Since people now use diamonds for various things, its importance has grown over the past centuries. As such, it is considered as one of the most valuable gemstones that anyone can have. Despite its popularity, there are some amazing facts about diamonds that most people have never heard of. Here are some of them.
Diamonds have been in existence for billions of years
The first diamonds were discovered in India around 3,000 years ago. Various studies, however, have shown that they have probably been in existence for more than 4 billion years. Who would have assumed that diamonds were formed before dinosaurs lived on this planet?
Diamonds were found by humans when volcanic eruption brought them close to the surface of the earth with other ancient items such as surface rock, wood, and fossils.
Diamonds contain a single element
When you consider the beauty of diamonds, you would probably assume that they have several elements. But you couldn’t be further from the truth. Diamonds contain about 100 percent carbon. According to scientists, the crystalline structure of diamonds is formed when carbon atoms bond due to the pressure and heat under the surface of the earth.
Every diamond differs
When it comes to the rarest and oldest gemstones in the world, you cannot talk without mentioning diamonds. They were formed at various periods during the earth’s evolution. As a result of this, you cannot find two natural diamonds that are exactly the same. Their colors, characters, and looks are determined by conditions around the time and place of their formation. Although lab diamonds are a better choice due to availability, natural diamonds are more unique because of this particular reason.
The majority of diamonds are formed over 100 km underneath the surface of the earth
Even though they are capable of sparkling and dispersing light, diamonds are formed in total darkness at over 100 km beneath the surface of the earth. As volcanic eruptions force Magna to the surface of the earth, diamonds are kept inside the rocks and brought up to areas where they can be mined.
Diamonds were sometimes not mined
Nowadays, most diamonds are mined underwater or underground with the help of heavy, advanced tools. But it was not so many years ago when miners used to find them at the bottom of or around the shores of rivers.
A few diamonds may come from outer space
While most diamonds are formed by volcanic eruptions, some may be exceptions. It has been suggested that some diamonds may have been made in an interstellar condition. According to some studies, carbonado diamonds might have been deposited into the earth by an asteroid that affected our planet around 3 billion years ago. These carbonado diamonds are often seen in some places in South America and Africa. This type of diamond doesn’t usually aggregate in a single place. They are sparkling, awesome, and valuable and are often used for making black diamond jewelry pieces.
About 4 out of every 5 diamonds in the world are sold in New York City
As you could have guessed, the majority of diamond markets are found in the metropolitan cities around the world where people value them. More interestingly, it has been estimated that about 80 percent of all diamonds in the globe are sold in New York City. This American city has tons of places where diamonds are auctioned.
Some diamonds are not colorless
To many individuals, one of the characteristics of diamonds is that they are colorless. However, this is not entirely true as there are a few diamonds that are not colorless or white. In rare cases, diamonds may be brown, red, green, blue, brown, pink, orange, black, and yellow. So, if you come across diamonds that are not white or colorless, don’t be surprised.
Cutting and polishing process lowers the weight of diamonds by as much as 50 percent
Diamonds are usually mined rough. Therefore, the rough diamonds have to go through a comprehensive cutting and polishing process to take them to their full potential. During this process, the diamonds can lose as much as 50 percent of its initial weight.
Miners mine over one million carats of diamonds annually
There are several mining companies around the world. All these companies collectively mine over a million carats of diamonds annually. In addition to the ones mined, companies produced around 110,000 tons of synthetic diamonds in labs annually. From jewelry manufacturers to producers of medical and industrial tools, these diamonds are used by various individuals and companies for a wide range of things.
These fascinating facts about diamonds further reveal why these gemstones are highly sought-after.
