Fascinating facts about diamonds

There is hardly any woman in the world that wouldn’t love to treasure a piece of a sparkling diamond. These are the only stones that have not only made women look beautiful but also shaped their thoughts. On one hand, receiving diamonds as a gift makes one feel unique and special and on the other, when you buy one for yourself, it reaffirms belief and confidence in yourself like nothing else.

 

To celebrate the blazing brilliance of this gemstone, we have rounded up some of the most fascinating facts about them:

 

• The word ‘diamond’ is derived from the Greek word ‘adamas’ translating to invincible. That’s a fitting name for the hardest natural substance on the earth. The only thing that can scratch a diamond is another diamond!

 

• The youngest diamond is a billion years old. The rest, being as old as the earth itself, date back almost 4 billion years. This makes them them older than some stars. Recently, scientists discovered a planet 55 Cancri e that’s believed to have a one-third-diamond core.

 

• For centuries, India was the only place where diamonds were found, including the famous Koh-i-Noor (Mountain of Light). The earliest known references to the, are found in ancient Sanskrit manuscripts dating to 320 BC. Most of the mines were in the Golconda region of Hyderabad until the stones were later discovered in the mines in Brazil. They spread to the Mediterranean region around 327 BC with the arrival of Alexander and were only available for the elite. But that’s not so anymore. Superior quality diamonds and studded jewellery are now within the reach of everyone. You can even buy diamond rings online now!

 

• Diamonds have been a part of many a folklore and mythology. While the ancient Greeks believed them to be the tears of the gods, the Romans considered them to be broken pieces of resplendent stars. This perception of their unearthly origins and the fact that diamonds can resist even fire made people associate them with eternal life. This is the sole reason why diamonds used to be studded in several types of rings such as those for pledging engagement and marriage. They still stand as the purest symbol of commitment and love between two people.

 

• There is an enchanting connection between diamonds and candle flames. During scientific discoveries, it was found that the middle part of a candle flame contains almost 1.5 million nanoparticles of diamonds! These are unfortunately burned in the process but it does give a romantic candlelight dinner an entirely new meaning.

 

• Though it has been tried scientifically, no one has been able to assess the time that goes into the formation of diamonds. Depending on the right conditions of high pressure and temperature, they may take anything between a few days to a million years to form.

 

• We usually see colourless diamonds that are considered to be the rarest. But did you know that not all diamonds are transparent? The most expensive diamond on the planet is pink in colour, which sold for almost $ 71 million at a Sotheby’s auction. Another enchanting diamond is ‘Hope’ which is greyish-blue in colour and is believed to bring bad luck. Other naturally occurring diamond colours include yellow, orange, green, brown, and even olive.

 

We bet that after knowing these astounding facts about diamonds, you will never look at them the same way again. These gemstones of exceptional beauty and powerful meanings are always going to be forever.