Diamonds Earth Wealth
earth-wealth.blogspot.com
It was over 4,000 years ago that the first diamonds were mined in India, in alluvial deposits of the stone along the rivers Krishna, Penner and Godavari.
Diamonds were known in ancient Greece and the Roman empire. Consider the ancient Greeks and Romans who believed diamonds were tears of the Gods and splinters from falling stars.
The Hindus attributed so much power to them that they even placed them in the eyes of the statues of deities.
Not only was it believed that diamonds could bring luck and success, but also that they could counter the effects of astrological events. There were many that wore diamonds as charms believing in their ability to heighten sexual prowess and attract others. Plato even wrote about diamonds as living beings, embodying celestial spirits.
Their rarity, durability and beauty made them popular among midieval royalty.
Today, diamonds continue to hold a deep fascination as the world’s ultimate symbol of wealth.
Modern diamond mining as we know it today began in South Africa in the late 19th century.
The top seven diamond-producing countries, accounting for 80 percent of the world’s rough diamond supply, are Botswana, Russia, South Africa, Angola, Namibia, Australia and the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
The Greek word " Adamas " means unconquerable and indestructible. This is the origin of the word Diamond. It is one of the most indestructible natural formations known to man. From this word and from the depths of the earth is derived The Diamond.
The Diamond is the oldest item one can ever own. Diamonds are Pure Carbon. It is one of the earth’s most common elements. It is a simple material, found in graphite pencils and fireplace soot. Diamonds were formed, and crystallized eons ago under incredible heat and pressure deep in the earth. During the earths growing phase millions of years ago, great volcanic forces pushed the "blue earth" containing diamonds to the surface where they were scattered along rivers and into the oceans. In 1870, in South Africa a diamond was found in the earth far from a river source, and the practice of dry-digging for diamonds was born. These were the beginnings of modern mining.
Many early cultures and many countries used diamonds for their own reasons, each with their own meanings. Ancient man used the raw diamond to create tools and carvings. For example, when tribes in Africa and the Middle East expanded their trade with one another, these rare stones became a mode of exchange, the world's first hard currency. The symbols and representations of the Diamond are expansive and individual. For some it meant the key to magic, healing, protection and even poisoning. To others its wealth, prosperity, status, and everlasting love. It was even said that in ancient Greece and Rome Cupids' arrows were tipped with diamonds which had an effect equal to nothing. They have been the strength, power and symbols of Kings and Queens, the ruin of kingdoms, and the teardrops of forgotten Gods.
Today one of the most common uses of the Diamond from a sociological aspect is in the Wedding, Engagement ring. Even in the 2nd Century Rome the ring was used in the ceremony before the Emperor and his blessing. The custom was then continued and mostly Christianized by the 4th century by St. Augustine. Byzantine wedding rings are thick gold bands with round or oval bezels depicting the couple face to face, or receiving Christ's blessing of their eternal union. Today the Diamond Ring, commits a man and a woman to each other with the expression of strength, purity, brilliance and the indestructible bond of love.
Below is a brief look at the history & evolution of the Diamond :
3.3 Billion years ago
Almost 200 km below the earth’s surface carbon began to evolve under extreme pressure and heat, the beginnings of the formation of the most valued commodity on earth, the Diamond.
The following timeline & history of diamonds details important historical events and dates:
Dates in History Timeline & History of Diamonds
800 BC Diamonds discovered in India
327 BC Alexander the Great brings the first diamonds to Europe from India.
296 BC Sanskrit manuscript called the 'Arthasastra', or 'the Lesson of Profit' mentions a diamond
1074 One of the first examples of diamond jewelry history when a Hungarian queen's crown, is created.
1150's The Briolette of India, is a legendary diamond of 90.38 carats, which was believed to have been brought to England by Eleanor of Aquitaine
1375 The Point Cut was developed which follows the natural shape of a raw diamond, reducing waste in the diamond cutting process.
1382 A circlet crown was purchased for Queen Anne of Bohemia, being set with a large sapphire, a balas, and four large pearls with a diamond in the centre
Dates in History Timeline & History of Diamonds - 1400's & 1500's
1407 The earliest European records of the history and art of cutting diamonds originate in Paris where there was a flourishing guild, the "Lapidaries, Jewel Cutters and Engravers of Cameos and Hard Stones." Reference is made to a diamond-cutter named Herman, in 1407. The diamond cutters of Paris were quite numerous in that year, and lived in a special district known as "la Courarie, where reside the workers in diamonds and other stones."
1423 It is documented that the Chief Justice of England , Sir William Hankford, gave his great-granddaughter a baptismal gift of a gilt cup and a diamond ring
1434 Johannes Guttenberg (1398 – 1468) learnt gem cutting and polishing from Andreas Drytzehen of Strasbourg.
1458 Lodewyk (Louis) van Berquem of Brugge, Belgium created the first cut diamonds when he discovered that diamonds could be cut by their own dust. Louis van Berquem invented a diamond polishing wheel called a scaif and introduced the concept of using absolute symmetry in the placement of facets on the diamond.
1467 Louis van Berquem designed the light yellow 137 carat Florentine Diamond for the Valois Family commissioned by Duke of Burgundy
1477 Mary of Burgundy became the first known recipient of a diamond engagement ring given to her by the Archduke Maximilian of Austria. The history and tradition of the engagement ring begins
1520 The Rose cut was created to resemble an opening rose-bud. The two most famous diamond cutters of this time were Giacomo Tagliacarne and Giovanni delle Corniole who perfected the art of facetted gem cutting
1526 The first Mogul emperor, Babur (1483-1530) acquired the Pink Agra Diamond
1570 The pale yellow Sancy Diamond was purchased in Constantinople by the French Ambassador to Turkey, Nicholas Harlai, the Seigneur de Sancy
Dates in History Timeline & History of Diamonds - 1600's & 1700's
1631 Jean Baptist Tavernier made a series of six voyages to India where he saw some of the world’s most fabulous diamonds and gems. Tavernier purchased the Koh-i-Noor and the Hope diamonds for his patron King Louis XIV of France. He wrote the book "The Six Voyages of John Baptiste Tavernier" which was published in Paris, 1676)
1643 The Grand Condé, a light pink pear-shaped stone, was given to Louis de Bourbon, Prince of Condé by King Louis XIII of France
1650's Cardinal Jules Mazarin (1602 – 1661) serving the French King Louis XIV, collected diamonds from Catherine the Great and is credited with the first 'Brilliant cut' diamonds, which were called Mazarins Double-Cut Brilliants
1664 The Wittelsbach diamond formed a gift from King Philip IV of Spain to his 15-year-old daughter, the Infanta Margareta Teresa to celebrate her betrothal to the Emperor Leopold I of Austria in 1664. It was a a rare dark blue color.
1669 The Spoonmaker's Diamond (aka the Kasikci diamond) was found on a rubbish heap at Egrikapi in Istanbul
1681 Vincent Peruzzi, a Venetian diamond polisher, introduced the "Triple-Cut Brilliant" or "Peruzzi Cut" diamonds by doubling the number of crown facets from 17 to 33. These are also referred to as 'Old Mine cuts' or Cushion cuts
1691 The Hortensia diamond, a pale orangey-pink diamond, was added to the Crown Jewels of France by King Louis XIV
1701 The colorless Regent diamond discovered by a slave in the Parteal Mines on the Kistna River
1726 The Dresden Green diamond, named after the capital of Saxony, was sold to King Frederic August I by Marcus Moses who acquired the stone in India. It has a fancy green color, weighs almost 41 carats, has 58 facets and has a pear shaped cut
1760's The Orlov (aka Orloff) Diamond was mounted in the Russian Imperial Sceptre, during the reign of Catherine the Great (1762-1796). It has a bluish-green tint
1762 The Shah Diamond,an 88.70-carat, was found in Golconda, India. It was included in the Great Imperial Crown for Catherine the Great which was made by a jeweller called Jeremia Posier
1792 The French Blue Diamond, later to become the Hope Diamond, was stolen from the French Crown Jewels during the French Revolution
Dates in History Timeline & History of Diamonds - 1800's & 1900's
1837 The Tiffany Diamond Company was founded by Charles Lewis Tiffany
1839 A large blue diamond, called the "Hope Diamond," appears in the gem catalogue of Henry Philip Hope
1850's The Black Orlov (aka Orloff) Diamond was acquired by the Russian Princess Nadia Vyegin-Orlov (aka Orloff)
1851 The Koh-i-Noor diamond was re-cut to 105 carats for Queen Victoria (Empress of India) by a stone-cutter from Amsterdam. This famous diamond is part of the British Crown jewels
1853 The Star of the South was found in the Bagagem Diamond Mines in Brazil
1854 Royal Asscher Diamond Company was founded
1866 The Eureka Diamond was cut from the first diamond found in South Africa
1869 The Star of South Africa, a 47.69-carat old style pear-shaped diamond, was found in South Africa
1877 The Tiffany Yellow was found in South Africa
1880 The colorless Porter Rhodes Diamond came from the claim of Mr. Porter-Rhodes in the Kimberly Mine
1889 The Iranian Yellows - African diamonds acquired by Nasseridin Shah
1895 The Jubilee Diamond, a colorless, cushion-shaped diamond, was found in the Jagersfontein Mine
1902 The Cullinan (aka the Star of Africa) was found by Frederick Wells, the superintendent of the Premier Mine in South Africa, and named after Sir Thomas Cullinan, who opened the mine and was visiting that dayAbraham and Joseph Asscher cut the enormous 3,106 carat Cullinan diamond at the request of King Edward VII in 1902 when the Asscher cut was patented.
1900's The Archduke Joseph, a colorless cushion shaped diamond, was found and named after a Hungarian prince Archduke Joseph August (1872-1962)
1900's The Spirit of de Grisogono at 312.24 carats was also found in the early 1900's and is the world's largest cut black diamond
1909 The Blue Heart diamond weighs 30.82 metric carats and was cut by Atanik Ekyanan of Neuilly, Paris
1916 The Tereschenko Diamond was secretly taken out of Russia on the eve of the Russian Revolution
1924 Uncle Sam is the nickname for the largest diamond discovered in the United States which was discovered by W. O. Bassum at Crater of Diamonds state park in Murfreesboro, Arkansas.
1933 La Favorite Diamond was mined in South Africa and exhibited at the Chicago World's Fair
1934 The Jonker Diamond was found by 62-year-old Johannes Jacobus Jonker in South Africa
1941 1941 The Walska Diamond, a 95-carat yellow briolette cut stone, was bought by Ganna Walska (1887-1984) who was a Polish opera singer
1950 The Allnatt Fancy Vivid Yellow 101.29 carat Diamond was found at the Premier Diamond Mine in South Africa. It was named after its original owner, Alfred Ernest Allnatt
1957 The Nepal ("The Ageless Diamond" ) was purchased by Harry Winston from an Indian dealer
1958 Nur-Ul-Ain Diamond was used as a centrepiece of the tiara designed for the wedding of Empress Farah to the the last Shah of Iran, Mohammad Reza Shah Pahlavi.
1967 The Earth Star Diamond was cut from a rough gem weighing 248.9 carats which was found in the Jagersfontein Mine
1968 The Asscher cut Krupp Diamond, originally named after Vera Krupp von Bohlen und Halbach, was sold at Sothebys to Elizabeth Taylor.
1969 The famous couple purchased the Taylor-Burton pear-shaped diamond
1969 The Zale Light of Peace Diamond (blue-white) was purchased by the Zale Corporation of Dallas weighing a total of 434.6 carats. It is believed to have come from Sierra Leone, Africa
1969 The Sultan of Morocco is a 35.27 carat cushion cut grayish-blue diamond. Cartier lent this diamond to the New York State Museum for their World of Gems Exposition
1973 The black Amsterdam Diamond was first exhibited at D. Drukker & Zn., Amsterdam
1977 The Kahn Canary Diamond was Discovered in the Crater of Diamonds State Park, near Murfreesboro, Arkansas
1997 The Pumpkin Diamond is a Fancy Vivid Orange was found by a farmer on South Africa
1997 The Golden Jubilee Diamond was presented to the King of Thailand for his Golden Jubilee and was designed by Gabi Tolkowsky
1999 The American Star Diamond was purchased by the EightStar company of California
2002 The Beluga Diamond (a 41-carat stone from the Golconda area of India): The Ashoka cut diamond was developed by the William Goldberg firm
Dates in History Timeline & History of Diamonds. earth-wealth.blogspot.com
Diamond Formation:
Diamonds were formed under immense heat and pressure hundreds of miles below the sea level. Volcanic explosions forced them upwards after nearly 100 million years of formation. The diamonds were formed more than 70 million years ago when volcanic explosions brought this diamond bearing ore to the surface. After the cooling of the magma, it solidified into a blue mass, or kimberlite, where the precious rough diamonds are still found today. Rated 10 on the Mohs scale of hardness, diamonds are the hardest substances on earth, but their appeal goes far beyond durability.
Approximately 250 tons of ore must be mined and processed in order to produce a single, one-carat, polished, gem-quality diamond. This is what makes them so valuable and unique. The first diamond mining endeavors were undertaken nearly 4000 years ago in ancient India . Modern mining started in the 19 th century in South Africa . Botswana , Russia , South Africa , Angola , Namibia , Australia and Zaire are among the top diamond producing nations, accounting for nearly 80% of the world's rough diamond supply.
Diamond Crystal Structures
Diamonds are a natural product which usually present the form of crystals. The crystals are more or less regular and perfect in their development. These forms of crystals belong to the group of geometrical solids known to crystallographers as the Cubic or Isometric system. The unit cell of diamond has a two atom basis in which half of the atoms are at lattice points. Diamond crystal structures and symmetry play a role in determining many of its properties including cleavage, electronic band structure and optical properties.
Formation of Diamond Structures - Common Forms
The most common forms of diamond structures are the regular octahedron and the rhombic dodecahedron ; the former bounded by eight equilateral triangles, and the latter by twelve rhomb's, or lozenge-shaped surfaces or structures. The faces of the crystals are often more or less curved, or convex structures, whilst those of other crystalline bodies, with few exceptions, are flat structures. Diamonds commonly take the form of a six-faced octahedron, which, by the rounding of its eight-and-forty faces becomes almost spherical or approaches a small ball in structure.
earth-wealth.blogspot.com
Diamonds Used as an Abrasive
Because diamonds are very hard they are often used as an abrasive. Most industrial diamonds are used for these purposes. Small particles of diamond are embedded in a saw blade, a drill bit or a grinding wheel for the purpose of cutting, drilling or grinding. They might also be ground into a powder and made into a diamond paste that is used for polishing or for very fine grinding.
There is a very large market for industrial diamonds. Demand for them exceeds the supply obtained through mining. Synthetic diamonds are being produced to meet this industrial demand. They can be produced at a low cost per carat and perform well in industrial use.
Other Uses of Diamonds
Most industrial diamonds are used as abrasives. However, small amounts of diamond are used in other applications.
Diamond windows are made from thin diamond membranes and used to cover openings in lasers, x-ray machines and vacuum chambers. They are transparent, very durable and resistant to heat and abrasion.
Diamond speaker domes enhance the performance of high quality speakers. Diamond is a very stiff material and when made into a thin dome it can vibrate rapidly without the deformation that would degrade sound quality.
Heat sinks are materials that absorb or transmit excess heat. Diamond has the highest thermal conductivity of any material. It is used to conduct heat away from the heat sensitive-parts of high performance microelectronics.
Low friction microbearings are needed in tiny mechanical devices. Just as some watches have jewel bearings in their movements diamonds are used where extreme abrasion resistance and durability are needed.
Wear-resistant parts can be produced by coating surfaces with a thin coating of diamond. In this process, diamond is converted into a vapor that deposits on the surface of parts prone to wear.
earth-wealth.blogspot.com
earth-wealth.blogspot.com
It was over 4,000 years ago that the first diamonds were mined in India, in alluvial deposits of the stone along the rivers Krishna, Penner and Godavari.
Diamonds were known in ancient Greece and the Roman empire. Consider the ancient Greeks and Romans who believed diamonds were tears of the Gods and splinters from falling stars.
The Hindus attributed so much power to them that they even placed them in the eyes of the statues of deities.
Not only was it believed that diamonds could bring luck and success, but also that they could counter the effects of astrological events. There were many that wore diamonds as charms believing in their ability to heighten sexual prowess and attract others. Plato even wrote about diamonds as living beings, embodying celestial spirits.
Their rarity, durability and beauty made them popular among midieval royalty.
Today, diamonds continue to hold a deep fascination as the world’s ultimate symbol of wealth.
Modern diamond mining as we know it today began in South Africa in the late 19th century.
The top seven diamond-producing countries, accounting for 80 percent of the world’s rough diamond supply, are Botswana, Russia, South Africa, Angola, Namibia, Australia and the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
The Greek word " Adamas " means unconquerable and indestructible. This is the origin of the word Diamond. It is one of the most indestructible natural formations known to man. From this word and from the depths of the earth is derived The Diamond.
The Diamond is the oldest item one can ever own. Diamonds are Pure Carbon. It is one of the earth’s most common elements. It is a simple material, found in graphite pencils and fireplace soot. Diamonds were formed, and crystallized eons ago under incredible heat and pressure deep in the earth. During the earths growing phase millions of years ago, great volcanic forces pushed the "blue earth" containing diamonds to the surface where they were scattered along rivers and into the oceans. In 1870, in South Africa a diamond was found in the earth far from a river source, and the practice of dry-digging for diamonds was born. These were the beginnings of modern mining.
Many early cultures and many countries used diamonds for their own reasons, each with their own meanings. Ancient man used the raw diamond to create tools and carvings. For example, when tribes in Africa and the Middle East expanded their trade with one another, these rare stones became a mode of exchange, the world's first hard currency. The symbols and representations of the Diamond are expansive and individual. For some it meant the key to magic, healing, protection and even poisoning. To others its wealth, prosperity, status, and everlasting love. It was even said that in ancient Greece and Rome Cupids' arrows were tipped with diamonds which had an effect equal to nothing. They have been the strength, power and symbols of Kings and Queens, the ruin of kingdoms, and the teardrops of forgotten Gods.
Today one of the most common uses of the Diamond from a sociological aspect is in the Wedding, Engagement ring. Even in the 2nd Century Rome the ring was used in the ceremony before the Emperor and his blessing. The custom was then continued and mostly Christianized by the 4th century by St. Augustine. Byzantine wedding rings are thick gold bands with round or oval bezels depicting the couple face to face, or receiving Christ's blessing of their eternal union. Today the Diamond Ring, commits a man and a woman to each other with the expression of strength, purity, brilliance and the indestructible bond of love.
Below is a brief look at the history & evolution of the Diamond :
3.3 Billion years ago
Almost 200 km below the earth’s surface carbon began to evolve under extreme pressure and heat, the beginnings of the formation of the most valued commodity on earth, the Diamond.
The following timeline & history of diamonds details important historical events and dates:
Dates in History Timeline & History of Diamonds
800 BC Diamonds discovered in India
327 BC Alexander the Great brings the first diamonds to Europe from India.
296 BC Sanskrit manuscript called the 'Arthasastra', or 'the Lesson of Profit' mentions a diamond
1074 One of the first examples of diamond jewelry history when a Hungarian queen's crown, is created.
1150's The Briolette of India, is a legendary diamond of 90.38 carats, which was believed to have been brought to England by Eleanor of Aquitaine
1375 The Point Cut was developed which follows the natural shape of a raw diamond, reducing waste in the diamond cutting process.
1382 A circlet crown was purchased for Queen Anne of Bohemia, being set with a large sapphire, a balas, and four large pearls with a diamond in the centre
Dates in History Timeline & History of Diamonds - 1400's & 1500's
1407 The earliest European records of the history and art of cutting diamonds originate in Paris where there was a flourishing guild, the "Lapidaries, Jewel Cutters and Engravers of Cameos and Hard Stones." Reference is made to a diamond-cutter named Herman, in 1407. The diamond cutters of Paris were quite numerous in that year, and lived in a special district known as "la Courarie, where reside the workers in diamonds and other stones."
1423 It is documented that the Chief Justice of England , Sir William Hankford, gave his great-granddaughter a baptismal gift of a gilt cup and a diamond ring
1434 Johannes Guttenberg (1398 – 1468) learnt gem cutting and polishing from Andreas Drytzehen of Strasbourg.
1458 Lodewyk (Louis) van Berquem of Brugge, Belgium created the first cut diamonds when he discovered that diamonds could be cut by their own dust. Louis van Berquem invented a diamond polishing wheel called a scaif and introduced the concept of using absolute symmetry in the placement of facets on the diamond.
1467 Louis van Berquem designed the light yellow 137 carat Florentine Diamond for the Valois Family commissioned by Duke of Burgundy
1477 Mary of Burgundy became the first known recipient of a diamond engagement ring given to her by the Archduke Maximilian of Austria. The history and tradition of the engagement ring begins
1520 The Rose cut was created to resemble an opening rose-bud. The two most famous diamond cutters of this time were Giacomo Tagliacarne and Giovanni delle Corniole who perfected the art of facetted gem cutting
1526 The first Mogul emperor, Babur (1483-1530) acquired the Pink Agra Diamond
1570 The pale yellow Sancy Diamond was purchased in Constantinople by the French Ambassador to Turkey, Nicholas Harlai, the Seigneur de Sancy
Dates in History Timeline & History of Diamonds - 1600's & 1700's
1631 Jean Baptist Tavernier made a series of six voyages to India where he saw some of the world’s most fabulous diamonds and gems. Tavernier purchased the Koh-i-Noor and the Hope diamonds for his patron King Louis XIV of France. He wrote the book "The Six Voyages of John Baptiste Tavernier" which was published in Paris, 1676)
1643 The Grand Condé, a light pink pear-shaped stone, was given to Louis de Bourbon, Prince of Condé by King Louis XIII of France
1650's Cardinal Jules Mazarin (1602 – 1661) serving the French King Louis XIV, collected diamonds from Catherine the Great and is credited with the first 'Brilliant cut' diamonds, which were called Mazarins Double-Cut Brilliants
1664 The Wittelsbach diamond formed a gift from King Philip IV of Spain to his 15-year-old daughter, the Infanta Margareta Teresa to celebrate her betrothal to the Emperor Leopold I of Austria in 1664. It was a a rare dark blue color.
1669 The Spoonmaker's Diamond (aka the Kasikci diamond) was found on a rubbish heap at Egrikapi in Istanbul
1681 Vincent Peruzzi, a Venetian diamond polisher, introduced the "Triple-Cut Brilliant" or "Peruzzi Cut" diamonds by doubling the number of crown facets from 17 to 33. These are also referred to as 'Old Mine cuts' or Cushion cuts
1691 The Hortensia diamond, a pale orangey-pink diamond, was added to the Crown Jewels of France by King Louis XIV
1701 The colorless Regent diamond discovered by a slave in the Parteal Mines on the Kistna River
1726 The Dresden Green diamond, named after the capital of Saxony, was sold to King Frederic August I by Marcus Moses who acquired the stone in India. It has a fancy green color, weighs almost 41 carats, has 58 facets and has a pear shaped cut
1760's The Orlov (aka Orloff) Diamond was mounted in the Russian Imperial Sceptre, during the reign of Catherine the Great (1762-1796). It has a bluish-green tint
1762 The Shah Diamond,an 88.70-carat, was found in Golconda, India. It was included in the Great Imperial Crown for Catherine the Great which was made by a jeweller called Jeremia Posier
1792 The French Blue Diamond, later to become the Hope Diamond, was stolen from the French Crown Jewels during the French Revolution
Dates in History Timeline & History of Diamonds - 1800's & 1900's
1837 The Tiffany Diamond Company was founded by Charles Lewis Tiffany
1839 A large blue diamond, called the "Hope Diamond," appears in the gem catalogue of Henry Philip Hope
1850's The Black Orlov (aka Orloff) Diamond was acquired by the Russian Princess Nadia Vyegin-Orlov (aka Orloff)
1851 The Koh-i-Noor diamond was re-cut to 105 carats for Queen Victoria (Empress of India) by a stone-cutter from Amsterdam. This famous diamond is part of the British Crown jewels
1853 The Star of the South was found in the Bagagem Diamond Mines in Brazil
1854 Royal Asscher Diamond Company was founded
1866 The Eureka Diamond was cut from the first diamond found in South Africa
1869 The Star of South Africa, a 47.69-carat old style pear-shaped diamond, was found in South Africa
1877 The Tiffany Yellow was found in South Africa
1880 The colorless Porter Rhodes Diamond came from the claim of Mr. Porter-Rhodes in the Kimberly Mine
1889 The Iranian Yellows - African diamonds acquired by Nasseridin Shah
1895 The Jubilee Diamond, a colorless, cushion-shaped diamond, was found in the Jagersfontein Mine
1902 The Cullinan (aka the Star of Africa) was found by Frederick Wells, the superintendent of the Premier Mine in South Africa, and named after Sir Thomas Cullinan, who opened the mine and was visiting that dayAbraham and Joseph Asscher cut the enormous 3,106 carat Cullinan diamond at the request of King Edward VII in 1902 when the Asscher cut was patented.
1900's The Archduke Joseph, a colorless cushion shaped diamond, was found and named after a Hungarian prince Archduke Joseph August (1872-1962)
1900's The Spirit of de Grisogono at 312.24 carats was also found in the early 1900's and is the world's largest cut black diamond
1909 The Blue Heart diamond weighs 30.82 metric carats and was cut by Atanik Ekyanan of Neuilly, Paris
1916 The Tereschenko Diamond was secretly taken out of Russia on the eve of the Russian Revolution
1924 Uncle Sam is the nickname for the largest diamond discovered in the United States which was discovered by W. O. Bassum at Crater of Diamonds state park in Murfreesboro, Arkansas.
1933 La Favorite Diamond was mined in South Africa and exhibited at the Chicago World's Fair
1934 The Jonker Diamond was found by 62-year-old Johannes Jacobus Jonker in South Africa
1941 1941 The Walska Diamond, a 95-carat yellow briolette cut stone, was bought by Ganna Walska (1887-1984) who was a Polish opera singer
1950 The Allnatt Fancy Vivid Yellow 101.29 carat Diamond was found at the Premier Diamond Mine in South Africa. It was named after its original owner, Alfred Ernest Allnatt
1957 The Nepal ("The Ageless Diamond" ) was purchased by Harry Winston from an Indian dealer
1958 Nur-Ul-Ain Diamond was used as a centrepiece of the tiara designed for the wedding of Empress Farah to the the last Shah of Iran, Mohammad Reza Shah Pahlavi.
1967 The Earth Star Diamond was cut from a rough gem weighing 248.9 carats which was found in the Jagersfontein Mine
1968 The Asscher cut Krupp Diamond, originally named after Vera Krupp von Bohlen und Halbach, was sold at Sothebys to Elizabeth Taylor.
1969 The famous couple purchased the Taylor-Burton pear-shaped diamond
1969 The Zale Light of Peace Diamond (blue-white) was purchased by the Zale Corporation of Dallas weighing a total of 434.6 carats. It is believed to have come from Sierra Leone, Africa
1969 The Sultan of Morocco is a 35.27 carat cushion cut grayish-blue diamond. Cartier lent this diamond to the New York State Museum for their World of Gems Exposition
1973 The black Amsterdam Diamond was first exhibited at D. Drukker & Zn., Amsterdam
1977 The Kahn Canary Diamond was Discovered in the Crater of Diamonds State Park, near Murfreesboro, Arkansas
1997 The Pumpkin Diamond is a Fancy Vivid Orange was found by a farmer on South Africa
1997 The Golden Jubilee Diamond was presented to the King of Thailand for his Golden Jubilee and was designed by Gabi Tolkowsky
1999 The American Star Diamond was purchased by the EightStar company of California
2002 The Beluga Diamond (a 41-carat stone from the Golconda area of India): The Ashoka cut diamond was developed by the William Goldberg firm
Dates in History Timeline & History of Diamonds. earth-wealth.blogspot.com
Diamond Formation:
Diamonds were formed under immense heat and pressure hundreds of miles below the sea level. Volcanic explosions forced them upwards after nearly 100 million years of formation. The diamonds were formed more than 70 million years ago when volcanic explosions brought this diamond bearing ore to the surface. After the cooling of the magma, it solidified into a blue mass, or kimberlite, where the precious rough diamonds are still found today. Rated 10 on the Mohs scale of hardness, diamonds are the hardest substances on earth, but their appeal goes far beyond durability.
Approximately 250 tons of ore must be mined and processed in order to produce a single, one-carat, polished, gem-quality diamond. This is what makes them so valuable and unique. The first diamond mining endeavors were undertaken nearly 4000 years ago in ancient India . Modern mining started in the 19 th century in South Africa . Botswana , Russia , South Africa , Angola , Namibia , Australia and Zaire are among the top diamond producing nations, accounting for nearly 80% of the world's rough diamond supply.
Diamond Crystal Structures
Diamonds are a natural product which usually present the form of crystals. The crystals are more or less regular and perfect in their development. These forms of crystals belong to the group of geometrical solids known to crystallographers as the Cubic or Isometric system. The unit cell of diamond has a two atom basis in which half of the atoms are at lattice points. Diamond crystal structures and symmetry play a role in determining many of its properties including cleavage, electronic band structure and optical properties.
Formation of Diamond Structures - Common FormsThe most common forms of diamond structures are the regular octahedron and the rhombic dodecahedron ; the former bounded by eight equilateral triangles, and the latter by twelve rhomb's, or lozenge-shaped surfaces or structures. The faces of the crystals are often more or less curved, or convex structures, whilst those of other crystalline bodies, with few exceptions, are flat structures. Diamonds commonly take the form of a six-faced octahedron, which, by the rounding of its eight-and-forty faces becomes almost spherical or approaches a small ball in structure.
Use
Because diamonds are very hard they are often used as an abrasive. Most industrial diamonds are used for these purposes. Small particles of diamond are embedded in a saw blade, a drill bit or a grinding wheel for the purpose of cutting, drilling or grinding. They might also be ground into a powder and made into a diamond paste that is used for polishing or for very fine grinding.
There is a very large market for industrial diamonds. Demand for them exceeds the supply obtained through mining. Synthetic diamonds are being produced to meet this industrial demand. They can be produced at a low cost per carat and perform well in industrial use.
Other Uses of Diamonds
Most industrial diamonds are used as abrasives. However, small amounts of diamond are used in other applications.
Diamond windows are made from thin diamond membranes and used to cover openings in lasers, x-ray machines and vacuum chambers. They are transparent, very durable and resistant to heat and abrasion.
Diamond speaker domes enhance the performance of high quality speakers. Diamond is a very stiff material and when made into a thin dome it can vibrate rapidly without the deformation that would degrade sound quality.
Heat sinks are materials that absorb or transmit excess heat. Diamond has the highest thermal conductivity of any material. It is used to conduct heat away from the heat sensitive-parts of high performance microelectronics.
Low friction microbearings are needed in tiny mechanical devices. Just as some watches have jewel bearings in their movements diamonds are used where extreme abrasion resistance and durability are needed.
Wear-resistant parts can be produced by coating surfaces with a thin coating of diamond. In this process, diamond is converted into a vapor that deposits on the surface of parts prone to wear.
earth-wealth.blogspot.com
