"Tears of The Gods"- By David Robinson

The Queen of gems, it is the hardest naturally occurring material in the world. Revered for its outstanding beauty, the sparkle of the unique creations of nature has fascinated the human race for centuries. It may be surprising to hear that diamonds do not only come in colourless form, but also can be naturally red, pink, orange, yellow, brown, blue and green.

How are diamonds formed? The theory exists that they are formed 120-200 km below the earth's surface, where deposits of carbon evolved aided by extreme heat and pressure.

The diamond material is ejected to the surface by way of violent volcanic eruptions, which form volcanic chimneys. The most recent chimney was formed millions of years ago in the cretaceous period.

Despite being such a highly sought after material, most people have never seen a rough or uncut diamond. In its rough state, diamond is usually octahedron shaped.

It is not known exactly when the first diamond was discovered, but it is believed the first stones came from the Golconda region of India. Written references of stones can be traced back to around 300 b.c. where early tools and even fire had no effect on the mysterious stone. This supreme hardness earned the material the name "adamas" meaning the invincible or unconquerable.

Diamonds have always been a treasured stone so much so that in India it was once believed they were the fallen  tears from the gods.

 Diamonds were also believed to be small pieces that had fallen away from the stars.

In the first century A.D. leading Roman figures were awarded diamonds by the Emperor and were worn uncut, set in gold. So prized, very few kings even possessed diamonds as late as the 13th Century. Louis IX of France ordered that no women, this included even queens and princesses, were allowed to wear them. One lady who dared to wear them was Agnes Sorel, the mistress of King Charles VII. This lead to the popularity of Diamonds in the French court.

The Engagement Ring

The first engagement ring was given to Mary Burgandy by Archduke Maximilian in Austria, 1477. Mary Burgandy placed the ring on the third finger of her left hand as it was believed at the time a vein from that finger ran directly to the heart.














<script src="http://www.google-analytics.com/urchin.js" type="text/javascript">
</script>
<script type="text/javascript">
_uacct = "UA-2828913-1";
urchinTracker();
</script>