Diamond Guide - History of Diamond
About Diamonds
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.
The diamond is the hardest known substance in the world. Billions of years ago, in a deep
layer of the earth, a unique combination of chemicals, pressure and changes in
temperature created diamonds out of pure carbon.
The Diamond is uniquely resistant to damage by heat or scratching and can be cut or
polished only by another diamond. The diamond is thousands of times harder than
corundum, the next hardest substance from which rubies and sapphires are formed. Even
after many years of constant wear, diamonds will preserve their sharp edges and corners
when most other stones will have become worn and chipped. However, many people expect a
diamond to be unbreakable. This is not true. A diamond's crystal structure has "hard"
and "soft" directions. A blow of sufficient force, in an exact direction, can crack,
chip, split or even shatter a diamond.
Early History
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, diamonds were used in two ways, first, for decorative purposes, and secondly
as a talisman to ward off evil or provide protection in battle.
The Middle Ages
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 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. 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.
Recent Times
On October 2, 1979, geologists found the Argyle pipe near Lake Argyle in Australia: 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.
Diamond – The Symbol of Love
Diamond has become ‘The Symbol of Love’ throughout the world. The tradition of giving
diamonds as tokens of love and commitment began at the end of the 15th century when
Austrian Archduke Maximilian gave a diamond ring to his fiancé. They chose to place the
ring on the fourth finger of the left hand because legend held that this finger provided
a direct link between tokens of love and the heart.
The diamond's strength and pure transparent beauty have always represented the purest
emotions of human heart -- commitment and deep lasting love.