Facts About Diamonds Art Deco Platinum Vintage Brooch with 7.30 crt Brilliants If you've been searching for facts about diamonds that are not so, well...well-known, you've found the best resource on the internet, for diamond information about these "pretty litttle pebbles".
Diamonds are a girl's best friend - right? Wrong. Not every diamond is a girl's best friend. Not this
colored diamond
anyway! Read about the
Hope Diamond Here.
By the end of 1870, there was a diamond rush, and by the end of 1871 two well-defined areas were recognized as the source areas, or "pipes", for the diamonds. Four pipes were discovered all together at the town of Kimberley. In 1872 the pipes were giant open quarries worked by 2500 miners and 10,000 hired laborers. In the far north of Western Australia, the British company Rio Tinto holds 60% of a large diamond field called Argyle. The Argyle field is now the single largest diamond mine in the world, producing 34 million carats of Argyle diamonds a year. Among its vast production, there is a small quantity of Argyle Pink Diamonds.
The origin of the word "Diamond" is Adamus, which is Greek for invincible. Looking for a Diamond Carat Size Chart? The Best One on the Internet is Here!
Today diamonds are found in many other parts of the world. The geographical facts about diamonds state, that the largest number of gem quality stones are produced in South Africa (about 49 per cent). Canada, India, Russia, Brazil and Australia are also significant sources.
The break-up of the Soviet Union and civil wars in Africa flooded the market with illicit diamonds. Millions of smuggled blood diamonds, fuelled civil war in Angola and Zaire and the disintegration of the USSR opened the floodgates to a torrent of diamonds from there too. The meltdown in the tiger economies of the Far East suppressed demand and 1996 saw the Australian Argyle mine, the biggest in terms of quantity, leave the De Beers cartel. The physical properties and diamond clarity of
moissanite diamonds
is so close to diamond gemstone, that most diamond testers, used in the jewelry industry to distinguish lab created diamonds, will nearly always misidentify moissanite as diamond.
No one loved, or Wore, diamonds quite like Elizabeth Taylor. Adored by her husband Richard Burton, he showered Elizabeth with diamonds for every occasion. He bought the famous Asscher cut Krupp diamond in 1968. She has worn it many times, notably on Larry King Live in 2003. For her 40th, Burton gave her another famous diamond, a heart-shaped spectacle, known as the Taj Mahal. "I would have loved to give her the Taj Mahal," said Burton, "but it would have cost too much to transport.". Burton was not done. He purchased a 69.42 pear-shaped carat diamond, now known as the Taylor-Burton diamond. Facts about diamonds and facts about pearls share a common denominator. In the 19th century (1870), diamonds rose to the height of their popularity. The reasons are multiple: an increase in their supply, cutting and polishing techniques, improved world economy flourished, and a formidable publicity campaign, masterminded by the South African owners of De Beers, who took diamonds out of the domain of the very wealthy, making them a dream come true for every starry-eyed bride. Mr Mikimoto, did exactly the same kind of thing but with pearls. Not only did he stamp his own name onto Mikimoto pearls but Mikimoto's formidable marketing campaign made pearls an accessible gem for the common people. Cultured pearls were now viewed as a very desirable pearls and an affordable alternative to rare and expensive natural pearls. References: McLean, G., The Scotsman, 'Diamonds Rocks of Ages', June 1st, 2000. http://mygeologypage.ucdavis.edu/cowen/~gel115/115CH15diamonds.html Return to the top of Facts About Diamonds Return to Antique Jewelry Investor Home Page
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