Diamonds have been the protagonists of the jewelry industry throughout the ages. The ancient Roman philosopher Galius Plinius Secundus, in his work “Natural History”, wrote that brilliants were the hardest mineral and the most expensive thing in the world. In ancient Rome, people knew diamonds and considered them to be very precious gems.
The name “diamond” derives from the Greek word “Adamas” which means undefeated. Maybe ancient Greeks noticed the strength of these stones. Moreover, they believed if a warrior wore a jewel with brilliants into battle, he became invincible.
For many centuries all over the world, people have thought of these minerals as the purest and most beautiful gems. Do you remember this slogan: Diamonds are forever? The stones became the symbol of love, romance, and marital fidelity. Did you ponder why the bride is given a brilliant ring upon engagement? Why are diamonds used in engagement rings? The reason is that this mineral is considered the purest gem in the jewelry world, and it is a symbol of the bride’s virginity.
What is a diamond?
A diamond is a mineral that has an extreme hardness, as well as chemical and thermal resistance. It is composed of 99.9% carbon and its crystal structure is formed symmetrically in all directions by the atom’s covalent bonds.
Its structure makes it the strongest stone on Earth. Only another diamond can scratch this mineral.
Natural brilliants are formed under the huge pressure and temperature that can only be found in the Earth’s mantle, 200km below the surface. The pieces of the mantle that contain diamonds are named xenoliths. We don’t know how much time does it take to form a natural diamond. This period could last for several centuries. These gems can appear on the Earth’s surface only in these conditions:
- deep volcanic eruptions that toss out stones and rocks of xenoliths;
- from space with meteorites and asteroids;
- thanks to human activity; that is, the mining of rock and mountains that contain xenoliths.
There are a lot of discussions about how to determine the age of a given diamond. This is the subject of the entire article. Natural brilliants that we have now are aged from 4 to 1 billion years.
Diamonds in Ancient India
Between 6000-4000 BC, ancient Indians knew diamonds as the god Indra’s gift. People believed that these stones appeared in fields after thunderstorms. That is why they named these minerals Vajara, which means “thunderbolt”. How can we explain this phenomenon? As we know, from ancient times India has been the motherland of many gems. Xenoliths, which contain diamonds, could be transported with deep volcanic eruptions, covered with layers of soil over centuries, and opened as alluvial deposits with strong rains that can last several months in the Indian climate. When lightning hits the ground, it can make a pit and open the upper layer of soil and the piece of xenolith. Moreover, ancient Indians may have thought that meteorites were lightning, too, and we know these objects from space can also contain diamonds. So, people in India found brilliants in fields, riverbeds, and shores in alluvial sands in rivers Krishna, Godavari, and Penner.
The first mine that we know of was in Golconda. We know that in 600 BC, the empire with the name Mahajanapada used these minerals as a currency. They had a unit of measurement named ‘tandula’, which was the equivalent of a grain of rice. They measured diamonds with tandulas as we do it with carats. A diamond of one tandula weight cost 10000 rupaka. Ancient Indians who were wealthy stored their funds in brilliants. I think they were wise. 🙂
Moreover, the Mahajanapada empire developed Ratna Pariksha, the rules for diamond and precious stone assessment. The text of this document has been saved, and we can still read it today. For example, these are several pages from this document:
In this empire, the profession of gems assessor was called Kisadhyaksha. This information we know from the manuscript “Arthasastra”, dated 300 BC. In this document, the author said that the brilliant was superior to other precious stones. He listed diamond deposits like Matanga, Kalinga, Paundra, Saurashtra, etc.
Brilliants were so popular in ancient India that there was a profession called Mandalin, the diamond expert that certified and assessed these stones. Indians could polish these minerals and other gems. Their diamonds were flat. They understood that these stones were the hardest and only a diamond could polish another diamond. They had a special polishing board.
Ancient Indians believed that wearing a brilliant guaranteed a long healthy life and beauty. Moreover, according to the Indian doctrine about health, Ayurveda, diamonds can heal wounds, ulcers, and cancer.
Diamonds in Ancient Rome
Ancient Romans and Greeks knew about diamonds after Alexander the Great’s campaign to Northern India. So, the first brilliants appeared in ancient Rome after 327 BC. These Indian diamonds had a long life, and after several centuries some of them came to Venice, while others traveled in Turkey.
Greeks and Romans believed that these transparent stones are tears of gods and came to Earth from other stars. Moreover, diamonds were used in the jewelry of rich Romans as talismans for good luck. In the Roman Empire, there was a legend that Zeus transformed people who didn’t obey him into black brilliants.
These are two rings with diamonds that have been saved from the Roman Empire to our times. Both are in the British Museum. Photo source is langantiques.com
The famous Roman philosopher Plato wrote that diamonds were chips of stars that fell to Earth. Pliny wrote that brilliants are extremely hard and they can be used to cut other hard stones; for example, sapphires. Moreover, he wrote that these minerals can be used in medicine to cure poisoning, hallucinations, and anxiety. He also said that diamonds were the most expensive things in the world.
Diamonds in Medieval Europe
In Medieval Europe, diamonds became the strongest symbol of power and wellness. In 1074, the Queen of Hungary ordered that a brilliant be put in her crown. After her action, the noble people began using diamonds as symbols of alliance or expression of loyalty.
Between 1163 and 1323, the biggest diamond known in human history was found in Golconda mines. Its name was Koh-i-Noor, which means Mountain of Light. Its weight was 191 carats. It had a difficult and blooded history. In 1849, it arrived in Great Britain, and now it is a central jewel of Queen Mother’s Crown.
In 1477, Archduke Maximilian of Austria was the first person who used diamonds in an engagement ring, which he gave to Mary of Burgundy. This was a golden ring with brilliants that formed the letter M. Today this ring is in Profane Museum.
In 1500, Vasco da Gama discovered the seaway to India, and the export of diamonds from India to Europe grew. After this event, the trade of these minerals became more active, and not only kings but rich people could buy them.
In 1520, the Rose cut was invented, and it became very popular among European noble people. In 1562, the Queen of Scots Mary sent a heart-shaped diamond to Queen of England Elizabeth I as a symbol of affection.
In 1638, a French jeweler and traveler Jean-Baptiste Tavernier visited the mines of Golconda in India and bought a big blue diamond, which he named the Hope. Its weight was 166 carats. He sold this gem to the King of France Louis XIV for the letter of ennoblement and 172,000 ounces of pure gold.
What colors are diamonds?
Most natural brilliants are yellowish or brownish. Colorless and colored diamonds are rare. Even if you look at the diamond and think that it is colorless, in reality, it is a little yellowish. Colored natural brilliants can be black, brown, orange, red, pink, blue, etc. Their color is caused by impurities that are in a stone. For example, brown diamonds contain nickel; yellow and orange brilliants contain nitrogen; black diamonds contain iron or graphite; green brilliants are caused by radiation. Colored diamonds are known as fancy diamonds.
Why are diamonds so expensive?
Diamond is the hardest mineral in the world. If they are natural, they are formed 200-250 km under the Earth’s surface. The age of natural stones is from 1 to 4 billion years, and we don’t know if these minerals are still forming now.
During human history, these stones were positioned as very expensive things. Some brilliants have a very bloody story – many people who wanted to possess them died or were killed.
Modern culture has created hype around diamonds. All wealthy people wear jewelry with diamonds. All the engagement rings should be decorated with brilliants. So, people associate them with important events in their lives.
Are diamonds a good investment?
People can invest money in diamonds like in gold, platinum, gas, or oil. Diamonds are expensive and their life is long – longer than humans’ lives. So, if you obtain a diamond, you can pass it in heredity.
Moreover, there are several diamond stocks in the world. For example, among them are Rio Tinto, Lucapa Diamond, Alerus Financial, etc. Of course, diamonds’ prices can go up and down over the years. It depends on the season, the financial environment in the world, and other factors.