Things About Diamonds Everyone Should Know

‘Diamonds are a girl’s best friend’, is a line we have often heard, there are a number of reasons diamonds have fascinated us down centuries. There are plenty of facts about diamonds that would intrigue one and all. We have tried to list some of them below, so you better understand what makes this sparkling piece of rock so desirable.

• For starters, diamonds are nothing but pieces of carbon, that due to extreme pressure exerted on them over millions of years turn into shiny, sparkly stones we are so familiar with.
• Obviously, you can imagine what such extreme pressure exerted in the making of a diamond can do. The atoms within the diamond bond so tightly due all the pressure, that it makes a diamond one of the hardest substances known to man. A diamond’s durability has appealed to man as much as its beauty has.
• Many of you probably didn’t know that the diamond got its name from the Greek. Its name was derived from the Greek word ‘adamas’, which means unbreakable, beautiful, unalterable. A name befitting the qualities that this exquisite piece of rock has.
• It is said that diamonds were first mined in India, thousands of years ago. In fact, some historians claim that it was as early as 6000 years ago that the existence of diamonds was first known. While many others dispute this claim and place the time at around 3000 years ago.
• In the last 200 years the popularity of diamonds rose the most. This is mainly because of improved polishing and cutting techniques that were created by man. Modern man then began categorizing and valuing diamonds based on the cut, clarity, color and carat. One of the most interesting characteristics of this fascinating rock is the dispersion of white light that it causes, when the light passes through it. The resultant spectral colors are truly fascinating to witness.
• It would interest you to know that the word ‘paragon’ is used to describe a flawless diamond and it is also a word we use to usually describe a person of flawless character. It only goes to show how closely humankind has come to identify itself with this piece of rock.
• Interestingly, you would be wrong if you thought that diamonds are a gift to us only from Mother Earth. Turns out, there are also diamonds called ‘carbanado’ which are a result of the meteorites that crashed from space onto the earth’s surface millions of years ago. The diamonds that are excavated in Africa and South America are usually carbanado diamonds. The scientific community has yet to reach a consensus on how exactly these carbanado diamonds were created.
• If you were curious about when the first diamond was gifted by a man to a woman, you would be surprised to know that it wasn’t that long ago. The first known record of such a gift is about 600 years old, when in 1477 Mary of Burgundy was given a diamond by the Archduke of Austria.
• Although the US hardly produces any gemstones, it is the largest buyer of gem quality diamonds in the world.
• Diamonds are available in a number of colors like brown, blue, green, orange, red, pink and black. But, most commonly a diamond is available in pale yellow.
• Even Rome which was the most advanced civilization of its time, couldn’t help but be bitten by the diamond bug. Romans wore diamonds as talismans to ward off bad luck, which is a tradition they are said to have derived from the Indians.

In retrospect, one has to admit that diamonds really do have a very fascinating history and some amazing characteristics. What also makes it fascinating is the fact that if you are holding a diamond, you are possibly holding a piece of rock that is way older than the dinosaurs.