Rock Crystal

Rock Crystal is the name given to all clear colorless quartz. It is widely used as a popular ornamental stone and is also used as a gemstone. Although it is one of the least expensive gemstones, cut rock crystal has been used as imitation diamonds. Rock crystal lacks the fire, color (of course) and the rarity to be ranked as a fine precious gemstone. None-the-less, rock crystal is in wide use as a gemstone due to its beauty, affordability, availability, and ease of cutting.

The most common use for rock crystal is in ornamental carvings. A well known ornamental carving for rock crystal is the crystal ball of fortune telling fame. While rock crystal is common it is hard to find large crystals of quartz with the clarity and size required for the crystal balls that most of us associate with fortune tellers. Rock crystal is used for many ornamental carvings from spheres (crystal balls) to pyramids to obelisks to figurines to eggs to bowls to wands. There are also many fine chandeliers that are outfitted with rock crystal ornaments.

Rock crystal can have the colorless clarity of pure water, unlike ordinary window glass which is a pale green. Yet the most common flaws - internal fractures - result in veils and colorful refractions that lend beauty to an otherwise ordinary object.

Rock crystal is an alternate and traditional birthstone for the month of April. Quartz is often associated with balance, clarity, and energy.
Many people prefer uncut clusters of rock crystal. These natural treasures look like crystal cities of fantasy stories. The long slender clear prisms of quartz projecting upward from a common base are true mineralogical wonders that can be admired by all. They cost of good clusters of rock crystal is quite affordable and comes from sources around the world. The best rock crystal sources are in the famous Hot Springs area of Arkansas, USA; Cumberland, England; St. Gotthard, Switzerland; Brazil and Madagascar. Large individual crystals of quartz have been found in Brazil, the largest weighs over 44 tons.

rutilated quartz

Rock crystal often has inclusions of other minerals and these inclusions sometimes produce popular varieties of ornamental stone. Golden rutile inclusions produce a unique stone aptly named rutilated quartz that has a very hair-like look.

tourmalinated quartz

Another apply named stone is called tourmalinated quartz and contains intricately crossing needles of black schorl tourmaline trapped in the clear crystal.

Phantoms are a result of inclusions which occur when other minerals such as chlorite, hematite or even milky quartz form as a crust on the surface of the crystals during a hiatus in the crystal's growth. The crystal then grows out and around the encrusting growth, encasing it inside. But since the thin encrustations formed over a crystal complete with crystal faces it appears that there is a crystal inside the crystal. The encrustations are often incomplete or diffuse and appear ghostly, hence the name phantom.
Rock crystal is only one of several quartz varieties. Other varieties that form macroscopic (large enough to see) crystals are as follows:

• Amethyst is the purple gemstone variety.
• Citrine is a yellow to orange gemstone variety that is rare in nature but is often created by heating Amethyst.
• Milky Quartz is the cloudy white variety.
• Prasiolite is the leek-green variety.
• Rose quartz is a pink to reddish pink variety.
• Smoky quartz is the brown to gray variety.

Quartz is the most common mineral on the face of the Earth. It is found in nearly every geological environment and is at least a component of almost every rock type. It frequently is the primary mineral, >98%. It is also the most varied in terms of varieties, colors and forms. This variety comes about because of the abundance and widespread distribution of quartz. A collector could easily have hundreds of quartz specimens and not have two that are the same due to the many broad categories. The specimens could be separated by answers to the following questions: color?, shade?, pyramidal?, prismatic?, druzy?, twinned?, sceptered?, phantomed?, included?, tapered?, coated?, microcrystalline?,stalactitic?, concretionary?, geoidal?, banded?, etc. Multiple combinations of these could produce hundreds of unique possibilities.

Cryptocrystalline (crystals too small to be seen even by a microscope) varieties are also used as semi-precious stones and for ornamental purposes. These varieties are divided more by character than by color.

The primary varieties of chalcedony are as follows:

• Agate is a banded variety (sometimes with translucent bands)
• Bloodstone is green with red speckles
• Carnelian is yellow to orange
• Chrysoprase is green
• Flint is generally black with a fibrous microscopic structure
• Jasper is any colorful agate
• Onyx is black, white, or alternating black and white
• Sard is yellow to brown
• Sardonyx is banded, alternating sard and (usually white) onyx

Quartz is not the only mineral composed of SiO₂. There are no less than eight other known structures that are composed of SiO₂. These other substances and quartz are polymorphs of silicon dioxide and belong to an informal group called the Quartz Group or Silica Group. All members of this group, except quartz, are uncommon to extemely rare on the surface of the earth and are stable only under high temperatures and high pressures or both. These minerals have their own unique structures although they share the same chemistry, hence the term polymorph, which means many forms.

Quartz has a unique structure. Actually, there is another mineral that shares quartz's structure, and it is not even a silicate. It is a rare phosphate named berlinite, AlPO₄, that is isostructural with quartz. The structure of quartz involves corkscrewing (helix) chains of silicon tetrahedrons. The corkscrew takes four tetrahedrons in order to repeat itself, or three turns. Each tetrahedron is essentially rotated 120 degrees. The chains are aligned along the C axis of the crystal and interconnected to two other chains at each tetrahedron making quartz a true tectosilicate. This structure is not like the structure of the chain silicates or inosilicates whose silicate tetrahedronal chains are not directly connected to each other. The structure of quartz helps explain many of its physical attributes.

For one, the helix makes three turns and this helps produce the trigonal symmetry of quartz. Likewise a helix or corkscrew lacks mirror planes of symmetry as does quartz. The corkscrew structure would also disrupt any cleavage which requires a plane of weakness not found in quartz and breakage would result in the curved fracture, conchoidal, that is found in quartz. Quartz can also have left and right handed crystals just as a corkscrew can screw in a left handed way or in a right handed way. There are even some very difficult to identify crystals of quartz that are twinned with alternating one sixths of the crystal being right handed and then left handed.

Quartz is a fun mineral to collect. Its abundance on the Earth's surface is incredible and produces some wonderful varieties that don't even look like the same mineral. A collector must always be up on the many varieties of quartz and it sometimes embarrasses a collector to have collected too many specimens of such a common mineral. But nearly all collectors concede that you can never really have enough quartz specimens. Note that quartz is nearly a defining component of most geodes. The agate form typically lines the original cavity, creating a durable shell to contain subsequent mineral growth, which itself is often quartz crystals of one or more varieties. Geodes from Brazil are a good example, as layers of agate comprise the shell, lined with milky and/or colorless quartz crystals, topped with amethyst.

PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS:

• Color is as variable as the spectrum, but clear quartz is by far the most common color followed by white or cloudy (milky quartz). Purple (Amethyst), pink (Rose Quartz), gray or brown to black (Smoky Quartz) are also common. Cryptocrystalline varieties can be multicolored.
• Luster is glassy to vitreous as crystals, while cryptocrystalline forms are usually waxy to dull but can be vitreous.
• Transparency: Crystals are transparent to translucent, cryptocrystalline forms can be translucent or opaque.
• Crystal System is trigonal; 3 2.
• Crystal Habits are again widely variable but the most common habit is hexagonal prisms terminated with a six sided pyramid (actually two rhombohedrons). Three of the six sides of the pyramid may dominate causing the pyramid to be or look three sided. Left and right handed crystals are possible and identifiable only if minor trigonal pyramidal faces are present. Druse forms (crystal lined rock with just the pyramids showing) are also common. Massive forms can be just about any type but common forms include botryoidal, globular, stalactitic, crusts of agate such as lining the interior of a geode and many many more.
• Cleavage is very weak in three directions (rhombohedral).
• Fracture is conchoidal.
• Hardness is 7, less in cryptocrystalline forms.
• Specific Gravity is 2.65 or less if cryptocrystalline. (average)
• Streak is white.
• Other Characteristics: Striations on prism faces run perpendicular to C axis, piezoelectric (see tourmaline) and index of refraction is 1.55.
• Associated Minerals are numerous and varied but here are some of the more classic associations of quartz (although any list of associated minerals of quartz is only a partial list): amazonite a variety of microcline, tourmalines especially elbaite, wolframite, pyrite, rutile, zeolites, fluorite, calcite, gold, muscovite, topaz, beryl, hematite andspodumene.
• Notable Occurrences of amethyst are Brazil, Uraguay, Mexico, Russia, Thunder Bay area of Canada, and some locallities in the USA. For Smoky Quartz; Brazil, Colorado, Scotland, Swiss Alps among many others. Rose Quartz is also wide spread but large quantities come from brazil as do the only large find of Rose Quartz prisms. Natural citrine is found with many amethyst deposits but in very rare quantities. Fine examples of Rock crystal come from Brazil (again), Arkansas, many localities in Africa, etc. Fine Agates are found in, of course, Brazil, Lake Superior region, Montana, Mexico and Germany.
• Best Field Indicators are first the fact that it is very common (always assume transparent clear crystals may be quartz), crystal habit, hardness, striations, good conchoidal fracture and lack of good cleavage.

Diamonds - the 4 C's - Colored Diamonds

I've always loved colored diamonds more than the "typical" white diamonds.  Colored Diamonds just show off more of the beauty that Mother Earth has to offer.  But when buying colored diamonds, what should you look for and are you really getting a "natural" colored diamond or an "enhanced" colored diamond?  Hopefully the following information will help with that question.

GREY
Diamonds with grey as the primary dominant color are also unique. These diamonds are comparatively reasonably priced (in the high four to low five figures per carat).

ORANGE

Orange diamonds are not as rare as the red or green daimonds. Most orange colored diamonds have strong yellow or brown modifiers. Pastel colored orange diamonds are of similar value as pastel pinks and some blues.

PURPLE
Purple diamonds with no secondary hues are very rare. Most of these diamonds are less than one carat in size and are very seldom found in dark to vivid lilac colors. Most purple diamonds exhibit needle-like color zones.

Colored Diamonds

While most diamonds are in the colorless to light yellow range, some have a natural color that is deep, distinct, and opulent. These are known as fancy-color diamonds and are often blue, brown, or pink. Unlike colorless and near-colorless diamonds which are valued for their lack of color, fancies are valued for the intensity of their color. Colored diamonds are a small but increasingly popular segment of the diamond market.

The physical conditions necessary to color a diamond naturally occur very seldom, making natural color diamonds extremely rare. For every natural color diamond, there are 10,000 colorless ones that have made the trip from the earth’s depths to its surface. It is this entirely natural process of geographical formation which ensures that each natural color diamond is one of a kind.

The formation of natural color diamonds is a process that requires the presence of additional trace elements and distortions to the typical diamond crystal. During the creation of a diamond, if an element interacts with its carbon atoms, the color can change. Natural radiation and pressure on a diamond’s structure can also intensify its color.

Hancock Red

Rather than emphasizing the brilliance and fire coveted in near-colorless diamonds, these stones are all about the color intensity. The Argyle mine in Western Australia launched a massive marketing campaign some time ago that helped change the public’s perception of these previously overlooked diamonds. The 1987 sale of the Hancock Red, at a record auction price of $926,000 per carat, further magnified the allure of fancies.

Color Grading of Fancy Diamonds

GIA’s system for color-grading colored diamonds was developed in the mid-1950s and revamped in the mid-1990s. The diamond color grading system expresses color using the attributes of hue (the characteristic color), tone (the color’s relative lightness or darkness), and saturation (the strength or weakness of the color). Using controlled viewing conditions and color comparators, the grader determines the stone’s color from one of 27 hues. The fancy grade describes the stone’s tone and saturation with romantic names like “Fancy Light,” “Fancy Intense,” and “Fancy Vivid.”

Blue Hope

Today, the GIA color grading system for colored diamonds is used worldwide. Many of the most  famous colored diamonds, including the Blue Hope, the Dresden Green, and the Hancock Red, have been examined by the GIA laboratory using GIA’s color grading system.

Dresden Green

GIA offers two types of diamond grading reports for colored diamonds. The GIA Colored Diamond Grading Report contains the same comprehensive diamond information as the GIA Diamond Grading Report. In addition, the GIA Colored Diamond Identification and Origin Report, known as the color-only report, gives a color grade and the nature of the color.

Four Cs of Fancy Color Diamonds

Like other diamonds, the price of a color diamond depends in part on the Four Cs: color, cut, clarity and carat weight, but the factors used to judge those qualities differ somewhat from the Four Cs of colorless diamonds.

Tell us about color diamond color grading:  Fancy color diamonds are graded in two ways. The first factor considered is the stone's basic hue, such as pink, yellow, blue, green, etc. The second is the diamond's intensity. Both color characteristics form the basis for determining a fancy colored diamond's worth.  Usually, the more intense the color, the rarer and more expensive the diamond will be. For example, a fancy light pink diamond costs less than a fancy vivid pink diamond of equal size, shape and clarity.

Is there a scale of diamond color saturation that we can refer to? The GIA uses nine categories to grade color diamonds.

1.      Faint

2.      Very Light

3.      Light

4.      Fancy Light

5.      Fancy

6.      Fancy Dark

7.      Fancy Intense

8.      Fancy Deep

9.      Fancy Vivid

What about color undertones? How do they fit in to the diamond's worth?  A secondary undertone that enhances the color of a diamond is a plus. A secondary that detracts from the color is a negative. For instance:  a purplish pink color diamond can be worth more than a pink diamond, depending on the amount and intensity of purple, a brownish tint in a pink diamond usually decreases its value, and makes it a more affordable gemstone.

A fancy diamond is a natural colored diamond, found in a wide range of hues, including red, green, purple, violet, orange blue and pink. These diamonds are amongst the most rare and beautiful diamonds that nature has to offer. In fact, out of the approximately 80,000 carats of rough diamonds mined every year, only 0.001% are regarded as fancy colors.

These beautiful colors are the result of the differing processes experience in their formation, for example:

YELLOW DIAMONDS are the result of the presence of nitrogen in the diamond’s creation
GREEN DIAMONDS are created though the diamond’s exposure to irradiation
PINK and RED DIAMONDS are considered to be the result of manganese inclusions within the diamond.

Unlike clear diamonds, the grading of fancy diamonds improves in relation to a greater presence of strong colors. Fancy colored diamond grading differs from clear diamond grading and a few simple descriptions will be useful in analyzing fancy colored diamonds:  Where there is a predominant color the diamond is named in this color, for example “pink”. If there is a secondary color it is described with an “ish” as in “greenish pink”. This is described as difying color.

Where a colored diamond has two colors that are equally present they are both named, for example “purple pink”.  Fancy colors vary from “faint” to “intense”. These ranges in intensity are graded, with higher intensities of colour increasing the value of the diamond.

YELLOW 
Yellow is one of the most familiar names known aside from white “colorless” diamonds. Canary is a term commonly used to describe intense yellow diamonds. Some of the yellows with higher intensity of color (Fancy Vivid Yellow) are as rare as the pinks and blues and command unusually high prices.

PINK
Pink diamonds are rare and highly desired. Pink diamonds of higher intensity are the most rare and command very high prices. Most pink diamonds mined are faint to light colored (pastel colored). Many of the deep colored pink diamonds come from the Argyle mine in Australia.

BLUE
Natural blue color is one of the rarest of fancy color diamonds. These diamonds are amongst the most sought after by collectors. Color can range from faint to a very deep blue, and blue diamonds can command even higher prices than pink diamonds.

RED
Red is by far the rarest of all colored diamonds. Fewer than 20 stones have so far been certified as red diamonds. Some of these have fetched over a million dollars per carat, although most other colored diamonds fetch between five to six figures per carat.

GREEN
Green diamonds with no other secondary hues or modifiers are some of the rarest, and depending on intensity and purity of color, can command astronomical prices. Most green diamonds have either grey, brown or yellow modifiers.

BLACK
Black diamonds are not transparent, and do not show fire (flashes of color) as other diamonds, but can be extremely expensive where they are in the dark to vivid color ranges. Black diamonds may give off secondary color hues of grey or white.

BROWN
These are the most widely available and surprisingly affordable colored diamonds. They provide a beautiful low cost alternative to pink, blue, grey, green or yellow diamonds. Common names used to describe brown color are: champagne, chocolate, coffee, golden, honey, bronze, cognac, etc.

Creating Colorful Diamonds

Irradiation, followed by a high heat treatment, can turn brown and yellow diamonds into fancy colored diamonds--greens, vivid yellows, blues, purples, reds and other colors. The color is usually permanent, but could possibly change if high heat is used during setting repairs.

Natural fancy colored diamonds are expensive and out of the reach of most buyers. A certificate from a respected grading lab should accompany all fancy colored diamonds that are marketed as natural.

Question the ethics of anyone who attempts to sell you a natural fancy colored diamond for a bargain price.

Treatment-produced fancy colors are affordable, and allow more of us to own a brightly colored diamond. They should not be considered an investment. Buy one because you love it, not because you think you can sell it for a profit later.

Ask the jeweler for care instructions when you buy an irradiated fancy color diamond.

Diamonds - the 4 C's - White Diamonds

The 4 C’s of Diamonds - White Diamonds

Color: D color is the “whitest,” rarest diamond color, and costs the most. E, F, G, and H, I, and J are the colors most used for diamond solitaires. The further one goes down the alphabet, the more a yellowish tone is present. As long as she loves the look and brilliance of the stone, your choice will be acceptable.  Diamonds can be found in every color of the spectrum, but in white diamonds, the most valued gemstones are those with the least color, allowing them to reflect and refract light. White diamonds are graded on a scale beginning with D, indicating a total colorlessness, progressing down the alphabet for lower qualities. The best way to see the true color of a diamond is by looking at it against a white surface.

Diamonds come naturally in every color of the rainbow.  Most people are concerned with diamonds in the white range. The Gemological Institute of America (GIA) rates the body color in white diamonds from D (colorless) to Z (light yellow).   The best color for a diamond is no color at all. A totally colorless diamond allows light to pass through it easily, resulting in the light being dispersed as the color of the rainbow. Colors are graded totally colorless to light yellow. The differences from one grade to the other are very subtle and it takes a trained eye and years of experience to color grade a diamond. 

Clarity: Flawless is the rarest, most expensive clarity grade. VVS 1 and 2 (very very slightly included) and VS1 and 2 (very slightly included) have no eye-visible flaws, and are the grades most often used for solitaires. However, the SI (slightly included) and I (included) grades frequently have no visible flaws, or flaws that would be hidden by the mountings.  A diamond's clarity is determined by any external irregularities and the number of internal inclusions. Most diamonds contain some inclusions, but many are microscopic in nature and can be seen only under powerful magnification. Spots, bubbles or lines are marks that make each stone unique, but generally, the fewer the inclusions, the more valuable the stone. Clarity is graded on a scale ranging from flawless to imperfect. To be graded flawless, a diamond can have no inclusions visible to a trained eye using a 10-power magnification in good light.

The clarity of a diamond is determined by the amount and location of flaws, or blemishes, in the diamond when viewed under 10 power (10x) magnification. GIA rates clarity grades in diamonds from Flawless to Imperfect 3 (see chart below). The Diamond Shopping Network offers you diamonds from the Imperfect 1 grade through Flawless.  Most diamonds contain very tiny birthmarks known as "inclusions." An inclusion can interfere with the light passing through the diamond. The fewer the inclusions, the more beautiful the diamond will be.  Diamonds have the capability of producing more brilliance than any other gemstone. A diamond that is free of inclusions and surface blemishes is very rare…and therefore very valuable. 

Cut: Many experts believe that the cut is the most important of the 4Cs. Two diamonds of the same shape, color and carat weight can look dramatically different to the naked eye. One can look brilliant and scintillating, while the other looks dull and lifeless. The difference is that the brilliant stone has been expertly cut so the light entering the stone reflects off the internal facets and is directed back through the table (or top of the stone). With poorly cut stones, the light enters the stone and is reflected out the sides or bottom.  This is what gives a diamond its fiery sparkle. Each diamond, regardless of shape, is cut according to an exact mathematical formula. For example, a round, brilliant-cut diamond has 58 facets, or small, flat, polished planes that are designed to yield the maximum amount of light. This reflection, known as brilliance, is an extremely important factor in evaluating the quality of a diamond.

When we speak of cut we are more interested in the proportions of the diamond as opposed to its shape (Round Brilliant, Marquise, Pear, Princess, etc.) Every diamond regardless of its shape gets it brilliancy and scintillation by cutting and polishing the diamond facets to allow the maximum amount of light that enters through its top to be reflected and dispersed back through its top. A correctly cut, "well made", stone is pictured in diagram 1. As you can see if the angles are correct the light that enters is dispersed properly back through the diamond's top facets. When a stone is cut too shallow (diagram2) or too deep (diagram3) the light that enters through the top is allowed to escape through the diamond's bottom and does not allow the maximum beauty of the diamond to be realized. 

Carat: A carat is simply the weight of the stone. There are 100 points in a carat, and a carat weighs exactly .02 grams.  The measurement of a diamond's weight, this word is derived from the carob seeds that were used to balance scales in ancient times. For jewelry purposes, carats are further divided into points, a one-carat stone equaling 100 points. Therefore, a half-carat stone may be referred to as 50 points, a quarter-carat, 25 points, etc. 

This is the weight of a diamond measured in carats. As the carat weight of a diamond increases so does its rarity and therefore its price.  

One carat is divided into 100 "points," so that a diamond of 75 points weights .75 carats. The carat-weight of a diamond is the easiest measurement to determine. Most importantly, two diamonds can be of equal carat-weight, but their value can differ greatly due to their cut, color, and clarity. 

Diamonds - A little history

Antwerp has been very prominent in diamond cutting for five hundred years—the first written mention of diamond cutting is in Antwerp in 1550. Located in the Flemish section of the country, Antwerp is on the northwest coast of Belgium. In the very early years of European development, Antwerp was over-shadowed by Brugge in terms of international trading, but became the absolute center of Belgian trading when Brugge was struck by the plague. 

Diamonds arrived in Antwerp when the Portugese discovered a direct route to India (the prime diamond producer in the world at those times). Diamonds had been taken to Venice by way of Aden, Ethiopia and Egypt or Arabia, Persia, Armenia and Turkey, but with the advent of the direct route to India, Antwerp was ideally situated to receive vast quantities of diamond from Lisbon and Venice. 

In 1585, however, the Spanish attacked Antwerp. The arrival of the Spanish conquerors sent the diamond cutters scuttling to Amsterdam, whose liberal civil policies also accepted Jewish diamond-cutters fleeing religious prosecution. Thus, Antwerp was forced to become a non-player in the world diamond market. This was only a fleeting exodus, though, because when the Spanish pulled out of Antwerp, the diamond-cutters floated back in. 

Today, Antwerp is the diamond capital of the world. More diamonds pass through Antwerp than any other city in the world, and the world’s most highly-regarded cutters reside in Antwerp. Antwerp holds a 60% part in the world diamond trade, and employs 27,000 people in the diamond business alone. What Antwerp specializes in is the cutting and polishing of high-quality diamonds. The examples of the most common cuts are below. 

The History of Diamonds 

The root of the word “diamond” comes from the Ancient Greek term “adamas,” meaning unconquerable and indestructable (“adamas” is the root for the English word “adamant,” and a person who is adamant in his desires truly will not budge from his stance!). “Indestructable” is certainly true; there is nothing on Earth which is harder or more pure than diamonds, and it actually takes another diamond to cut and polish the stones which one sees in rings and watches. The “industrial diamonds” are actually black-colored ones. 

Diamonds have been known and used by humans for 3000-4000 years. Original diamonds were not mined—they were found along riverbeds, where the water slowly ate away at the stone in which they were ensconced. The earliest use of diamonds was exclusively for kings. Since diamonds were known for their utter indestructability, kings studded their leather breastplates with diamonds as a primitive and expensive form of  bullet- (or sword!) proof vest. The brilliant sparkle also warned away potential assassins, because diamonds were seen as the sole domain of kings, and the magical powers of diamonds were said to turn malicious against those who harmed their bearers. 

The phosphorescence of certain diamonds was considered the proof of their magical powers and gave the bearer many enviable virtues, such as generosity and courage in battle. Lawsuits were always said to be considered in the favor of whomever had worn the more powerful diamond. A house or garden touched at each corner with a diamond supposedly protected the garden against lightning, storms and blight. In the Middle Ages, a diamond could heal a sick person if he took it to bed and warmed it with his body, breathed upon it while fasting, or wore it near the skin. If a liar or a scolder were to put a diamond in his mouth, he would be instantaneously cured. Plato and the Greek philosophers believed that inanimate objects, and especially gemstones, were living beings produced by a chemical reaction to vivifying astral spirits. Later philosophers even believed that there were female specimens and male specimens, and that they could marry and reproduce—of course, in a far slower manner than human beings could comprehend. 

Diamonds were worn as a talisman against poisoning, but that was not their only function where poisoning was concerned. Diamond powder, ingested orally, is deadly. Catherine di Medici’s favorite means of dispensing death to her enemies was death by diamond powder. Perhaps the this association of diamonds with poison was originally spread about because this legend would certainly prevent mine workers from swallowing diamonds with the hopes of stealing them. 

Ancient Greeks considered diamonds to be “splinters of stars fallen to Earth” or “teardrops of the Gods.” This is an entirely beautiful was of thinking of diamonds, but one that is, unfortunately, untrue. Diamonds are pure carbon (with a melting point of 6900 degrees Farenheit), compressed after many millions of years into the hard shapes we see today. Diamonds were worn uncut for an extremely long time. An uncut diamond normally resembles a pebble you would throw out without a second glance. There is an extant crown from 1074 made for a Hungarian queen that is set with unpolished, uncut diamonds, and although it is very beautiful, its stones are not nearly as brilliant as those of today. The majesty of diamonds seemed to have spread rather slowly: French and English royalty wore diamonds by the 1300’s. 

The use of diamonds to symbolize love (pure, indestructable, and incomparably beautiful) came into being when in 1477, Archduke Maximilian of Austria gave a diamond ring to Mary of Burgundy. Contemporary people keep this tradition alive by offering diamond rings to their intended spouses—from which came the saying “Diamonds are a woman’s best friend.” Incidentially, the tradition of offering any ring at all to a loved one comes from ancient Egypt, when men gave their wives rings to place on the fourth finger of their left hands. This is where the “vena amoris” or “vein of love” was said to begin, eventually to end at the heart. Diamond rings took an active step in 16th Century England, when fashionable (and love-crazed!) lovers etched romantic pledges on window panes with their diamond rings. Such rings are called “scribbling rings.” 

Until 1725, India was the major source of diamonds for the world. When the diamond source of India eventually petered out, Brazil was the next in line as the diamond center of the world. Then, in 1867, pipes of a substance called “Kimberlite peridotite” (named for Kimberly, its discoverer) were discovered in Africa. These Kimberlite peridotite pipes are volcanic formations which extend under the earth, stretching from South Africa to many more northern countries of Africa. This is the origin of the majority of the diamonds which one buys today.  The De Beers company in South Africa controls the export of about 90 percent of today’s diamonds. 

Surprisingly, diamonds are not rare, whatsoever! This might come as a shock to a person who has just paid 1,000 dollars for a one-carat stone, but there are enough diamonds in the world to give every man, woman, and child in America a cupful. Although they have the best reputation, diamonds are not the most expensive gemstone, either. A top-quality ruby would be double the expense of a diamond of the same carat.  A diamond’s expense comes from a human-imposed drought rather than a true drought. The whole theory of supply and demand plays very nicely here into the hands of the diamond-governing corporations! 

What is rare, however, is a good diamond. This next part might be bad news for you diamond-lovers out there. If we define a good diamond in general terms as one that has a large carat, is perfectly white, that has no fissures or cracks or clouds, has all of its potential brilliance, and will appreciate over time, less than 25 out of 1000 diamonds sold in the US would be good diamonds. The average person in the US pays twice what they should for their engagement ring, and the average diamond has been laser-drilled, is tinted yellow, and has cracks, breaks or carbon that you can see with your own eyes. 

Some Famous Diamonds

Star of Africa  (Cullinan 1) This is the largest diamond in the world, at 530.20 carats. It is now in the Royal Scepter in the Tower of London. This diamond was cut from the 3,106-carat Cullinan—the largest diamond ever found. 

Kah-i-Nur: (Mountain of Light) This diamond has the oldest recorded history, since 1304. Originally, the legend is that the Mogul emperors possessed this diamond, but upon the breakup of the Mogul empire, the diamond made its way into India, and thence to Afghanistan, where it traveled back to India. There, the East India Company took it and presented it to Queen Victoria. 

Hope Diamond: This diamond is ironically named after 1830 purchaser Henry Thomas Hope. It is thought to be a part of the Blue Tavernier Diamond found in 1692. The Hope diamond was purchased by King Louis XIV of France (whose sad history many of us know). Stolen during the French Revolution, it surfaced in 1830 when Hope bought it. Hope’s son lost his fortune after inheriting the diamond, and it was sold to an American widow, Mrs. Edward McLean. After the purchase, her child was killed, her family broke up, the widow became destitute, and then committed suicide. When it came up for auction, potential buyers wouldn’t touch the diamond. It now resides in the Smithsonian Institute in Washington.