subject: The diamond in your jewellery is a billion years old [print this page] Diamonds are still a Girls best friend but did you know....
The word "diamond" comes from the Greek word "adamas" meaning unconquerable and indestructible. Ancient Greeks believed that diamonds were splinters of stars that had fallen to heaven others that diamonds were the tears of the Gods.
Diamondsareformed deep beneath the earth's surface. They are made up of pure carbon which has been placed under immense pressure for many many millions of years. The intense heat produced due to this pressure hardens the carbon.
Diamonds are made from the same material that the lead in your pencil or coal is made of. The only difference is that atoms are arranged more tightly in a diamond, which makes them harder. This bond is formed when carbon is exposed to extreme temperatures and very high pressure.
Diamonds are carried to the earths surface by volcanic activity.
The melting point of a diamond is 3547 C (6420F).
To produce a single one carat diamond, some 250 tons of earth will have to be mined.
The diamond is the hardest natural substance found in the earthmeaning nothing on earth can scratch it.
You can scratch the diamond on a piece of glass or mirror. If your stone gets scratched, then it's not a real diamond. If it's the glass or mirror that is scratched, then your diamond is genuine.
The earliest record of a man giving a diamond to a woman goes back to 1477 when the Archduke of Austria gave a diamond to Mary of Burgundy.
The Diamond is the birthstone of people born in April and diamonds worn in ancient times were believed to a source of strength, courage and invincibility.
Most diamonds found in nature are between 1 and 3 billion years old.
A diamond will lose approximately half of its weight during the process of cutting and polishing.
Only 20% of the Worlds diamonds are suitable for use as jewellry.
Diamonds can also be brown, green, blue, orange, red, pink and black.
Diamonds were first discovered in India.
The largest diamond ever found weighed 3106 carats.
The diamond in your jewellery is a billion years old
