Diamond
Birthstone
Symbolic
of love, the diamond is the hardest of the Earth's natural
substances. Combined with its exceptional lustre and brilliant fire,
this has made it the most prized of all gems both in beauty and
value. Its composition of carbon is closely aligned to graphite which
is used in pencils and is one of the softest minerals known.
It was
worn only by royalty for centuries.
Louis IX
of France (1214- 1270) issued an order forbidding women, including
queens, from wearing diamonds but, in the 15th century, the mistress
of King Charles VII dared to wear the dazzling jewels and is said to
have popularised the stone at the French court.
Cutting
of the stone only began in the 14th century when its sparkling
brilliance began to be appreciated. The modern round brilliant cut is
the most popular today, making best use of the stone's brilliance and
'fire' - the spread of spectral colours seen when light enters the
stone through angled facets.
Diamonds
are carefully graded and valued according to 'the four Cs': Carat -
the weight of the stone; Colour - where absolutely colourless 'white'
stones are considered the best quality whilst the vast majority of
stones are slightly tinted with yellow or brown; Clarity - most
diamonds contain natural inclusions and the more visible, the poorer
quality of the stone; finally, Cut - where a diamond should be
faceted to create a supreme brilliance.
'Fancy
colours' are those of a distinct hue and range from a bright canary
yellow to pink, green, blue, purplish and rarely, red.
'The
Golden Maharaja', a 60.60ct diamond, was a deep golden-red,
which, when shown at the 1937 World's Fair, was owned by one of the
richest maharajahs.
In the
18th century, diamond production in India decreased and new deposits
in Brazil made them the world's largest supplier. But in 1866, the
first diamond, known as 'Eureka', was found in South Africa.
Shortly
afterwards, the De Beers brothers discovered what proved to be the
richest deposit ever found. The diamond rush had begun. Today, the De
Beers company still has the monopoly on the world diamond market.
Australia is the main producer and other localities include Sierra
Leone, Zaire, Botswana, Namibia, Russia and the USA.
One of
the most famous diamonds, the Koh-I-Nor, literally meaning 'mountain
of light1, has been owned since the 14th century by rajahs, through
the Mogul dynasty to the leader of Persia and eventually by Queen
Victoria who had it re-cut to a 108.93ct oval brilliant.
It is
now set in the crown Queen Elizabeth, the late Queen Mother, wore to
the coronation of George VI in 1938 in her role as consort. The
stunning stone is now a highly valued part of the British crown
jewels.
The Greek
name for diamonds was Adamas,
meaning 'I tame' or 'I subdue' and is a popular stone for engagement
rings symbolising love, friendship and hope.
Collectibles Coach
Collectibles Coach
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