Diamond

DIAMOND

Extremely rare, unalterable, the hardest material known to man and brighter than a thousand stars, the diamond is the most prestigious of all precious stones, already worshiped by the Indians three thousand years ago.

Alexander the Great introduced it to Greece, where it became known as Adamas meaning “invincible”.

This in turn gave the word “diamond”.

This legendary name refers to a form of carbon which has crystallized in the upper layers of the Earth’s mantle, at a depth of one hundred and fifty to two hundred kilometers, in conditions of exceptionally high pressure and temperature. These crystals are then brought to the Earth’s surface by volcanic action, in the magma that surrounds them. India was the sole source of diamonds until the early eighteenth century, when deposits were discovered in Brazil then, in 1866, in South Africa. One of the diamond’s characteristics is its color, each nuance of which is officially graded.

There are several categories of “colorless” diamond (from “exceptional white” to yellow-tinted diamonds known as “cape”) and of fancy colors.

The diamond’s value is assessed in accordance with four factors, known as the four “C”s: cut, color, clarity and carat.

Fabulous stones, the symbol of eternal love, certain diamonds have left their mark on history.

The biggest cut diamond in the world is the Golden Jubilee (545.60 carats), a yellow-brown stone mined in 1986 in South Africa. Ten years later it was given to King Bhumibol of Thailand to celebrate his golden jubilee.

Through the creation of exceptional diadems and magnificent necklaces, transactions involving famous stones such as the blue Hope diamond (44.50 carats) and the pear-shaped diamond (69.42 carats) that Richard Burton gave to Elizabeth Taylor, and the use of platinum settings, Cartier’s name will forever be associated with this, the king of stones. Hardness: 10. Birthstone of the month of April. Its planet is the Sun. Symbol of love and fidelity.

South Africa, Angola, Australia, Brazil, Congo, Mali, Namibia, Russia, India, Venezuela, Zimbabwe.