Diamonds : Myths and Lore

The diamond is April's birthstone. It is cold sparkling fire has held us spell-bound for many centuries, inspiring passionate myths of romance, intrigue, power, greed, and magic. In Ancient Hindus, they find diamonds washed out of the ground after thunderstorms, and believed that it was created when bolts of lightning struck rocks. They even placed some in the eyes of some of their statues. Jewish high priests turned to diamonds to decide the innocence or guilt of the accused: a stone held before a guilty person was supposed to dull and darken, while when held before an innocent one to glow with increased brilliance…The Romans wore diamonds because these were thought to possess broad magical powers over life’s troubles, being able in particular to give to the wearer strength, invincibility, bravery, and courage during battle.Kings, in old days, led the battles on the battlefields wearing heavy leather breastplates studded with diamonds and other precious stones because it was believed that diamonds possessed God given magical qualities and powers far beyond the understanding of common man. Thus, warriors stayed clear of Kings and those who were fortunate enough to have the magical diamonds in their breastplates.In our present place and time, the diamond is a symbol of enduring love, and often made as engagement rings.......Diamond crystals...are a closed-tight network of carbon atoms that is securely held in four directions, making it the hardest natural substance in the world.......It can be found in some samples of kimberlite -- a type of volcanic rock that is first identified in Kimberly, South Africa. Diamonds found in kimberlite are thought to be very old, perhaps as much as three billion years old. Tiny flecks of diamond have even been found inside meteorites -- bits of rocky space debris that land on Earth....
The Hope DiamondSynopsis...
...American jeweler Simon Frankel was the original buyer of the Hope Diamond in 1901 who brought the stone to America, after which it was sold several times until it became the property of Pierre Cartier. Cartier knew that the wealthy and eccentric Evalyn Walsh McLean felt that bad luck objects became good luck in her possession, so he emphasized the Hope Diamond’s negative history. Many people believe that Cartier invented the story of the curse since research shows that the idea of a curse upon the diamond didn’t even appear until the 20th century.Once Cartier reset the diamond, McLean bought it and wore it constantly. One story tells that Mrs. McLean’s doctor had to plead with her to remove the necklace before goiter surgery.But tragedy soon struck the McLean family. Mrs. McLean’s nine year old son, Vinson, died in a car accident; her daughter committed suicide at age 25; her husband was committed to a mental hospital until his death in 1941. The Hope Diamond was sold along with McLean’s other jewelry in 1949 to settle estate debts, and its buyer was New York jeweler Harry Winston....

Diamonds : History and Colors

In Myths about diamonds in valleys are protected by snakes, to the production of millions of carats in diamonds each year, the history of diamonds is one of mystical power, beauty and commercial expertise.Early History
The recorded history of the diamond is in India 3,000 years ago, where it is that diamonds were the first valued for it's ability to light refraction. In those days, the diamond was used in two ways-for decorative purposes, and as talisman to ward off evil or provide protection in battle.The Dark Ages
The diamond was also used for some time as medical aid. One anecdote, written during the Dark Ages by St Hildegarde, relates how a diamond held in the hand while making a sign of the cross would heal wounds and cure illnesses. Diamonds were also ingested in the hope of curing sickness. During the early Middle Ages, Pope Clement unsuccessfully used this treatment in a bid to aid his recovery.The Middle Ages
During the Middle Ages more attention was paid to the worth of diamonds, rather than the mystical powers surrounding them. Due to the heightened public awareness of the value of diamonds, mine owners perpetuated myths that diamonds were poisonous. This was to prevent the mineworkers swallowing the diamonds in an attempt to smuggle them out of the mines.The popularity of diamonds surged during the Middle Ages, with the discovery of many large and famous stones in India, such as the Koh-I-Noor and the Blue Hope. Today India maintains the foremost diamond polishing industry in the world.Recent Times
During the mid-nineteenth century, diamonds were also being discovered in eastern Australia. However, it was not until late 1970's, after seven years of earnest searching, that Australia's alleged potential as a diamond producer was validated.On October 2nd 1979, geologists found the Argyle pipe near Lake Argyle: the richest diamond deposit in the world. Since then, Argyle has become the world's largest volume producer of diamonds, and alone is responsible for producing over a third of the world's diamonds every year.Diamond ColorsPink Diamonds
The pink diamond is the world's most rare and valuable diamond.The Argyle mine is the world's foremost source of unrivalled intense pink diamonds, producing 95% of the world's supply. However, an extremely small proportion of Argyle Diamonds production is Pink color, in fact less than one tenth of 1% is classified Pink.The legend of Argyle pink diamond has grown over the past ten years. At the 1989 Christie's auction in New York a 3.14 carat Argyle pink sold for $1,510,000. Privately, Argyle has sold pink diamonds for up to $1 million a carat.For years the white diamond was considered the world's most beautiful diamond, until the discovery of the Argyle mine heralded the arrival of the Argyle pink diamond. Never before had pink diamonds displaying such intense shades of color been seen. The pink diamonds of India, Brazil and Africa were characteristically light in color and paled even further when placed beside the intensely pink Argyle diamonds. The natural color diamonds have in fact been around as long as the classical whites but in much smaller quantities and never in great demand.The Argyle pink diamond comes in shades ranging from delicate pastel rose to robust raspberry and full-blooded purple-reds. The prices per carat are determined by the intensity of color. Argyle selects only its most vibrant pink diamonds for polishing at its head office in Perth. There, the stones are polished in a wide range of cuts, such as round brilliant, marquise, oval and pear, to enhance their natural beauty. Polished pink diamonds are available in the same size ranges as traditional commercial sizes.White Diamonds
White diamonds are produced by mines all over the world in a wide variety of shapes and sizes.The white diamonds recovered from the Argyle mine are particularly brilliant and of high quality.Champagne Diamonds
Champagne diamonds are naturally colored diamonds that are produced in a wide range of colors from light straw to rich cognac. The 4C's of color, cut, clarity and carat weight apply to colored diamonds just as they do to colorless diamonds except the intensity of color, not lack of it, plays a greater part in the valuation.Yellow Diamonds
Fancy yellow diamonds come in a broad range of shades ranging from light yellow to a rich canary color. A limited quantity of fancy yellow diamonds is recovered from the Argyle mine.Blue Diamonds
Fancy blue diamonds are available in a wide range of shades, from the blue of the sky to a more "steely" color than sapphire. Limited quantities of fancy blue diamonds are recovered from the Argyle mine.Green Diamonds
Fancy green diamonds are also available. Usually, penetration of the color is not very deep and is often removed during the fashioning of the stone. A limited quantity of fancy green diamonds is recovered from the Argyle mine.

Celebrities wearing Expensive Jewelries with Diamonds....

During the award seasons active stories are placements and the business on the red carpet. The Diamond Information Center, which promotes actively diamonds before the Golden Globes with a midday meal that was organized with InStyle, is rising above the fray this year (and helping to offset any Blood Diamond-inspired red carpet remarks like those by Djimon Hounsou at the Globes) by offering nominees or presenters at the Golden Globes, Grammys, or Academy Awards who wear a diamond right-hand ring a $10,000 donation in their name to a cause or project in Southern Africa. Raise Your Right Hand Ring for Africa is sponsored by red-carpet regular jewelers, including H. Stern, Martin Katz, and Neil Lane. DIC hopes to raise $100,000 for these causes this year and is well on the way already.
Angelina Jolie wearing a vintage Indian-style suite by Bochic in 22k gold set with rose-cut diamonds. She with her husband Brad Pitt during the Golden Globe Awards.
Beyonce wearing fancy colored diamonds in unusual shades surrounded by gold, all by designer Lorraine Schwartz: a natural multi-colored diamond and old ivory bangle; earrings with 40 carats of diamonds in unusual colors; and a grey, yellow and white diamond right hand ring. It was during the Golden Globe Awards.
Jennifer Lopez wearing gold and black gold chandelier earrings, coil bracelets and rings by Lorraine Schwartz. This was during the Golden Globe Awards Night.

Celebrities wearing Expensive Jewelries with Diamo...

Blood Diamonds : What does it mean?

A Blood diamond also known as conflict diamond. Mined in a war zone and sold, that are usually kept or done in secret, in order to finance a rebel or invading army's war efforts. Nongovernmental organizations have also alleged the use of these diamonds in financing the September 11, 2001 attacks...
More informations about Blood Diamond here

Blue Sapphire : The gem related to Saturn?

Sapphire (comes from Hebrew word: ספיר Sapir). The aluminium oxide (Al2O3) single-crystal form mineral also known as corundum. Found naturally as gemstones or manufactured in large crystal boules for varied applications, including infrared optical components, watch faces, high-durability windows, and wafers for the deposition of semiconductors such as GaN nanorods. The corundum group consists of pure aluminium oxide. Trace amounts of other elements such as iron, titanium and chromium give sapphires their blue, yellow, pink, purple, orange or greenish color. Sapphire includes any gemstone quality varieties of the mineral corundum except the fully saturated red variety, which is instead known as ruby. Blue sapphire is the gem related to Saturn, which is the planet of wisdom, integrity and discipline. It rules responsibility, leadership, ambition and wisdom born of experience. It's also the planet of renunciation and spiritual journey. Wearing an unheated blue sapphire of at least 1.5 carats is said to bring discipline and bestow the ability to govern and lead others. Blue sapphire can be substituted with blue spinel, amethyst, blue tourmaline of at least 3-4 carats.

Topaz: A precious type gem in wine-yellow color

A fluorine aluminium silicate that comes in yellow, yellow-brown, honey-yellow, flax, brown, green, blue, light blue, red and pink ... and sometimes it has no color at all. The name "topaz" is derived from the Greek Word tòpazi[òs].
Known for at least 2000 years and is one of the gemstones which form the foundations of the twelve gates to the Holy City of the New Jerusalem. These so-called apocalyptic stones are intended to serve in protection against enemies and as a symbol of beauty and splendour. It cannot be proved conclusively whether the name of the topaz comes from the Sanskrit or the Greek, though the Greek name 'topazos' means 'green gemstone'. The Romans dedicated the topaz to Jupiter. The colour in which the topaz is most commonly found is yellow, and that is the colour in which it occurs in one of the major German gemstone rocks, the Schneckenstein (a topaz-bearing rock said to resemble a snail) in Saxony. In the 18th century, it was mined there during a period of over 60 years. However, most of the crystals were hardly a centimetre in diameter. You had to go to Siberia or Brazil to find crystals as large as your fist. Having said that, anyone who is interested can convince himself of the beauty of cut specimens in the topaz set in Dresden's Grünes Gewölbe (Green Vault). The enormous and magnificent topaz from the Portuguese crown, the Braganza, was for a long time thought to be a diamond. It weighs 1680 ct..Blue Topaz Ring with DiamondsRetail Price: $540.00Our Price: $180.00
In mysticism, the topaz is attributed with a cooling, styptic and appetising effect. It is said to dispel sadness, anger and nocturnal fears, to warn its wearer of poisons and protect him or her from sudden death. It is reputed to make men handsome and intelligent and sterile women fertile and happy. However, it is probably better not to rely too much on its magical powers, since it was also claimed that you could immerse your hand in boiling water after a topaz had been thrown into it and retract it again unharmed! It is the stone of the month November....

Ruby as "Pigeon's Blood?"

Ruby is a red gemstone with varying color from a light pink to a blood red. A variety of the mineral corundum (aluminium oxide). The color is caused by chromium. The name comes from ruber, Latin word for red. The other varieties of gem-quality corundum are called sapphires. Ruby is considered as one of the four precious stones, which includes sapphire, emerald and diamond. It is are mined mostly in Africa, Asia, Australia, Greenland, Madagascar and North Carolina. But most often found in Myanmar (Burma), Sri Lanka, Kenya, Madagascar, and Cambodia, and it can be also been found in the U.S. states of Montana, North Carolina and South Carolina. The Mogok Valley in Upper Myanmar has produced some of the finest rubies but, in recent years, very few good rubies have been found there. The unique color in Myanmar (Burmese) rubies is described as "pigeon’s blood". They are known in the trade as “Mogok” rubies. In central Myanmar the area of Mong Hsu also produces rubies. The latest ruby deposit to be found in Myanmar is situated in Nam Ya. In 2002 rubies were found in the Waseges River area of Kenya. Sometimes spinels are found along with rubies in the same rocks and are mistaken for rubies. However, fine red spinels may approach the average ruby in value.

Green Amethyst : A Macrocrystalline Quartz

Green Amethyst, a green variety of quartz that is sometimes a confusing gem when traded under a variety of names. It is sometimes mistaken as other gems like Peridot and Tourmaline. Also known as Vermarine, Green Quartz, Lime Citrine or by its gemological name, Prasiolite. Although affordable, it is very rare and remains a collector’s gemstone. In gemological name it is derived from the Greek words “Prason” meaning leek (due to its colour similarities with the vegetable) and “Lithos” meaning stone. The gem is believed to facilitate the gap between the physical and spiritual aspects of life, attracting prosperity through strengthening the mind, emotions and will by the crystal healers. Although Quartz of exotic beauty to be set into jewellery and not in great abundance, Quartz is found in many geological environments and is a component of almost every type of rocks. It is also the most varied in terms of varieties, colors and forms. Quartz gemstones are separated into two groups based on the size of their individual crystals. Green Amethyst is a Macrocrystalline Quartz (a large crystal) and this group includes many popular gemstones such as Amethyst, Citrine and Ametrine. All forms of Quartz are Piezoelectric (when heated or rubbed they create an electrical charge becoming a magnet that attracts lightweight objects), making for important applications in electronics. Tourmaline is the only other gemstone that possesses this property. Green Amethyst’s color varies from a pale yellow green to the deeper shades of green. With beautiful colors ranging from pastel yellow green to deep forest green, it is also a tough gemstone making it ideal for everyday wear. Green Amethyst is most mined in Brazil and Arizona, U.S.A.

A 14K White Gold Tanzanite and Diamond Ring

One of kind extraordinary gemstone. A rare of a kind that you can see in only one place worldwide. It is blue, surrounded by a fine hint of purple, an exotic color. Tanzanite is named after the East African state of Tanzania, the only place in the world where it can be found. Why in Africa? It is because Africa is a continent which provides the world with numerous and magnificent gemstones, like for example tanzanite and other gemstones that includes the diamonds. During the discovery in 1967, it was introduce by the specialists as the 'gemstone of the 20th century'. They held their breath in excitement as they caught sight of the first deep-blue crystals which had been found in the Merelani Hills near Arusha in the north of Tanzania. Millions of years ago, metamorphic schists, gneisses and quartzite's formed impressive, flat-topped monadnock on a vast plain in Kilimanjaro. This precious crystals grow on, deposits on the inside of these unusual elevations. For a long, long time they were hidden from the man's eye, until one day some passing Masai shepherds noticed some sparkling crystals lying in the sun and took them along with them.
It is a blue variety of the gemstone zoisite that consists of calcium aluminium silicate and not particularly hard, with a value of 6.5 to 7 on the Mohs scale. The reason why it should always be worn carefully and never placed in an ultrasonic bath for cleaning or brought into contact with acids. The tanzanite deep blue color of is excellent, and runs from ultramarine blue to light violet-blue. The most color is a blue surrounded by a delicate something purple-like color, which has a particularly wonderful effect in sizes of over 10 carats. The well developed polychromaticity of the tanzanite is typical: depending on the angle from which you look at it, the stone may appear blue, purple or brownish-yellow. Having said that, most raw crystals are somewhat spoiled by a brownish-yellow component, though it can be made to disappear by the cutter if he heats the stone carefully in an oven to approximately 500°. During the procedure he must pay careful attention to the moment at which the colour turns to blue. This burning is a method of treatment which is regarded as customary in the trade, but the raw stones must be as free of inclusions as possible, since otherwise fissures may occur. In fact working with tanzanite can sometimes give even the most experienced cutter a bit of a headache, the cleavage of this gemstone being very pronounced in one direction. This exclusive gemstone is cut in every imaginable shape from the classical round shape to a number of imaginative designer cuts.

The Vinci Diamond

The leading Israeli diamond designer named Shlomo Cohen was credited for developing the Princess Cut in 1982, released lately “The Vinci Diamond,” a 62-facet “pentacle” cut that incorporates the precise ratios of the Divine Proportion – a mathematical relationship popularized in Dan Brown’s bestseller - The Da Vinci Code. Cohen said, “I have been studying the geometric possibilities offered by the Golden Ratio since 2001, which is before I ever heard of Dan Brown or The Da Vinci Code."The Divine Proportion or the Golden Ratio was based on the relationship of three lines, which the longest is 1.618 times the length of second longest, which in turn is 1.618 times the length of the shortest line. The combinations of the three lines are basis for everything that is perfectly proportional.Past uses of the proportions samples include the Parthenon in Athens, and the ancient Mayan Sun Temple. This diamond has been patented in United States, Japan, Belgium and Israel.

Fascinating Facts about Diamonds

What are diamonds? Diamonds are made of hardest substance on earth which is carbon. They are formed deep within the earth and come to surface via volcano eruptions...Don't you know the important roles of diamond to the people? Many were unaware what important role diamonds. The important role of diamonds bring benefits to the people in many countries around the world where the source of it can be found especially Africa... In Africa, these where been their livelihood by finding diamonds. In 2000, a coalition of governments, non-governmental organizations and the diamond industry worked together to make people have some money to earn for their everyday daily needs especially food.Fact regarding how diamonds are driving the worlds economic growth."Estimated 5 million people have access to appropriate healthcare globally because of revenues from diamonds. Revenues from diamonds have enabled governments and health organizations to greatly improve existing public health services and provide new health services to those who have never had them before. Diamond revenues have funded more hospitals, more medical centers and more hospices, ensuring healthcare is extended to millions of people."
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