It's a word that conjures up countless thoughts of precious, beautiful, and glittering love gifts like engagement and wedding bands. Most of the diamonds glinting on fingers today are more than 100 million years old; they were formed deep within the Earth's core and brought to the surface by a volcanic eruption.
These magnificent creations of nature were a source of fascination and value to early man long before they were mined in abundance at the end of the 19th century. Diamonds were considered shards of the meteorite by the Romans, while the Greeks saw them as the tears of the gods. The name "diamond" comes from the Greek word "Adamas," which means "unconquerable."
What Is A Diamond?
Diamonds are composed of carbon, the same element found in your pencil. How they were treated over millions of years while buried underground is what sets them apart.
Diamonds are undoubtedly the eternal epitome of all that is alluring, exquisite, and spectacular. Rare and beautiful, these gems have always been treasured by people from all walks of life and cultures around the world.
The name "diamond" originates from the Ancient Greek word "adámas," which means "unbreakable," making diamonds the most valuable and long-lasting gemstones.
They are more valuable than any other gemstone because of their unparalleled beauty, inner fire, and special physical properties. Since no two diamonds are the same, each one has a personality all its own.
Diamonds are one of the earliest substances discovered by humans, with their formation dating back between one and three billion years ago. Scientists are very interested in diamonds because they can tell us about a time and a place on Earth that would otherwise be concealed to us due to their immense antiquity and origin from 140 kilometres below the surface.
Their genesis in the mantle close to the centre of the Earth required high temperatures and pressures, and their rise to the surface through the eruption of ancient volcanoes was extremely risky. Diamonds were ripped out of their crystallised host rocks by the molten lava as it rose towards the surface at nearly the speed of sound (either kimberlites or lamproites). Each and every diamond is a marvel of nature since not all of them would have made it up the mountain.
Historically, people have viewed diamonds as having magical abilities; in ancient India, simply looking at a diamond was regarded to boost one's vitality.
Because of their scarcity (there are only about 30 major diamond mines in operation), diamonds are rightfully considered one of nature's most valuable treasures.
Poor quality 'boart' diamonds are ideal for a whole host of next-generation technology because of their inertness and thermal conductivity (100 times better than copper).
For over a billion years, people have loved diamonds as heirlooms, status symbols, fashion icons, and declarations of love. These alluring rocks have also been crucial in the art of storytelling, helping to form some of the most iconic moments in cinematic and pop cultural canons. There is a fascinating question implied here.
Meaning And History Of Diamonds
It is thought that diamonds were initially found on the riverbanks of India circa 800-1000 BC. They were the primary power in diamond trafficking for thousands of years. Ancient India’s royal family and nobles worshipped diamonds, even at the period when gem cutting was established. Alexander the Great imported diamonds from India to Europe circa 327 BC, when they were traded at the Mediaeval Venetian Markets, where they were immensely popular.
The Ancient Greeks assigned religious significance to diamonds. Diamonds were sometimes thought to be the gods' tears. Diamonds were termed ‘Adamas’, which means ‘invincible’. It was worn on the breastplates during battle as it was supposed to bring the wearer power and courage.
A diamond is a stone that honestly expresses “I love you” in a deep sense. You’ve probably heard the slogan many times that “a diamond is forever.” This is because of the stone’s metaphor of deep, everlasting love and that it’s the hardest substance known on Earth. Along with being April's birthstone, diamonds are also a traditional symbol of the 60th anniversary of a couple's wedding. It is thought that the first diamonds were discovered in India at least 3000 years ago, but more likely as long as 6000 years ago. In Ancient India, people saw diamonds as holy icons.
The exciting breakthrough of gem cutting was established in the 1400s, which heightened the appeal of the diamond by enabling light to reflect inside the diamond and back out the top. This improves the diamond's colour clarity and lustre, making it more desirable among European nobility.
However, the 1700s marked the beginning of the end for Indian diamonds due to a precipitous fall in the rate at which they were being mined. The discovery of diamond mines in Brazil restocked the market, and Brazilian diamonds went on to dominate the industry for more than a century and a half.
The Ancient Greeks bestowed the term "Adamas" upon the diamond, which means "unconquerable" or "unbreakable" or "proper" or "untamed." Ancient Greek soldiers wore diamonds because of a widespread belief that they gave their wearers superhuman strength and immunity to injury. Numerous cultures have highly valued diamonds due to their strength, durability, and aesthetic appeal.
The rainbow is trapped inside a diamond for all time, as the great Persian poet Hafiz once put it. There has always been a belief that diamonds represent purity and innocence. Diamonds, in the minds of the ancient Greeks, were the tears of a grieving pantheon. Diamonds were once assumed to have fallen from the outer rings of stars and onto Earth.
How And Where Are Diamonds Formed?
Diamonds are formed between 75 and 120 miles (120 kilometres) below the surface of the Earth. Geologists estimate that diamonds were initially delivered to Earth about 2.5 billion years ago and that the most recent delivery occurred 45 million years ago. Science has determined that the carbon used to create diamonds originates from the subduction and melting of igneous rock in the Earth's upper mantle. The mantle is rich in carbon-containing atoms.
Carbon atoms are pushed deeper by fluctuations in the upper mantle's temperature, where they melt and eventually solidify into a new rock. Carbon atoms in the melting crystal rock bond to produce diamond crystals if the appropriate pressure and chemistry are present.
These carbon atoms may or may not eventually form a diamond. The diamond crystals may melt or disintegrate if the temperature or pressure changes too much. If they form at all, diamonds won't reach the Earth's surface for thousands of years.
Modern Diamond Mining
The huge diamond reserves in Africa were originally identified in the late 1800s, and since then, the modern diamond mining industry has flourished there. Diamonds were previously extracted from the ground. However, technological advancements have allowed greater depths to be reached in the search for diamonds. This resulted in a massive market shift, increasing rough diamond production yearly from below 1 million carats to about 100 million carats.
Due to the dramatic growth in output, the diamond industry shifted their marketing approach. Although coloured stone engagement rings were popular at the time, the marketing of diamonds as a symbol of eternal love eventually won out. These days, white diamonds are the most sought-after gems, while the usage of other stones, even coloured diamonds, is seen as a "bold" move.
Since then, diamonds have been discovered in two additional places, creating even more buzz. The first diamonds were discovered in Australia in the 1980s and came in colours ranging from white to a very unusual pink. Australian pink diamonds from the Kimberly region are sought after for their rare hue and striking contrast in popularity.
Northern Canada has quickly become a well-known diamond mining region. Diamonds mined in Canada are revered for their exceptional quality and purity and for the respect given to the environment and human rights during the extraction process.
What Makes A Diamond Special?
Beauty: The diamond's timeless allure and inner fire have made it highly sought after for millennia. Given the unique combination of factors that make up each diamond, no two stones will ever be the same. Like its owner, every diamond has a one-of-a-kind character and individuality.
Durability: A diamond's resistance to wear and tear makes it the hardest material is known to man. When properly maintained, a piece of diamond jewellery can be worn frequently and even passed down the generations.
Purity: Diamonds are in short supply despite ongoing exploration and discovery of new diamond deposits. When you consider that it takes over 250 tonnes of ore to be blasted, crushed, and processed in order to produce just one carat of a rough diamond, you can see why this is the case. In addition, only about twenty percent of all rough diamonds can be polished into usable gemstones.
Enduring Value:Diamond prices frequently change because of the supply and demand for this precious commodity. Even after being worn and appreciated for a long time, the value of these beautiful diamonds will not diminish.
FAQs About Diamond Ring
As early as 300 BCE, engravers in India were using diamonds to decorate jewels. Diamonds can be consumed by fire. The temperature of a diamond needs to be between 1290 and 1650 degrees Fahrenheit for it to be consumed by fire.
Diamonds are available in every colour of the rainbow, but the most common colours used in jewellery are D through Z. Diamonds can be found in any colour.
Amazing Facts About Diamonds
- Diamonds were said to have originated as either the gods' tears or as shards of fallen stars by ancient Romans and Greeks. Romans even thought Cupid's arrows were tipped with diamonds (perhaps the earliest association between diamonds and romantic love).
- Diamonds have been around for billions of years, even several billion.
- Diamonds are formed roughly 100 miles below and are brought to the surface by massive volcanic explosions.
- Diamonds are almost entirely composed of carbon, which makes them a monatomic material. Diamonds are formed when carbon atoms link in a special way under extreme conditions, such as those found deep under the Earth.
- The ancient Greek word Adamas, from which we get the word "adamant," meant to be impregnable.
- Diamonds are the hardest substance found in nature. Only another diamond can scratch a diamond. According to studies, a diamond is up to 58 times harder than anything else in nature. Therefore, the only thing other than another diamond that could cut through a diamond would be another diamond itself.
- For centuries, the diamond has been a symbol of wealth and status. As early as the fourth century BC, diamonds were mined and traded in India. The Roman naturalist Pliny declared in the first century AD, "Diamond is the most valuable, not only of precious stones but of all things in this world."
- Diamonds were placed in the eyes of ancient Hindu devotional idols, and it was widely held that donning a diamond would provide the person with invulnerability.
- Some ancient monarchs wore diamonds on their armour as they rode into battle because they were believed to provide the wearer power and courage.
- Diamonds were believed to have curative powers during the Middle Ages and were used to treat everything from exhaustion to mental sickness.
- Diamond-producing countries come and go. Beginning in the 1400s, when they were first marketed in Venice and other European trading centres, diamonds were imported from India and became the world's primary supplier. Then, in the 1700s, as demand outstripped supply, diamonds came primarily from Brazil until the late 1800s, when a massive resource was discovered in South Africa. Diamonds are now being mined in a number of different countries. Brilliant Earth's sourcing of diamonds goes above and beyond to provide Beyond Conflict Free DiamondsTM from Canada, Botswana Sort, and Russia.
- In 1867, a little South African kid named Erasmus Stephanus made history by discovering the magnificent Eureka diamond. Rough diamond weighing 21.25 carats discovered close to Hopetown on the Orange River. The weight of the polished stone is 10.73 carats nowadays.
- The Cullinan diamond, weighing an incredible 3106 carats (1.33 pounds), was the biggest diamond ever unearthed. The mine's owner and the South African government gave the diamond to King Edward after it was discovered in that country in 1905. The three largest diamonds from the Cullinan's nine remaining large stones and one hundred smaller gems are on display in the Tower of London as part of the crown jewels.
- In 1477, Archduke Maximilian of Austria presented Mary of Burgundy with a gold ring containing a M spelt out in diamonds as an engagement ring.
- Lab-grown diamonds' physical, chemical, and visual qualities are identical to those of naturally occurring diamonds. They are environmentally friendly diamonds that won't deplete resources.
- According to scientists, these are the most mind-blowing truths about diamonds: An all-carbon planet thought to be one-third pure diamond has been discovered. The planet, known as 55 Cancri e, was discovered in 2004 and is named after the nearest star it orbits in our galaxy (which, in our opinion, is not a sufficiently glamorous name for such an extraordinary planet). To top it all off, astronomers have found a star that is practically a diamond with 10 billion trillion carats in weight. In honour of the Beatles' "Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds," the star was given the name Lucy.
- The vast majority of commercial diamonds available today are extracted from underground or underwater mines using sophisticated machinery and technology. Prior to the practice of digging for diamonds deep inside the soil, miners uncovered them at riverbanks and riverbeds. Alluvial mining refers to this method of extracting minerals.
- Remains of a loved one can be transformed into a diamond via scientific research. Compressing a loved one's ashes and fusing them into a synthetic diamond is one way to keep their memory alive. By doing so, you may keep them safely away from time and space.
- SCATTERED AROUND THE COSMOS ARE GORGEOUS DIAMOND CLUSTERS. Scientists have discovered the diamond cores of white dwarf stars. More intriguing still is that the largest diamond in the universe weighs up to 10 billion carats and 2.27 trillion tonnes.
Because, as the adage goes, "A diamond is eternal," it stands to reason that you should select the most stunning gem available. Two diamonds may look alike at first glance, but upon closer inspection, you'll notice that they are quite distinct.
Each diamond has distinct traits and values, even if they are all the same size. Learning the "4 Cs" (cut, colour, clarity, and carat weight) will help you understand these distinctions. The worth of a diamond is based on its combination of these four factors. When you visit our store, we'll have our diamond specialists give you a more in-depth explanation of the 4 Cs.