What is a diamond?

In the deepest bricks of the earth, where pressure and heat come together, a miracle arises that humanity has been in its spell for centuries: the diamond. This beautiful gem is not just a piece of geology; It is a symbol of immortality, love and exceptional beauty. Over the centuries, the diamond has decorated royal crowns, enchanted loved ones and fascinated humanity with its unique properties. But what makes the diamond so extraordinary? Welcome to the enchanting world of the diamond, where the depth of the earth is converted into beautiful splendor, and each facet tells a story that waits to be discovered.

Diamond: the hardest raw material ever

Diamond is the hardest raw material ever found on earth. Diamond consists of pure carbon that crystallizes as a result of very high pressure and temperature. These conditions are only found at depths of 150 to 200 kilometers below the Earth's surface! The diamond is formed there, after which it finds its way to the Earth's surface through volcanic eruptions. With great effort, the diamond is extracted from the earth and expertly processed into gemstones for jewelry. Diamond mining is still very complicated today, despite all the modern techniques. On average, just over six tons of rough rock must be processed to find one gram of rough diamond! Of all diamonds only 20% is suitable for use in jewelry.

Origin

Diamonds were only won in India until the 18eeuw. After the 18eeuw, Brazil was added and then more countries such as South Africa. Diamonds are currently found in India, Russia, Canada, Brazil, Botswana, Namibia, South Africa and Australia. The Diamonds Botswana is highest on the basis of diamond value. Australia, on the other hand, is the world leader in terms of colored diamonds. The country is known for its pink, yellow, purple and red diamonds.

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The 4Cs

The value of the diamond is determined on the basis of four factors; The 4 Cs.

Cut (grinding shape)
Color (color)
Clarity (purity)
Caratweight (carat weight)

The sharpening shape (cut) of the diamond says something about the way the diamond is sharpened. Brilliant is the most famous grinding shape, and Princess and Emerald are also known forms. The color (color) of the diamond says something about the whiteness of the diamond. The geler the diamond, the lower the value and the whiter the diamond, the higher the value. Not to be mistaken with yellow diamonds, these are high in value because they are very rare. The brightness (Clarity) of the diamond tells how many impurities (inclusions) contains a diamond: the less and smaller these inclusions are, the more valuable the diamond. The carat weight (Carat) indicates how large the diamond is.

Do you want to know more about the 4 Cs? Then read here our blog.

The "Cullinan" Diamond

One of the world's largest diamond ever found is the Cullinan Diamant, named after the chairman of the mining company. In natural form, the diamond weighed 621.20 grams, or 3,106 carat. This breathtaking gem was not only large, but also had an extraordinary blue -white color and is also exceptionally clear. The Cullinan Diamant was sharpened by leading diamond cutter Joseph Asschers from Amsterdam. From the original diamond, 9 large diamonds were cut and polished. Each diamond received a Roman number from I to IX. To this day, they are still called that. In addition to the large gems, 96 small brilliants and some unpolished fragments have been made. The cullinan diamonds were incorporated into the British crown jewels, "The Crown Jewels".

The two most famous Cullinan Diamondets are the Cullinan I and II. Cullinan I, the "Great Star of Africa", is the largest and weighs 530.2 carat and is located in the British sovereign scepter. The Cullinan II, "narrower Star of Africa", is a clayer than the Cullinan I and is at the front of the British imperial crown.

Mythical and meaning

The word diamond comes from the Greek "Adamas" which means invincible and indicates perpetual loyalty. As a symbol of power, courage and invincibility, diamond was only supported by kings and rulers until the 15th century. Nowadays the symbol for romance, mysticism, passion (fire), enchantment and beauty. In mythology, Cupido had arrowheads of Diamond and the Greeks believed that the fire in a diamond was the eternally burning flame of love.

In the Middle Ages people believed in the attraction of diamonds. Only then in 1477 Mary of Mary of Burgundy one engagement ring with diamond received from the Archduke Maximilian of Austria, the tradition of using diamonds as an engagement ring was born. The tradition of wearing the ring on the left hand came from the Egyptians who believed that the “Vena Amoris” (love vein) from the heart ran directly to the left hand.