17 Amazing Facts About Diamonds

Even though diamonds are one of the most famous stones in the world, there are many facts about them most people don't know, like the fact that some of the commercial diamonds we see out there might have come from the space!

For those as passionate about these precious stones as we are, we have compiled a very interesting list of surprising facts about diamonds you may never have heard before.

1. The hardest element?

For a long time it was thought that duamond was the hardest natural element on the planet, but the truth is that there are some others with a much more consistent molecular structure but at the same time very rare to get as the Lonsdaelite, Boron Nitride.

2. The shield of kings

In ancient times, kings attracted by the coveted precious stone would set it and bake it in their clothes as a form of protection.

3. The diamond is actually made of...

More than 99% of diamonds are usually made of carbon alone. Of course, some diamonds can have many impurities, but a true diamond has a very well-defined and super-ordered crystalline structure.

4. Clean diamonds

Diamonds are highly commercial and for decades their extraction has been the cause of all kinds of abuse, mistreatment and exploitation. That is why for us, one of our greatest commitments is to acquire ethical diamonds, from verified sources and free of conflict zones.

5. The true age of diamonds

Thousands? Hundreds? No. Scientific evidence has suggested that most diamonds may be between 1,000 and 3,000 million years old!

6. Birthstones

Diamonds are the April birthstones that represent strength and lasting love. Therefore, giving a diamond as a gift on this date is doubly meaningful.
It is said that birthstones have a special vibe for people in their month, whether this is true or not, it is a beautiful meaning that fills them with magic.

7. True name of diamonds

The modern name of diamonds comes from the Greek, although other dialectic currents share the same meaning 'adamas' which means invincible, indestructible or imperturbable.

8. Diamonds and India

India has been since B.C. one of the main sources of diamonds and most of the ancient references we have of them are born in this place. It was not until the 17th century that other sources began to be highlighted.

9. The miracle stone

Since ancient times - especially before the fall of Rome and the early Middle Ages - there have been all kinds of myths about diamonds. Its wearers claimed that having a diamond gave them strength and healed wounds much faster.

10. The coldest stone

One of the most curious characteristics of diamond is that it is an excellent thermal conductor, thanks to this, the heat that enters leaves almost as fast. This is the reason why if we touch a diamond with our tongue or lips it always seems very cold.

11.​The most famous diamond in the world is...

The most famous diamond in the world may be the Golden Jubilee (545.67 carats). It is to this day the largest cut and faceted diamond in the world since 1985.

Being a brown diamond, there is still debate among the trade as to whether or not it has the right to dethrone the large Cullinan I (530.2 carats), which is a gem quality diamond of great purity and clarity.

Whereas the Cullinan I is only one of multiple pieces into which the largest gem-quality rough diamond ever found was divided.

12. The useful side of diamonds

Not all diamonds are suitable to be used as beautiful jewelry, but their hardness is still very practical on an industrial level, being such a hard element - almost 4 times harder than any other - it is the best abrasive that can exist.
About 80% of mined diamonds are used outside the world of jewelry.

13. Is it possible to counterfeit a diamond?

In fact, yes.
Different companies have spent large sums of money to create diamonds in laboratories that are almost impossible to distinguish from a natural one. Even expert gemologists would have trouble separating well-made laboratory diamonds from natural diamonds, unless specialized tests are performed.

14. They are not as rare as they seem

The problem is not the quantity itself, but the size, remember that part of the rough diamond is wasted when cut, so not any diamond is good for gems.
Diamonds in themselves are not so rare, finding the ideal ones, working them and competing in the market of big "collectors" in the gem world makes them more difficult to offer.

15. The Premier Mine

The Premier mine located in South Africa is one of the most controversial sources of diamonds in the world, where the largest and rarest rough diamonds on the planet have been extracted.

16. Diamonds as engagement rings

The idea of diamonds as engagement rings is essentially... new? We know that the first, or at least the most famous engagement diamond is that of Mary of Burgundy, given by Maxmillian of Austria in 1477.

But it wasn't until the famous 'De Beers' slogan "A diamond is forever" created by publicist Frances Gerety became popular in the 1950s and this idea has remained a worldwide favorite.

17. If he tells you that he would bring down the moon, how about a diamond of the same size?

54 light years from our planet, floating lifeless in the constellation Centaurus lies the corpse of a star that after consuming its energy its carbon core was compressed forming a diamond almost the size of the moon!