Everyone loves diamonds! It’s all about their radiant sparkle that at once catches one’s eyes and attention. Be it world-famous Koh-i-Noor (Mountain of Light), Hope diamond, or The Tiffany Yellow Diamond all these famous diamonds known to mankind will surely make you rub your eyes too. Big and shiny they with perfect cut and limpidity stand out as very valuable pieces of jewelry. Though there is a lot to write about diamonds, do you know how this allotrope of carbon found its place in the wishlist of human beings!
The early history of the diamond is shrouded in mystery. For thousands of years, it was belived that diamonds contained special magic abilities and power for royalty. The ancient Greeks believed that diamonds were tears from the Gods while in India locals believed that the diamonds were formed by lightning strikes hitting the ground, and were therefore considered to be a gift from the gods. The earliest known reference to diamond is a Sanskrit manuscript, dated from 320-296 B.C.The earliest producing diamond mines were in the Golconda region of India. Diamonds were discovered not just in these mines but also in alluvial deposits of peninsular rivers namely Penner, Krishna and Godavari in Southern India. The love for diamonds that started in India soon found takers from the west also. In the first century AD, the Roman naturalist Pliny stated: “Diamond is the most valuable, not only of precious stones but of all things in this world.” By the 1400s, this gemstone had fashionable accessories for Europe’s elite.
During the 17th century, Brazil emerged as an important source for polished diamonds that retained its shine for more than 150 years. However, in modern times the African continent took the lead. The discovery of diamonds in Kimberley, South Africa was one of the turning points of history. It was here that Entrepreneur Cecil Rhodes established De Beers Consolidated Mines in 1888. By 1900, De Beers became a world-famous brand for diamond. Thanks to its mines in South Africa through which the company controlled an estimated 90 percent of the world’s production of rough diamonds.
In the 1870s, the annual production of rough diamonds was well under a million carats. But today the production stood at 142 million carats. Today diamonds are mined in roughly 25 countries. Once the leading producer of the diamond, India today has the largest diamond polishing industry in the world. Surat city in Gujarat has emerged as a global hotspot as more than 90 percent of the world’s diamonds are cut and polished here. Perfect for the special occasion solitaires. diamonds can be a ring, necklace, earrings, or even any other jewelry. More recently, new techniques such as virtual 3D modeling are being employed to get the best yield from rough diamonds to maximize profits. Even today diamonds continue to hold the fascination as it did throughout history.