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Diamonds
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Diamonds are the most prized gemstones on Earth. Besides being the world’s hardest mineral, or a perfect 10 on the Mohs scale of hardness, diamonds typically have exceptional clarity and brilliance. In fact, the word diamond comes from the Greek...
Diamonds are the most prized gemstones on Earth. Besides being the world’s hardest mineral, or a perfect 10 on the Mohs scale of hardness, diamonds typically have exceptional clarity and brilliance. In fact, the word diamond comes from the Greek term adamas, meaning “unconquerable.” However, the high price of diamonds isn’t due to the gemstone’s rarity, but rather the monopolistic practices of De Beers, the colonialist South African mining corporation that controlled the vast majority of diamonds in the late 19th and 20th centuries.
All things being equal, diamonds should not be so expensive, since they are found in numerous parts of the world and are mined on an industrial scale. Their manipulated marketplace, though, has kept their value high, which has unfortunately made them perfect vehicles for abuse, such as in African countries like Angola, Liberia, and Sierra Leone, where so-called blood diamonds have been used to fund civil and cross-border wars. Some companies now use the label “conflict-free” to indicate that their stones are not funding warfare, though it’s often difficult to verify this.
Diamonds are formed when carbon is subjected to extremely high pressures and temperatures, such as that found in the Earth's mantle, or about 90 miles below the surface. These stones eventually rise to the surface during deep-source volcanic eruptions. Some diamonds are also created along subduction zones, where rock is forced into the mantle and then returned to the Earth’s surface, or at the impact sites of asteroids.
Before the discovery of diamonds in South Africa’s kimberlite rock, most of these gemstones came from secondary sources, like riverbed gravel, in India and Brazil. The Golkonda mines in India, for example, were the source of the 108-carat Koh-i-Noor and the 45-carat Hope diamond.
In the late 1860s, diamonds were found in kimberlite rock in South Africa. Soon after, the British owners of these mines joined together to form De Beers Consolidated Mines, Ltd., allowing their corporation to limit sales when prices fell or flood the market when diamond values increased. The subsequent influx of diamonds in Europe during the late Victorian period launched a variety of diamond jewelry styles, such as those made by Tiffany, which were instantly popular among the affluent. The largest cut diamond—at 530.2 carats—is known as the "Star of Africa I" or "Cullinan I" and came from the Premier Mine in Transvaal, South Africa, in 1905.
During the 1940s, De Beers developed the famous slogan “A Diamond is Forever” as part of an advertising campaign to sell diamond jewelry. Though the corporation no longer oversees more than 90% of the market (as it once did), De Beers is still highly influential, keeping the diamond industry exceptional among gemstones with its own internal structure and a grading system based on four markers (color, cut, clarity, and carat). Diamonds processed by De Beers are classified and issued a certificate from one of the major grading organizations noting the stone’s quality and market value.
Because diamonds are so hard, the gemstones must be cut using diamond grit after the stone is shaped, which is typically done by “bruting” or grinding the diamond into a circular shape against another diamond. Diamond crystals are typically well-formed in octahedra, cubes, or rhombic dodecahedra forms.
Until the 13th century, diamond crystals were simply smoothed and polished in their original shape. In the late 1400s, cutting wheels were adapted to give diamonds basic faceting with what was known as a table cut. During the early 1600s, the rose cut with its flat back and faceted dome allowed cut diamonds to be set as cabochons.
A Venetian cutter, Vicenzio Peruzzi, is credited with developing the “old cut” in the late 17th century. This style included 58 facets that showcased a diamond’s powerful light dispersion, and preceded the modern brilliant cut, created in 1919, which became the trade standard. In today’s market, all other cuts are known as “fancy cuts,” such as baguettes, marquises, and pear or heart shapes.
Colored diamonds, also known as “fancy” diamonds, range across the spectrum including pink, orange, green, yellow, red, lavender, blue, and even black. However, most commercial diamonds are colorless or a very pale blue. Diamonds are sometimes imitated with other natural or synthetic stones, including cubic zirconia, strontium titanite, and moissanite.
In addition to South African mines, diamonds come from the Republic of Angola, Australia, Botswana, Brazil, Democratic Republic of Congo, Ghana, Namibia, Russia, Sierra Leone, and the United States. Besides its popularity as a decorative gemstone, diamonds' sheer strength have many other applications, ranging from diamond-edged saws and drills to speaker domes and record-player needles.
Diamond is the birthstone for April, and is said to bring success and serenity to the wearer. Some believe that diamonds have healing capabilities, drawing toxicity out of the body, though this has not been supported by scientific evidence.
Continue readingDiamonds are the most prized gemstones on Earth. Besides being the world’s hardest mineral, or a perfect 10 on the Mohs scale of hardness, diamonds typically have exceptional clarity and brilliance. In fact, the word diamond comes from the Greek term adamas, meaning “unconquerable.” However, the high price of diamonds isn’t due to the gemstone’s rarity, but rather the monopolistic practices of De Beers, the colonialist South African mining corporation that controlled the vast majority of diamonds in the late 19th and 20th centuries.
All things being equal, diamonds should not be so expensive, since they are found in numerous parts of the world and are mined on an industrial scale. Their manipulated marketplace, though, has kept their value high, which has unfortunately made them perfect vehicles for abuse, such as in African countries like Angola, Liberia, and Sierra Leone, where so-called blood diamonds have been used to fund civil and cross-border wars. Some companies now use the label “conflict-free” to indicate that their stones are not funding warfare, though it’s often difficult to verify this.
Diamonds are formed when carbon is subjected to extremely high pressures and temperatures, such as that found in the Earth's mantle, or about 90 miles below the surface. These stones eventually rise to the surface during deep-source volcanic eruptions. Some diamonds are also created along subduction zones, where rock is forced into the mantle and then returned to the Earth’s surface, or at the impact sites of asteroids.
Before the discovery of diamonds in South Africa’s kimberlite rock, most of these gemstones came from secondary sources, like riverbed gravel, in India and Brazil. The Golkonda mines in India, for example, were the source of the 108-carat Koh-i-Noor and the 45-carat Hope diamond.
In the late 1860s, diamonds were found in kimberlite rock in South Africa. Soon after, the British owners of these mines joined together to form De Beers...
Diamonds are the most prized gemstones on Earth. Besides being the world’s hardest mineral, or a perfect 10 on the Mohs scale of hardness, diamonds typically have exceptional clarity and brilliance. In fact, the word diamond comes from the Greek term adamas, meaning “unconquerable.” However, the high price of diamonds isn’t due to the gemstone’s rarity, but rather the monopolistic practices of De Beers, the colonialist South African mining corporation that controlled the vast majority of diamonds in the late 19th and 20th centuries.
All things being equal, diamonds should not be so expensive, since they are found in numerous parts of the world and are mined on an industrial scale. Their manipulated marketplace, though, has kept their value high, which has unfortunately made them perfect vehicles for abuse, such as in African countries like Angola, Liberia, and Sierra Leone, where so-called blood diamonds have been used to fund civil and cross-border wars. Some companies now use the label “conflict-free” to indicate that their stones are not funding warfare, though it’s often difficult to verify this.
Diamonds are formed when carbon is subjected to extremely high pressures and temperatures, such as that found in the Earth's mantle, or about 90 miles below the surface. These stones eventually rise to the surface during deep-source volcanic eruptions. Some diamonds are also created along subduction zones, where rock is forced into the mantle and then returned to the Earth’s surface, or at the impact sites of asteroids.
Before the discovery of diamonds in South Africa’s kimberlite rock, most of these gemstones came from secondary sources, like riverbed gravel, in India and Brazil. The Golkonda mines in India, for example, were the source of the 108-carat Koh-i-Noor and the 45-carat Hope diamond.
In the late 1860s, diamonds were found in kimberlite rock in South Africa. Soon after, the British owners of these mines joined together to form De Beers Consolidated Mines, Ltd., allowing their corporation to limit sales when prices fell or flood the market when diamond values increased. The subsequent influx of diamonds in Europe during the late Victorian period launched a variety of diamond jewelry styles, such as those made by Tiffany, which were instantly popular among the affluent. The largest cut diamond—at 530.2 carats—is known as the "Star of Africa I" or "Cullinan I" and came from the Premier Mine in Transvaal, South Africa, in 1905.
During the 1940s, De Beers developed the famous slogan “A Diamond is Forever” as part of an advertising campaign to sell diamond jewelry. Though the corporation no longer oversees more than 90% of the market (as it once did), De Beers is still highly influential, keeping the diamond industry exceptional among gemstones with its own internal structure and a grading system based on four markers (color, cut, clarity, and carat). Diamonds processed by De Beers are classified and issued a certificate from one of the major grading organizations noting the stone’s quality and market value.
Because diamonds are so hard, the gemstones must be cut using diamond grit after the stone is shaped, which is typically done by “bruting” or grinding the diamond into a circular shape against another diamond. Diamond crystals are typically well-formed in octahedra, cubes, or rhombic dodecahedra forms.
Until the 13th century, diamond crystals were simply smoothed and polished in their original shape. In the late 1400s, cutting wheels were adapted to give diamonds basic faceting with what was known as a table cut. During the early 1600s, the rose cut with its flat back and faceted dome allowed cut diamonds to be set as cabochons.
A Venetian cutter, Vicenzio Peruzzi, is credited with developing the “old cut” in the late 17th century. This style included 58 facets that showcased a diamond’s powerful light dispersion, and preceded the modern brilliant cut, created in 1919, which became the trade standard. In today’s market, all other cuts are known as “fancy cuts,” such as baguettes, marquises, and pear or heart shapes.
Colored diamonds, also known as “fancy” diamonds, range across the spectrum including pink, orange, green, yellow, red, lavender, blue, and even black. However, most commercial diamonds are colorless or a very pale blue. Diamonds are sometimes imitated with other natural or synthetic stones, including cubic zirconia, strontium titanite, and moissanite.
In addition to South African mines, diamonds come from the Republic of Angola, Australia, Botswana, Brazil, Democratic Republic of Congo, Ghana, Namibia, Russia, Sierra Leone, and the United States. Besides its popularity as a decorative gemstone, diamonds' sheer strength have many other applications, ranging from diamond-edged saws and drills to speaker domes and record-player needles.
Diamond is the birthstone for April, and is said to bring success and serenity to the wearer. Some believe that diamonds have healing capabilities, drawing toxicity out of the body, though this has not been supported by scientific evidence.
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