As you may have already guessed- the entire team here at Voltaire Diamonds are totally and utterly obsessed with all things diamond and gemstone related. If it sparkles- we’re all ears!
To pay some homage to our beloved diamond, we have compiled a list of interesting diamond facts and figures:
Did you know?
The word ‘Diamond’ originates from the Greek word ‘Adamas’ which means ‘unconquerable’ and ‘indestructible’.- The largest rough diamond ever discovered is The Cullinan I diamond. Otherwise known as The Star of Africa; this single diamond weighs 3,106 carats and was divided into 9 large stones and 96 smaller stones (two of which form the largest part of the Crown Jewels!). If left whole, today this stone would have been worth over 2 billion US dollars!
- Diamonds are billions of years old. The Earth is estimated to be 4.5 billion years old and some of the first diamonds are thought to have been formed around 3.3 billion years ago. Imagine wearing something that old on your hand! Volcanic activity helps to bring diamonds towards the surface of the earth, where they would have originally been formed between 90-120 meters below the ground.
- Diamonds are made of a single element- they’re almost 100% carbon. The immense heat and pressure to which they are subjected dictates the process of their formation and crystalline structure.
- Diamonds were first discovered and mined in India, Brazil and the African continent. Now however, diamonds also come from China, Canada and Australia. Interestingly, 80% of diamonds mined today are used for industrial purposes as the diamond is the hardest natural substance found on Earth.
- America is the world’s largest diamond-buying market. Although the US produces almost no diamonds for commercial consumption, they buy more than 40% of the world’s gem quality diamonds.
- Diamonds were once thought to ward off danger. Ancient Hindus placed diamonds in the eyes of devotional statues as protection from enemies and unknown dangers.
- Scientists have discovered a star (which they named Lucy after the Beatle’s song ‘Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds’) which they believe to be made entirely of carbon. In other words, there is diamond star in the sky made up of 10 billion trillion trillion carats. ?
Although diamonds are almost 58 times harder than any other natural material, a diamond can indeed be fractured in one just one blow during the cutting process. Splitting the internal diamond structure requires deep, detailed knowledge however about the diamond’s unique and individual carbon structure in order to divide it into smaller parts.- Finally, only 1 diamond in a million weighs a carat or more- so if you are ever lucky enough to own one; cherish it!
