INTERESTING FACTS ABOUT DIAMONDS
§ Diamonds were formed between 3.3 billion and 900 million years ago, yet man did not discover them until after 2,500BC.
§ The word diamond came from the ancient Greek word ‘adamas’, meaning unconquerable.
§ Diamond is the hardest substance known to man (140 times harder than ruby/sapphire and 180 times harder than emerald).
§ Over 250 tons of ore must be mined in order to produce a one carat polished diamond.
§ Every diamond is unique – no two are the same.
§ The 4Cs: Cut, Colour, Clarity and Carat Weight combine to determine the value of a diamond.
§ The largest diamond ever found, the Cullinan, weighed 3,106 carats. The two largest polished diamonds cut from the Cullinan can be seen today in The Crown Jewels in The Tower of London.
§ De Beers is the largest diamond mining company in the world and produces about half of the world’s diamond production by value.
§ The famous slogan ‘a diamond is forever’ was created over 60 years ago to capture the magic, mystery and beauty of the world’s most precious gem.
§ The first diamond engagement ring made an appearance in 1477, when it was slipped on to the finger of Mary of Burgundy by her fiancé, Archduke Maximilian of Austria.
