds were first valued for their ability to reflect light.
In those early days, this stone was used in two ways, firstly for decorative
purposes, and secondly as a talisman to ward off evil or provide protection in
battle.
During the Middle Ages more attention was paid to the worth of diamonds,
rather than the mystical powers surrounding them. Due to the improved public
awareness of the value of diamonds, mine owners perpetuated myths that
diamonds were poisonous. This was to prevent the mineworkers from swallowing
the diamonds in an attempt to smuggle them out of the mines.
The popularity of diamonds surged during the middle ages, with the discovery of
many large and famous stones in India, such as the Koh-I-Noor and the Blue
Hope. But when the Indian diamond supply dwindled, smaller finds occurred in
Borneo and Brazil, but these were not sufficient to meet the ever-increasing
demand for diamonds. The mid-nineteenth century discovery of diamonds near
the Orange River in South Africa sparked the world's biggest diamond rush, and
helped to satiate the world's increasing appetite for diamonds.
On October 2nd 1979, geologists found the Argyle pipe near Lake Argyle: the
richest diamond deposit in the world. Since then, Argyle has become the world's
largest volume producer of diamonds, and alone is responsible for producing
over a third of the world's diamonds every year.
Currently, most diamonds are mined in the following countries: South Africa,
Zaire, Russia, Canada, Australia, Botswana, Angola, Namibia, Brazil, Ghana,
and China. The major cutting centers of the diamond world are in Antwerp,
Bombay, Tel Aviv, and New York.
comes from the Greek word “Adamas”, meaning "Unconquerable". Diamond is a
transparent gem made of carbon, which is one of the Earth's most common
elements. Even though the diamond is the hardest of all gemstones known to
man, it is the simplest in composition: it is common carbon.
The ancient Greeks believed that diamonds were splinters of stars fallen to earth.
It was even said by some that they were the tears of the Gods or perhaps
crystallized lightning or hardened dew drops. The truth is, however, that the
exact origin of diamonds is still something of a mystery, even to scientists and
geologists.
In ancient times only kings wore diamonds as a symbol of strength, courage and
invincibility. Over the centuries, the diamond acquired its unique status as the
ultimate gift of love. It was said that Cupid’s arrows were tipped with diamonds
that have magic that nothing else can ever-quite equal. But it wasn’t until 1477,
when Archduke Maximillian of Austria gave a diamond ring to Mary of
Burgundy, that the tradition of diamond engagement rings began. Even the
reason a woman wears it on the third finger of her left hand dates back to the
early Egyptian belief that the vena amoris (vein of love) ran directly from the
heart to the top of the third finger, left hand.
The hardness and durability of the diamond have always stood for an eternally
incorruptible principle that protects its wearer from evil. In addition, the fact
that white light is composed of all colors convinced the ancients that the
diamond, the gem of light akin to the sun, was a combination of all the other
precious stones.
The diamond has played a part in almost every religion. In the Talmud, a gem
supposed to have been the diamond was worn by the high priest and served to
show the guilt or innocence of one accused of any crime. If the accused were
guilty, the stone was supposed to turn dim; if innocent, it shone more brilliantly
than ever.
The Hindus classified diamonds and rubies according to four castes. The
Brahman diamond meant power, riches, friends and good luck; the Kshatriya
diamond was reputed to prevent the onset of old age; the Vaisya stone was
supposed to bring success; and the Sudra was supposed to bring all manner of
good fortune. Soldiers believed that a diamond carried into battle would keep
them safe from harm and even render them invisible.
The far-reaching magic of the diamond included indomitable power against
poison, fears, nightmares, sorcery, quarrels, lunacy and possession by devils.
Diamonds brought power, riches, success, friends, everlasting youth and the
promise of serenity and contentment.
Like the emerald, the diamond was reputed to be a reliable test for fidelity. A
stone placed on the breast of a sleeping lover was expected to make him tell all.
Another device was to rest a diamond on a wife's head without her knowledge
while she slept. If she was faithful, she would turn to her husband in her sleep; if
not, she would move away.
An old English ballad tells of the romance of a beautiful princess who gave her
suitor a ring set with seven diamonds as a memento on his departure for a sea
journey. Some distance from home, he observed that the diamonds had turned
pale. He saw this as a sign that the princess had found a new love. He hurried
back just in time to prevent her marriage to another. Need we add...they lived
happily ever after.
The first recorded history of the diamond dates back some 3,000 years to India,
where it is likely that diamonds were first valued for their ability to reflect light.
In those early days, this stone was used in two ways, firstly for decorative
purposes, and secondly as a talisman to ward off evil or provide protection in
battle.
During the Middle Ages more attention was paid to the worth of diamonds,
rather than the mystical powers surrounding them. Due to the improved public
awareness of the value of diamonds, mine owners perpetuated myths that
diamonds were poisonous. This was to prevent the mineworkers from swallowing
the diamonds in an attempt to smuggle them out of the mines.
The popularity of diamonds surged during the middle ages, with the discovery of
many large and famous stones in India, such as the Koh-I-Noor and the Blue
Hope. But when the Indian diamond supply dwindled, smaller finds occurred in
Borneo and Brazil, but these were not sufficient to meet the ever-increasing
demand for diamonds. The mid-nineteenth century discovery of diamonds near
the Orange River in South Africa sparked the world's biggest diamond rush, and
helped to satiate the world's increasing appetite for diamonds.
On October 2nd 1979, geologists found the Argyle pipe near Lake Argyle: the
richest diamond deposit in the world. Since then, Argyle has become the world's
largest volume producer of diamonds, and alone is responsible for producing
over a third of the world's diamonds every year.
Currently, most diamonds are mined in the following countries: South Africa,
Zaire, Russia, Canada, Australia, Botswana, Angola, Namibia, Brazil, Ghana,
and China. The major cutting centers of the diamond world are in Antwerp,
Bombay, Tel Aviv, and New York.
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