Diamond is in itself, is the pure element of Carbon with its atoms arranged in a rigid crystal lattice. Its crystal habit is diamond cubic and a perfectly formed natural diamond crystal has the form of a twinned pyramid or a octahedral. Diamond has is the hardest natural material on the planet as well as the highest thermal conductivity. This is why, beyond its use as a gemstone, there is a massive demand for industrial use such as as an abrasive for cutting, drilling and polishing tools. The more pure the diamond, the harder and more durable they are, with a pure white diamond being the hardest.

The arrangement of the atoms in Diamonds is extremely rigid and there are only a few types of impurities that can contaminate it. However, these impurities also result in very rare valuable forms of diamonds by creating natural coloration. One part per million of boron contamination in its atomic structure creates naturally occurring blue diamonds, nitrogen impurities creates a yellow to brown color, while radiation exposure during the formation of the diamonds creates pink, purple, orange and red diamonds. Black diamonds are not actually black, but instead contain numerous sulfide, graphic or other mineral inclusions that make them appear so. Faceted black diamonds are often treated with high-temperature, low pressure treatment, which turns the fractured inclusions into a uniform graphite ‘seal’. This treatment makes black diamonds stable and creates a more uniform black color.

Approximately 130,000,000 carats of diamonds are mined annually while 100,000 kg of synthetic diamonds are produced, mostly for industrial purposes. Diamonds are not actually that rare compared to many other gemstones like Tanzanite or fine Emeralds. The value of the commodity is tightly controlled by a handful of large corporations to keep prices stable, while the extraction of most of the world’s diamonds is done on such a large scale that only huge companies can take on the investment of extraction. Most diamonds are mined from large primary deposits called kimerblites. Kimberlite occurs in vertical carrot shaped ‘pipes’ where volcanic explosions penetrated from the deep mantle and created magma reservoirs. These pressure valves, can be anywhere from 75 meters to 1.5 km in diameter. The resultant mineral-rich ore that is mined from these pipes is mechanically sorted to yield raw diamonds. Out of the 6,400 kimberlite pipes discovered thus far on earth, only 900 have been classified as diamond-bearing and of these, just over 30 are being currently mined.

The pricing and grading of diamonds is sophisticated with specified standards, making it easier to grade and value diamonds than many other gemstones. This grading scale is often called ‘The 4 C’s’. This stands for Color, Clarity, Cut, and Carat weight. The color system for white diamonds runs from ‘D’ for colorless descending through the alphabet to ‘Z’ for slight color, or light yellow. The GIA clarity scale runs from Flawless to Internally Flawless, VVS1, VVS2, VS1, VS2, SI1, SI2, I1, I2, I3. As the carat size increases, the price per carat for the same quality diamond increases dramatically. Lastly, the quality of the cut can decrease the value of the diamond if the proportions or symmetry of the cutting is poor.

Ancient India was the first source for diamonds worldwide and this continued until new discoveries in South Africa in the 1800’s. The two most famous diamonds in the world, the Kohinoor and the Hope Diamond, were both found in India. It is from the ancient Vedic culture’s traditions that the legend of diamond began to spread. Diamond was synomous with ‘Vajra’, a Sanskrit word meaning ‘thunderbolt’ or ‘lightening bolt’. The stone was said to be ruled by the planet Venus. ‘Agira’ was another Sanskrit term for diamond, meaning ‘fire’ or ‘sun’. Later, Buddhism continued with the same symbology. The Diamond Sutra, an essential book on the philosophy of Buddhism. It is perfectly symbolized by the Diamond, “wisdom that cuts through to the truth and shatters illusions to reach an ultimate reality”.

Ancient Greeks and Romans believed that diamonds were tears of the gods that had broken off from falling stars.  In Greek legends, Chronos transformed Adamas into a precious diamond. He represented strength, invincibility and good fortune. In ancient Rome, Plato theorized that diamonds were physical manifestations of celestial spirits.

Until the 6th century A.D. diamonds were set into jewelry in their raw form. From this time, there are records that the technology for cutting and polishing diamonds with other diamonds was developed. These techniques did not began to be implimented outside of India until the 14th century in Europe, when simple octahedral ‘point cutting’ began to be practiced. Over centuries, the cutting of diamonds evolved into a science of creating the perfect amount of facets and best angles to display the fire and sparkle of the diamond. The modern day round brilliant has 58 facets and specified angles to achieve the greatest effect.