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Diamond History & Legends
The Greeks and Romans believed that diamonds were tears from the Gods and
splinters from falling stars. In fact, the word "diamond" comes from the Greek
word, "adamas," which means unconquerable. Medieval knights wore uncut diamonds
in their armor, believing the stones would make them invincible. Hindus thought
the stones to be so powerful that they placed them in the eyes of their statues.
The forerunner of today's engagement ring, a slim iron hoop ring - symbolizing
the cycle of life and eternity - was given to brides in ancient Rome from 23 to
79 A.D. as a public pledge that the marriage contract would be honored. One of
the earliest recorded instances of a diamond ring given specifically to seal a
betrothal was during the marriage of Constanzo Sforza and Camilla d'Aragona of
Pesaro, Italy, in 1475. Archduke Maximilian of Austria further established the
tradition when he presented a diamond ring to Mary of Burgundy upon their
engagement in 1477. As Mary said "yes," Maximilian slipped the diamond ring onto
the third finger of her left hand.
Major advances in diamond cutting techniques occurred in the early 1500s, when
goldsmiths created a new shape and brilliance - the table-top cut. This historic
first step toward modern polishing was to become a significant feature of 16th
Century diamond rings. One such design - the gimmel, or twin ring - was the
choice of Martin Luther when he married Catherine Bora in 1525.
Jewelers have continued to create new ways of presenting the diamond set in
elaborate band designs and using advanced methods of diamond cutting and
polishing to reveal the full beauty of the stone. When the world's supply of
diamonds increased with the discovery of diamond mines in Brazil during the 18th
century, more people discovered they could afford diamond jewelry. By the 20th
century, platinum had become universally adopted, inspiring the creation of new
diamond cuts - emerald, square, rectangular and pear - with the stones set as
solitaires or in clusters. The large center stone with baguette diamond
shoulders became an engagement ring classic.
Until the late 19th century, diamonds were found only in a few riverbeds in
India and in the jungles of Brazil. In 1870, huge diamond mines were discovered
near the Orange River in South Africa. Today, gem-quality diamonds are mined
around the world. The largest producers are South Africa, Russia, Australia and
Brazil. The hardest substance known to man, diamonds have long been revered for
their strength and beauty. Today, the diamond symbolizes love, strength and
beauty, and the diamond engagement ring remains one of the most enduring symbols
of love. Diamond is the birthstone for April.
THE FOUR Cs
Most people evaluate diamonds using the four Cs - cut, clarity, color and carat
weight. These four qualities define a diamond's value, and knowing what they
mean will help you when selecting a diamond.
CUT
Cut refers to the shape of the diamond, the number of facets, and the quality of
the cut. Though diamonds are available in a number of shapes - such as round,
pear, heart, oval, marquise, emerald and princess - a well-cut diamond of any
shape will reflect light and sparkle with intensity.
"Fire" and "brilliance" are terms that describe the intensity of the color and
brightness of the light seen in a diamond. These qualities are achieved by
cutting the stone to exacting mathematical proportions so word that as much
light as possible is reflected out the top of the diamond.
CLARITY
Most natural diamonds contain identifying marks known as inclusions, many of
which are invisible to the naked eye. Diamonds having fewer and less noticeable
marks are rarer and command higher prices.
A diamond's clarity ranking is determined by the number, size, type and
placement of inclusions visible under the scrutiny of a 10x magnifying loupe or
microscope. Internally flawless diamonds are very rare and expensive. An
inclusion directly under the diamond's table, or top, will reduce its rating
more than one in the girdle, or side. Carefully examine the position of
inclusions because a crack from the surface to the interior could result in a
broken diamond if the stone is hit the wrong way.
The following scale, developed by the Gemological Institute of America (GIA) and
commonly used in the United States, contains definitions for different clarity
grades.
COLOR
Most diamonds appear colorless but actually have slight tones of yellow or
brown. Diamond color is graded on a scale of D (colorless) to Z (heavily
tinted), and the closer a diamond is to being colorless, the more valuable it
is. Even when a diamond has a visible tint such as K or above, it can still be
beautiful if it has good clarity and cut.
The color of a diamond can appear different once it is set. A colorless diamond
might look a little yellow when set in yellow gold, while a slightly
yellow-tinted diamond might appear whiter in that same yellow setting. Diamonds
outside the normal color range are called fancy colored. Graded as Z+, fancy
colored diamonds come in a variety of colors like red (the rarest), pink,
violet, blue, green, and bright yellow, known as "canary." Stones with good
color are rare and can sell for more than white diamonds.
CARAT
Carat is the term used to describe the weight of any gemstone, including
diamonds. Diamond weights are stated in metric carats or "ct" (versus the karat
amount of gold contained in an item). One metric carat is just over seven
thousandths (0.007) of an ounce. Since 1913 the international standard has been
1 carat = 200 milligrams, or 1/5 of a gram. In jewelry pieces with more than one
diamond, the carats may be described in terms of total carat weight (TW). This
number is the combined total weight of all stones in the piece.
Large diamonds are very rare. In fact, 23 tons of diamond ore must be mined to
produce a single one-carat, gem-quality diamond. Diamonds come from the mines in
crystals, often with eight sides. As much as 60 percent of the original crystal
is cut away to create a round brilliant diamond. Stones that are smaller than
one carat can be measured a number of ways - in fractions, in decimals, or in
points. One carat equals 100 points, so a ¾ carat diamond is the same size as a
.75-carat diamond or a 75-point diamond. Expect to pay a premium for stones that
are above one-carat weight.
Round brilliant cuts follow exact standards, so you can make a good estimate of
the carat weight of the stone based on the stone's diameter.
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