Because of their extraordinary physical properties, diamonds have been used symbolically since near the time of their first discovery. Diamonds have been a source of fascination for centuries. They are the hardest, the most imperishable, and the brilliant of all precious stones. The word "diamond" comes from the Greek word adamas, meaning "unconquerable".
A diamond is a transparent gem made of carbon, one of the earth's most common elements. The formation of diamonds began very early in the earth's history, when the condensation of solid matter into a sphere caused the centre of the planet to become subjected to incredible extremes of temperatures and pressure.
One of the most famous diamonds is the Great Star of Africa (picture right), weighing 530.2 carats that was cut from the world's largest rough diamond, the Cullinan I. The historic Cullinan diamond, found in South Africa in 1905, weighed an 3,106.75 carats. |
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(The Cullinan I - aka the Star of Africa. 530.20 carats) |
