The Diamond remains, not only a romantic gem of great beauty, but a legitimate trading item on commodity markets and is an established trade in the world’s toughest financial markets of London and Europe. As a commercial commodity diamonds are very popular because of their controlled value internationally, mainly by De Beers, who held the monopoly for a long time.
Aesthetically, it is because of its purity that it captures immediate attention. There is no other known substance as hard in the mineral world, yet once the stone is cut and faceted it possesses a brilliance which seems to hold the potential for the reflection of all the colors of the rainbow. It is understandably symbolic of human fidelity and truthfulness and of enduring virtues and is expected to demonstrate a commitment to these values at the time when couples become engaged to be married. This custom is so well established, that it is difficult to concede that any other stone will oust it from its supreme status. It is anticipated that marriages will last to endure as the diamond - and this is re-enforced by the marketing slogan “diamonds are forever”.
In fact this purest of all substances of the earth has been formed by the processes of nature’s laboratory deep in the earth, sometimes to 150 km, which allow the blackest of all substances, pure carbon, to be transmuted into the clear 8 faced crystal which confronts us in seeing a diamond, which is later transformed and made exquisitely lovely through skilled expert faceting, into a brilliant.
Diamonds are cut with the aid of diamond dust. Diamonds possess luminous properties after exposure to sunlight and glow in a darkened room, to fluoresce in ultraviolet light and also after friction.
Melting diamonds and other stones in alchemical processes is known in the ancient Ayurvedic science. This process is considered to produce a cardiac tonic and when added to other medicines enhances therapy, with the best of the elixirs curing many serious diseases.
In France in the fifteenth century, Louis IX decreed that no-one who was not of royal blood could wear diamonds. At that time they were engraved but not known to be cut and polished until 1496.
Diamonds occur either colourless and clear or tinted. The most prized quality has a slight blue tint. The tinted “champagne diamonds” have been well marketed and have proven popular in recent years. Diamonds with yellow color are generally quite de-valued. Diamonds with small flaws also sell quite cheaply. Rarely found are blue diamonds, green and even pink diamonds, with the latter marketed by Argyle with great success. There is also a very rare red diamond. The unusual colored ones are generally considered to have more commercial value but those who believe in the traditional value place greater importance upon the pure, clarity of the colourless jewel.
Diamonds are found in many places of the world, Borneo, Brazil, South Africa, Siberia, China, Canada, India and in recent centuries, Western Australia.
There are some interesting stories about some of the famous gems… One of the largest is that which belonged to the Rajah of Matan and weighed 318 carats. The Pitt Diamond weighed 410 carats in the rough but was reduced to only 137 carats when cut. In 1720 it became part of the French crown jewels and was later pawned by Napoleon to the Batavian government to finally be incorporated into the crown of Napoleon III.
Excelsior was discovered in 1893 and was 969 carats but only 364 carats after cutting.
The largest diamond ever found was the Cullinan in 1905 in the Transvaal, South Africa. It weighed 3,106 carats. In 1908 it was cut into 9 large and 96 lesser stones. Two of the largest are in the British Crown Jewels.
The Koh-in-oor, or Mountain of Light, is claimed to be the oldest large diamond and dates back to 59 BC. The founder of the Mogul Empire, Baber, reported it to have come into the treasury at Delhi from the conquest of Malwa in 1304, after passing through many Indian rulers’ hands. It was thought that the safety of the dynasty depended upon the possession of this fateful jewel. After a time it came to Runjeet Singh, King of Lahore who wore it on his arm between two smaller diamonds. He bequeathed it to the Shrine of Juggernaut but it was later presented to Queen Victoria by Lord Dalhousie on the annexation of the Punjab and sent to London in 1850. The Indians believed the stone would bring misfortune until restored to the line of Vira-maditya. It was re-cut in England which decreased its size. Its present location is unknown.
Napoleon wore the famous Regent diamond in the hilt of his sword. The Regent stone was originally found by a slave who concealed it by hiding it in the folds of the bandage he was wearing over a wound. It was stolen from him and he was thrown into the sea. The diamond was sold to a dealer named Jamchund for £1000. Then it was purchased by Thomas Pitt, grandfather of the Earl of Chatham who purchased it for £20,400. By 1717 it was sold to the Regent of France for £135,000. 410 carats in its natural state - after cutting, which took 2 years to complete, it was reduced to 137 carats and was perfectly white without spot or flaw. During the French Revolution the diamond was stolen form the public treasury. Twelve years later it was recovered and set in the imperial diadem of France.
Another which has stirred the imagination of many is the blue Hope Diamond, with its reputation of bringing back luck - a reputation which is claimed to be unfounded. It is 45.52 carats in size and thought to be now in the U.S.. This famous Hope Diamond was originally owned by Tavernier, the French traveler born in Paris in 1605. In 1668 after time in the East, he sold it to Louis XIV. The Duchess de Montespan, the royal mistress, prevailed upon the King to be allowed to wear the dazzling gem at a Court Ball. From that time it attracted disaster. It was later worn by the unfortunate Marie Antoinette and also lent it to the Princess de Lamballe. But both suffered execution by the guillotine. Some believe that it was the blue diamond which brought them bad luck. It disappeared for 30 years but was later found in possession of a lapidary of Amsterdam, whose son stole it but then committed suicide. It passed to a Frenchman named Beaulieu who took it to London and sold it to a dealer Daniel Eliason and then died mysteriously the following day. Mr. Henry Thomas Hope was the next purchaser, paying Eliason £18,000 for it. The stone remained in the Hope family until 1901 when Sir Francis Hope sold it to a diamond merchant, who resold it to an American, who sold to M. Jacques Colot who sold it to a Russian Prince who was stabbed to death. The French dealer from whom he purchased it ended his own life. A Greek merchant met with a violent death after selling the diamond to Abdul Humid, the ex-Sultan of Turkey, who narrowly escaped with his life after losing his throne. A New York jewellers next bought the gem. It was believed to have been lost with the ill fated Titanic but later seems to have been established as being owned by Mr. McLean, an American millionaire. One wonders - what has happened since?
Most attempts to create artificial diamonds were unsuccessful until General Electric in 1954 was able to produce the conditions which resembled those found 350 km deep in the earth. They produced diamond crystals which are now being exported all over the world. Industrial quality diamonds produced naturally are considered of less value than these synthetic diamonds in meeting manufacturer’s needs. In 1962 synthetic Diamonds of up to 1 carat were produced in Japan by the Toshiba Electric Company by a simpler process but they were of industrial not gem quality. Industrial diamond drills are used in various industries and in cutting through concrete and masonry. Diamond blades are now in demand for use in micro-surgery.
Creation of artificial diamonds require enormous pressures and high temperatures and to this point in time have only been moderately successful in Russia, Ireland and South Africa making industrial quality stones, not gemstones. But who would not prefer to have the opportunity to appreciate and to benefit by the sterling qualities of a beautiful natural jewel?
Michael Russell
Your Independent guide to Diamonds
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