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History of the Diamond in brief.

The word "Diamond" comes from the Greek word "Adamas" which, translated, means "Unconquerable." This refers to the hardness of the stone, and, can also be suggestive of the everlastingness of love. The tradition of giving a diamond as a betrothal gift dates back to the fifteenth century when Maximilain, Archduke of Austria, gave a diamond ring to Princess Mary of Burgundy. As to the reason a woman wears it on the third finger of her left hand..belief has it that the early Egyptians thought that the Vena Amoris--the Vein of Love--traveled from the heart straight to the top of the third finger of the left hand

The precise origin of diamonds is still not truly known. However, it is believed that the first diamond ever discovered in South Africa was done so by a fifteen year old boy by the name of Erasmus Jacobs. While searching for a stick to clear a drain one day, he picked up a stone sparkling in the sunlight and gave it to his sister. It was seen by a friend of the family and was ultimately discovered to be a 21.25 carat stone. The diamond is the hardest of all gemstones; it is the simplest in composition; it is ordinary carbon. Colossal heat and pressure, over the eons, crystallized the diamond into what it is today.

How to choose a diamond--The Four C's.

• CARAT-WEIGHT: The weight/size of a diamond is measured in Carats. One carat is divided into one hundred segments called "points". As in the decimal system, one hundred and twenty five points equals one and a quarter carats.

  CLARITY: This is the degree to which a diamond is free of inclusions. Where the inclusions lie, their size, their type, all these factors determine the value of the stone. Inclusions are rated as follows:

  • F1=Flawless
  • IF=Internally Flawless-minor surface blemishes.
  • VVS1-VVs2= very very small inclusions.
  • VS1-VS2=very small inclusions.
  • SI1-SI2=small inclusions.
  • I1-I2-I3=Imperfect-eye visible inclusions.

These inclusions range from very very small imperfections to eye visible imperfections. Slight inclusions, though they reduce the value of a diamond, do not take anything away from its beauty.

• COLOR: This is another aspect where scarcity determines value. Colorless diamonds are extremely scarce in nature and they are representative of the peak of color grades. Gradations from high white to beginning yellows are not easily perceptible to an unpracticed eyes. The exceptions to high value=colorless stones lie in the bright colored diamonds...re: amber, red, blue, etc. These diamonds, in the larger sizes, command enormous prices and are quickly snatched up by collectors world-wide.

  CUT: Today the art of diamond cutting has been refined to precise mathematical formulae. Most diamonds today are cut with 58 facets. A good cut is determined by its light reflecting properties and its light dispersion. The cut you finally choose, however, is a matter of personal taste.

From Rough to Finish

After a diamond has been found it goes through many processes before it becomes the finished product we are familiar with. The first step in manufacturing a diamond is to give it to a cleaver or sawyer. They both, essentially, perform the same task: That is to cut--or cleave--the diamond in two pieces in order to bring out the best profile that will determine the end product of the stone. Re: Will it be pear shape or a marquise or a round...or what? The determining difference that dictates whether the stone goes to a cleaver or a sawyer lies in what is called the stress factor of the stone. Sawying is a long, lengthy process. Cleaving, done with a sharp blow of a hammer on a blade across the stone, takes only moments. However, some stones have too many stress points in them, and cleaving those stones would create more shock than they could stand, and the risk of ruining what might have been a fine product is not worth the time savings a cleaver could offer. Hence...the sawyer comes in. Slow, meticulous, and safe.
Before cleaving or sawying...there is a person called a Marker who examines the diamond and, of course, marks it where it is to be cleaved. This is his only job. His decisions determine the ultimate value of the stone. He analyses the rough and determines what kind of stone, or stones, it will ultimately become. After cleaving or sawying, the rough diamond goes through a series of diamond cutters, each specializing in his aspect of the trade. There is the Blocker...who cuts out the rough shape of the stone to be. Then there are the brilliandeerers...and they fall into two categories. There is the Top Maker and there is the Bottom Maker. The Top Maker cuts the Table and the facets above the girdle, and the Bottom Maker cuts the pavillion. Finally, the stone goes to a cutter called the Girdler. He cuts the Girdle and/or the facets around the girdle. Today, much of the above listed work is done by computerized machinery.
Statistically speaking...Round stones produce less than 50% of rough. Re: A 2 carat rough will produce less than a 1 carat finished product.
Radiant or Princess cut or Emerald cut stones produce about 60% of rough.
Pear Shapes and Marquises produce a lower 50% ratio than Rounds.
And Trillions produce the least results...about 30% of rough.

More History of Diamonds

The full history of lore and facts about diamonds is too extensive to be written in these short columns. Instead of attempting the impossible, I give you fragmented tidbits of information which I hope you will find--if nothing else--at least entertaining.

Up to the fourth century, diamonds were known only in their rough, or crystalline forms. They came in a variety of shapes, the most common being the octahedron. This was a crystal with eight faces, resembling two pyramids joined at their bases. (The diamond in a deck of playing cards resembles this cut.)As time passed, the demand for varied shapes increased. Some of the new cuts which surfaced were: The Thick Table Cut, The Mirror Cut, The Lasque Cut, The Rose Cut, and, eventually, the Brilliant Cut of today.

Since earliest days, it had been possible to cut diamonds only by using other diamonds. Today's technology has altered this picture. Inclusions can be drilled with lasers. With the drilling of parallel holes, diamonds can be sawn in any direction with lasers. Inclusions are located using cross hairs in a microscope. A laser beam then drills a fine hole down to the inclusion. A chemical oxidizer is then forced under pressure through the laser hole and into the inclusion. The inclusion dissolves and becomes transparent. The diamond, now more attractive, is also now worth more.

It was the Star of Africa that started the stirrings of the First Diamond Rush. After its discovery, prospectors headed for the Vaal Orange rivers, near Hopetown, South Africa. The first camp was called Pniel. It was a chaotic place. A disorderly straggle of tents and ramshackle store fronts and wagons. The year is 1870. It's the era of river diggings. Many finds are made, and as successes appear, so do new diggers. (prospectors) The beginnings of the Diamond Rushes in South Africa are not too far removed in similarity as the beginnings of the Gold Rush days in the U.S. It was soon discovered that diamonds could be found in areas away from the rivers. Diamonds could be found in the ground, on farms in nearby areas. One of these farms was the Vooruitzicht farm, owned by two brothers, D.A. and J.N. DeBeers. They could not stop the influx of diggers from invading their lands, so they eventually sold their property for 6300 Pounds and departed for more idyllic pastures. Their name, however, was given to what was to become the great diamond company we know today.

At present, we have the ability to produce man-made diamonds of fine quality. In 1970, General Electric was able to manufacture a few diamonds weighing up to 1 carat each. Some were deemed to be of a quality equal to that of a fine white natural rough found in nature. These gems are on display at the Smithsonian in Washington. Although General Electric proved that the production of man-made diamonds was possible, at this time, the cost of making the diamond far exceeds the cost of finding one in its natural state. For the moment, the natural diamond is in no threat of competition from its man-made counter-part.

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