A diamond is the oldest item that anyone can own - it's three billion years in age, a strategic and high tech super material for our technological society that is formed in the earth's interior and shot to the surface by extraordinary volcanoes. It is carbon in its most concentrated form, composed solely of carbon -- the chemical element fundamental to all life, thus it is a native element. It is also extremely pure, containing only trace amounts of boron and nitrogen. The diamond's close cousins are mineral graphite and amorphous carbon.

Diamond History

In unraveling the history and associations of diamond, we also need to know the history of the words attached to diamond: did the words spoken by the Indians and Greeks signify the same things they do today, or something very different? "Diamond" comes from the Greek adamao, meaning "I tame" or "I subdue." The adjective "adamas" was used to describe the hardest substance known, and eventually became synonymous with diamond. The cultures that played a role in bringing the diamond into prominence are numerous. They are Greek, Indian, Old English, French, German, Hebrew, Latin, Arabic, Polish, Japanese, American, African, Korean, and Chinese. Small numbers of diamonds began appearing in European regalia and jewelry in the 13th century, set as an accent point among pearls in splendid wrought gold. By the 16th century the diamond became larger and more prominent in response to the development of diamond faceting which enhances it brilliance and fire, and in the 17th and 18th centuries it presided as the last word in representing all that was wealth, prestige and power. An act of Saint Louis (Louis IX of France, 1214-70) that established a sumptuary law reserving diamonds for the king bespeaks of the rarity of them and the value conferred on them at that time. Within 100 years they appeared in royal jewelry of both men and women, then among the greater European aristocracy. The earliest diamond-cutting industry is believed to have been in Venice, a trade capital, starting sometime after 1330. There is no recorded explanation for the European upsurge in the diamond's popularity. Nevertheless, the huge import of diamonds during the 17th and 18th centuries is nothing sort of revolutionary. And the tradition of giving rings in the engagement and marriage ceremony as tokens of everlasting love has taken it into its present-day popularity. This custom of exchanging wedding rings dates back as far as the comic Roman poet Plautus in the 2nd century BCE. Wedding rings were then valued because of interior inscriptions recording the marriage contracts signed in the presence of the Emperor's image. The custom was continued and mostly Christianized by the 4th century by St. Augustine. Byzantine wedding rings are thick gold bands with round or oval bezels depicting the couple face to face, or receiving Christ's blessing of their union. Knowledge of diamond and its origin starts in India where it was first mined. The first known reference to it is a Sanskrit manuscript, the Arthsastra ("The Lesson of Profit") by Kautiliya, a minister to Chandragupta of the Mauryan dynasty in northern India. And now over the centuries, the diamond continues to embody deep human expression of purity, strength, solarity and eternal love. Clarity When gemologists inspect diamonds for overall quality, they must painstakingly determine the clarity of the diamond. Using a 10x magnification loupe, gemologists determine the size, type, and position of the imperfections. Members of the industry refer to these imperfections in diamond clarity as "inclusions." Gemologists then put the diamond into one of the following classifications based on the results of their inspection: Within the VVS, VS, and SI classifications there are additional gradations denoted by a number 1 or 2. For the included class, the subdivisions are denoted with a number from 1 to 3. Because most diamonds have flaws, a flawless diamond and nearly flawless diamond (clarity between FL and VVS2) is considered particularly rare and are consequently particularly pricey. FL Flawless: No internal flaws. Very rare and very expensive diamond. IF Internally Flawless: No internal flaws.Also very rare and very expensive. VVS1-VVS2 Very, Very Slightly Included: Extremely difficult to see inclusions under 10x magnification. Rare and expensive. VS1-VS2 Very Slightly Included: Inclusions are not visible to the unaided eye. High quality. SI1-SI2 Slightly Included: Inclusions are visible under 10x magnification. Good quality diamond. I1-I2-I3 Included: Inclusions and flaws visible to the naked eye. Color Diamond color has a significant impact on its value. The color scale ranges from D to Z, from colorless to light yellow, respectively. The farther from colorless the grade of a diamond, the less rare and therefore less valuable it is. When buying a diamond, take into consideration that it is often very difficult to detect the difference between a colorless diamond (D-F) and a near colorless diamond (G-H), especially when it is mounted in jewelry. Diamonds with a J-Z color grade usually have yellow shading that can be detected by the naked eye. Diamonds also come in a range of natural fancy tones, such as blue, pink, green, and red. Such diamonds have so much color that they are not graded on the normal scale D-Z. Believe it or not, these fancy diamonds are particularly rare, and like their colorless counterparts, can also come attached to a high price tag. D: Absolutely colorless diamond. The highest color grade, which is extremely rare. E: Colorless. Minimal traces of color that can only detected by an expert gemologist. Also, a very rare diamond.  F: Colorless. Slight color, which can only be detected by an expert gemologist, but still considered a "colorless" grade.  G-I: Near-colorless. Color noticeable when compared to diamonds of better grades, but these grades offer excellent value.  J-K: Near-colorless. Color slightly detectable.  L-N: Noticeable to the untrained eye.  O-S: Easily Noticeable to the untrained eye. T-Z: Very Easily Noticeable to the untrained eye. Fluorescence A bluish glow that comes from a stone exposed to ultraviolet light. The effect of fluorescence depends on the combination of the color of the stone in question and the strength of the fluorescence. Faint fluorescence has very little effect on a stone of any color. Medium blue fluorescence and strong blue fluorescence can have a positive effect on stones of low color (J or worse). The fluorescence actually has the effect of making the stone look closer to near colorless. On stones of high color (D-G), strong or medium blue fluorescence can make the stone look milky instead of colorless or near colorless. Carat Weight A carat is the unit of measurement which the jewelry industry uses to weigh a diamond. One carat is equal to 0.20 grams. Often diamond weight is declared in Cents. One carat is equal to 100 Cents. Thus, a 0.05 carat diamond is equivalent to 5 Cents. Care: Protecting Your Diamond Even though diamonds are the hardest substance known to man, a diamond will scratch another diamond. So it is important that jewelry not be stored together since it can be scratched or tangled. Also, diamond jewelry should never be worn while doing heavy work. Points are vulnerable to chipping and even everyday activity can loosen a setting.  With proper care, your diamond jewelry will last a lifetime. Here are some tips to keep your jewelry looking fabulous: Clean diamonds and most color gemstones in warm, soapy water with a soft toothbrush. Rinse completely and dry with a clean, soft cloth. Remove your jewelry before showering, swimming, cleaning, sleeping, doing rough work or handling harmful chemicals - including hair care products and perfume. Do not expose gemstone jewelry to sudden temperature changes, which may cause cracks. Store each piece of jewelry separately to prevent them from scratching each other. 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