Diamond
A Diamond takes between 1 and 3.3 billion years to grow. Diamond is the most famed gemstone and renowned for being the hardest substance on earth. The word derives from the Greek ‘αδάμας’ or ‘adámas’ meaning ‘unbreakable’ or ‘I overpower’.
A diamond traditionally symbolizes strength and everlasting love, but also purity. It was an ancient Egyptian belief that the vena amoris (the vein of love) ran from the heart to the third finger on the left hand and it is a for these reasons that a diamond was first set in an engagement ring.
Diamonds were first mined in India up to 6,000 years ago. Here they were highly treasured: restricted to use only by kings and in religious ornamentation.
The measurement ‘carat’ originally derived from the carob bean – the seed of a sweet vegetable believed to be an aphrodisiac – which were used to compare the weights of diamonds.
Where is diamond mined?
During the Spanish Conquest diamond mining shifted focus from India to Brazil.
Today, diamonds are being mined in five continents across the world. Countries with extensive diamond mining operations include Canada, Brazil, Russia, Australia, Botswana, South Africa, Namibia, Sierra Leone and Lesotho. Estimates suggest that more that 150million carats are being mined each year.
Properties
Diamond is 10 on the Mohs Scale.
Diamond is formed from one element only – Carbon.
Interestingly one of the softest minerals on earth, graphite (or pencil lead) is also created purely from carbon. It is only the atom arrangement of graphite and diamond, which differentiates the two.
Colours
All colours of the rainbow. The most popular are colourless (white) yellow, pink, blue, red and brown and black.
Coloured diamonds are known as ‘fancies’ or ‘fancy diamonds’.
Birthstone and Anniversary Stone
Diamond is the birthstone for April and the traditional gift for a 60th wedding anniversary.
Diamond Clarity and Colour Grading
All our diamonds are graded in accordance with GIA clarity and colour grading scales.
