Diamonds Are

What are diamonds...

Natural diamonds are pure carbon, formed into crystals deep below the earth’s crust many millions of years ago. Diamonds are found and mined in several parts of the world but predominantly in southern Africa where flows of volcanic lava, known as Kimberlite, have carried diamond deposits to the surface. These deposits can be mined or quarried to recover the diamonds within the Kimberlite. As the hardest natural substance known to man, diamonds brought to the surface in this way have survived the effects of geological erosion, often being washed down river valleys and into the sea. Diamonds can therefore be recovered from the alluvial deposits in rivers as well as from the sea bed and even from beaches. In their recovered or “rough” form they are far from the cut and polished gemstones which we prize today. Rough diamonds have to be sorted and graded before those which can be used for jewellery are shipped to specialist cutting and polishing centers around the world. Diamonds not suitable for jewellery are used for industrial cutting and drilling.

What are Diamond Rings

Diamonds in rings and recently diamonds in engagement rings have their origin in the Middle Ages and Romans times. The Romans valued the diamond entirely on account of its supernatural powers. It is believed by many that the first occurrence of a diamond engagement ring can be traced back to the marriage of Maximilian I (then Archduke of Austria) to Mary of Burgundy in 1477.

The diamond engagement ring did not become the standard it is considered today until after an extensive marketing campaign by De Beers in the middle of the 20th century, which came to include one of the most famous advertising slogans of the 20th century: “A Diamond is Forever”.

Diamond rings are now an accepted tradition indicating engagement to be married and worn by a women. In some countries, such as the United Kingdom, it is worn on the left-hand ring finger, while in other countries, such as Poland, it is customary for the ring to be worn on the right-hand. By modern convention, the ring is usually presented as a betrothal gift by a man to his prospective bride while or directly after she accepts his marriage proposal. It represents a formal agreement to future marriage.

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