Top 46 Interesting Facts About Diamonds

  1. Diamonds are composed of pure carbon.
  2. The word "diamond" comes from the Greek word "adamas," meaning invincible or indestructible.
  3. Diamonds can only be cut and polished by another diamond.
  4. The largest diamond ever found is the Cullinan diamond, weighing 3,106 carats.
  5. The Cullinan diamond was cut into several smaller diamonds, including the Great Star of Africa and the Lesser Star of Africa.
  6. The Great Star of Africa is the largest polished diamond in the world, weighing 530.4 carats.
  7. Diamonds are formed deep beneath the Earth's surface, under high pressure and temperature.
  8. Diamonds were first discovered in India around 800 B.C.
  9. Today, most of the world's diamonds come from mines in Russia, Botswana, Canada, and Australia.
  10. The first diamond engagement ring was given in 1477 by Archduke Maximilian of Austria to Mary of Burgundy.
  11. The practice of giving diamond engagement rings became popular in the 20th century.
  12. The Hope Diamond is one of the most famous diamonds in the world, known for its deep blue color and size of 45.52 carats.
  13. The Hope Diamond is said to be cursed, bringing bad luck to anyone who possesses it.
  14. Diamonds come in a range of colors, including pink, blue, yellow, and green.
  15. Colored diamonds are rare and valuable, with pink and blue diamonds being among the most valuable.
  16. The pink diamond known as the Pink Star sold for a record $71.2 million at auction in 2017.
  17. The clarity of a diamond is determined by the number and size of its internal and external flaws, known as inclusions and blemishes.
  18. The cut of a diamond refers to its proportions, angles, and symmetry, which determine its brilliance and fire.
  19. The round brilliant cut is the most popular diamond cut, known for its maximum brilliance and fire.
  20. Other popular diamond cuts include the princess cut, emerald cut, and cushion cut.
  21. The princess cut is a square or rectangular cut with pointed corners.
  22. The emerald cut is a rectangular cut with beveled corners.
  23. The cushion cut is a square or rectangular cut with rounded corners.
  24. The carat weight of a diamond refers to its weight, with one carat equaling 0.2 grams.
  25. The price of a diamond is determined by its carat weight, cut, clarity, and color.
  26. The four Cs of diamond quality are cut, clarity, color, and carat weight.
  27. The GIA (Gemological Institute of America) is the world's leading diamond grading laboratory.
  28. GIA grades diamonds on a scale from D (colorless) to Z (yellow or brown).
  29. A diamond's fluorescence refers to its tendency to emit a soft glow under ultraviolet light.
  30. Most diamonds have some degree of fluorescence, but strong fluorescence can affect a diamond's appearance.
  31. A diamond's shape refers to its overall form, while its cut refers to the angles and proportions of its facets.
  32. The number of facets on a diamond varies depending on its shape and cut.
  33. The most popular diamond shapes include round, princess, oval, pear, marquise, emerald, and cushion.
  34. Diamonds are often used in industrial applications due to their hardness and durability.
  35. Diamonds are used in the cutting and polishing of other materials, such as glass, ceramics, and metals.
  36. A diamond is the hardest natural substance on earth, rating 10 on the Moh’s scale of mineral hardness, created by German mineralogist Friedrich Mohs. Talc rates 1 on this scale.
  37. A diamond can't be scratched by another other mineral than another diamond.
  38. A diamond is virtually fireproof. In order for a diamond to burn, it must be heated to 1,292 degrees Fahrenheit.
  39. Only half the diamonds mined today are of gem quality.
  40. Only one diamond in a million will weigh one carat or more.
  41. A single diamond of two carats is worth more than twice as much as 2 one carat diamond.
  42. More than 250 tons of ore need to be processed to yield just one carat of rough diamond.
  43. Diamonds are mined in 25 different countries. Only Europe and Antarctica don't have diamond mines.
  44. All natural diamonds are at least 990,000,000 years old. The oldest known diamond is 3.3 billion years old.
  45. The first written notation of precious diamonds dates back to around 500 B.C.
  46. The largest polished diamond in the world s the Golden Jubilee Diamond, a fancy yellow diamond, weighing 545.67 carat.