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Its a celebration, an exchange of vows, an expression of eternal love and there is simply no better way to mark the occasion than with the gift of a brilliant and sparkling diamond. Expertly cut, polished and set in precious metal, a stunning piece of diamond jewellery will seem brand new and while the design may be just that, the stones themselves are older than time itself. Far older than we humans, diamonds are part of the creation of life, have been around since the beginning of time, they are part of the fabric of the universe and the stones of the stars. Even today when a meteorite lands on our planet, scientists study the tiny diamonds embedded within them. Its not surprising that these gems are the ultimate symbol of power and potency, of beauty and emotion. They are considered by many experts to have living qualities of joy and happiness and certainly each diamond has its own individuality.
Most diamonds today come from central and southern Africa where they were formed billions of years ago when the earth was molten and the high pressures beneath the crust crystallised the natural elements.
This old photo shows men working 2000 ft. undergound in Kimberley Diamond Mine, South Africa
Many changes took place over thousands of years but the fabulous and immovable diamonds never altered. How strange it is to think of such brilliance lying in darkness embedded in earth and rock! Eventually, as the earth changed, the diamonds were carried by the upheavals and the volcanic lava to nearer the surface. There they lay, just waiting for some lucky person to find them. Nowadays its becoming more difficult than ever to locate new mines but the search still goes on for these remarkable gems.
A diamond in its rough state looks fairly ordinary. Its only when its cut and polished that the diamonds amazing abilities to disperse light and dazzle us with its brilliance is seen. At first these superb gemstones were found in isolated pockets around the world, India, Brazil and Borneo. Their beauty and rarity made them extremely sought after and when it was discovered that nothing could cut a diamond except another diamond, they became even more valuable, this was the hardest stone anyone had ever found. It was soon realised that diamonds could also be used to cut any kind of rock or metal and they are just as indispensable today as they were to ancient man. The intricate marble designs in the lovely Taj Majal in India were carved with diamond cutting tools. Even today, diamonds are used in industry, in mining and even as drills in dentistry.
One of the most famous advertising slogans is the famous Diamonds are forever which was originated by De Beers and has sold a million diamond rings ever since. But this isnt strictly true. While diamonds will outlast us, by a few million years, they are not completely indestructible. Heat a diamond up to 700C and it will start turning into carbon dioxide “ what a dreadful thought!
Over the centuries, searching for these precious stones became a preoccupation among geologists but the main find in South Africa wasnt the result of exploration. It was sheer luck “ some children playing in a river bed found some pretty stones “ one of which was recognised as a diamond. The gem was eventually cut and became famous as the Eureka diamond “ that certainly must have described the moment! This was the start of the massive South African diamond industry and brought diamonds into the lives of the ordinary public. For the first time in their history, they were available to anyone who could afford to buy them.
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