Diamonds were first mined in India over 4000 years ago. Before the 15th Century, diamonds were relatively insignificant as precious stones. This changed in 1456 when Louis de Berquerer discovered how to cut facets of a diamond. Until the 18th Century India was the only known source of stones, believed to be found only in the fabled mines of Golconda, though Golconda was in fact only the market city of the diamond trade and gems sold there came from a number of mines. Brazil then became the main producer after diamonds were found there in 1726.

It was not until the 1867 discovery of diamonds near Hope town, South of Kimberley in South Africa, that the modern diamond industry was born. The 1870s and 1880s in the Northern Cape saw a frenzied rush to the newly discovered diamond files.

Diggers and prospectors came from all over the country and abroad. Soon the terrain was transformed into a landscape of ever-deepening pits, as diggers burrowed their way into the diamondiferous rock. Claims even collapsed into one another and the holes grew larger until the “Big Hole” at Kimberley became, and remained the largest hand–dug excavation in the world. It ceased production in 1914 after having produced 14504566 Carats of diamonds from 226 million tons of ground. It was mined to an open-pit depth of 820 meter. The “Big Hole” has been declared a national monument, and a museum depicting the history of diamond mining in the country has been established near the site.

Two companies emerged from the rush, the Kimberley Central mining company and the De Beers Mining Company, named after the De Beers brothers, owners of the land where the rush began. In March 1888 the companies merged to form De Beers consolidated Mines Limited. The money and expertise gained on the Kimberley diamond fields were invaluable in opening up the new Witwatersrand gold fields in 1896. Single channel marketing developed from this company and existed then through what was known as the “London Syndicate”, precursor to the current Central Selling Organization (CSO).

The world’s largest gem quality diamond, the Cullinan was found in South Africa in 1905. Uncut, it weighed 3025 carats. The Centenary found in 1986, was polished from a 599 carat gem. The rough diamond was cut into various stones, the largest of which bears the name Centenary and, at 273 carats, is the largest modern cut, top colour and flawless diamond in the world.

Manufactured Diamond

Mankind has been dazzled by the mysteries of the gleaming diamond since it was first discovered centuries ago among alluvial deposits in the riverbeds of India. The glistering, bright rare material, formed deep beneath the earth’s surface, was treasured first for its beauty as a dazzling gemstone. Later for its physical characteristics of hardness, thermal conductivity, low coefficient of friction, light refraction properties, resistance to chemical attack and permanence over time. In the 1860s diamond was discovered in South Africa, where it had surfaced through the earth’s mantel by volcanic action. They have since been discovered in other countries, including South America, Russia and Australia.

Efforts to synthesize diamond date back several hundred years, though until 1950s no significant achievement was made in this field. GE Laboratory (USA) vigorously took up the challenge to develop a manufactured diamond in 1951. They created “a belt apparatus” a large hydraulic press capable of producing conditions roughly equivalent to those 256m (160 mi) below the surface of the earth or approximately 895 Mpa (1,000,000 psi) and temperatures of 3500 C (6332 F). The team also designed a gasketing system to hold the diamond making materials. It took yet another year of experimentation before the scientists realized that, along with compressing and heating the graphite structure, catalyst, consisting of molten iron, nickel or cobalt was necessary to trigger the atomic transformation. Within days of the discovery of the catalyst, these scientists succeeded in creating diamond. On February 15, 1955 GE announced capability to manufacture and reproduce Diamonds.

Facts about Diamonds

• Most diamonds are over three billions years old, two-thirds the age of the Earth. There are a few “Youngsters” though, which are only 100 million years old.

• Most diamonds were formed more than 100 miles below the surface of the Earth some from perhaps 400 miles down.

• The most recent Kimberlite volcano erection was approximately 53 million years ago – just a few ticks of the geologic clock – but there is no reason to believe there will not be more in the future.

• Although diamonds are perceived as a white actually colorless-gem, they came in a spectrum of colors, colored diamonds are called “fancies”.

• India was the only known source of diamonds before the sixth century and the predominant source for over 2000 years, until the mid-eighteenth century.

• Romans believed that diamonds had the power to ward of evil and wore them as talismans. They inherited this belief from Indian mythology.

• A law in thirteenth century France decreed that only the King could wear diamonds.

• Diamonds were not used as gems in European Jewelry until the late 13th century. They were initially used for such purposes as engraving other gems such as Sapphire cameos, and for drilling holes in hard stone beads. (such beads drilled by diamonds have been dated to archaeological sites as early as 400 BC).

• The most recent diamond discoveries have been made in North America-in the North West Territories of Canada and in Colorado – where explorers found diamond pipes in 1990.

• Some diamonds are composed of carbon that is recycled organic matter, previously incorporated in marine organisms.

• “One – hour eye glasses” have only become possible with use of diamond tools, which can quickly and accurately shape the lenses.

• Because diamonds can withstand extremely high temperatures and corrosive conditions, and because they are transparent to most forms of light and electromagnetic radiation, they are ideal for use as windows in industry and in space probes, including the 1978 pioneer space probe to the surface of Venus.

• Every copper wire in your computer, television, and house has been shaped with die – the device that squeezes wire to the desired diameter – are made from diamonds.

• Diamond scalpels are particularly effective because their sharp, hard edges that never dull, and because diamond’s hydrophobic surface – its resistance to being wetted – ensures that wet tissue does not adhere to the blade.

• The largest rough diamond ever found was the Cullinen; 3,106 carat discovered on January 26, 1905 in Premier mine of South Africa. It was cut into nine major stones, including the largest gem diamond, the Cullinen 1 or Star of Africa, 550.20 carats. This is mounted in the Tower of London.

• In 1950s, Gemological Institute of America developed the first internationally accepted diamond grading system. This system provides unbiased opinions of the quality of polished diamonds by applying uniform criteria to their grading.

• The GIA Gem Trade Laboratory Diamond grading report has become the benchmark for the international gem and jewelry industry, and can be found accompany diamonds worldwide.