subject: Brief Introduction to Diamond History [print this page] Brief Introduction to Diamond History Brief Introduction to Diamond History
The ancient generations believed that Diamonds were splinters of Stars fallen to the earth. It was even said by some that they were the tears of God. Since the very beginning, diamonds have always been associated with romance and legend - imagine across 3.3 billion years and 4 continents placed on a woman's hand.
A few facts about diamonds - Even though the diamond is the hardest of all gemstones known to man, it is the simplest in composition. The Diamond has a melting point of 6900 degrees, which is two and a half times greater than the melting point of steel.
Billions of years ago, the elemental forces of heat and pressure miraculously transformed the carbon into diamond in the cauldron of boiling magma that lay deep below the surface of the earth. The volcanic mass in which this crystallization took place, then thrust upwards and broke through the earth's surface to cool in kimberlite pipes. It is in these kimberlite pipes that most diamonds are found today and this is actually the creation of diamonds.
Diamonds are cut by the manufacturers to yield the greatest amount of carat weight from the rough, which they also buy by the carat. After a diamond has been cut and polished it passes to the jeweler and his staff of skills, which create the setting that will show the diamonds to their maximum effect. All diamonds are rare, but some are more rare then others - and they are more valuable. The diamond price is judged by four distinct factors that combine in a number of ways to calculate its value. These are called the 4C's.
So, the simple plain truth: there is no great mystery about how to buy a diamond. You just need a reason and the knowledge and you are ready to take the challenge with us.
