Throughout history, diamonds have captured the imaginations of cultures worldwide. To the Greeks and Romans, they were perceived as tears of gods and fragments of stars. Hindus held diamonds in such high regard that they adorned their statues with these precious gems, believing in their extraordinary power. Tales of an unapproachable valley in Central Asia, adorned with diamonds and guarded by birds of prey and snakes, further fueled the mystique surrounding these exquisite stones.
Beyond their mystical allure, diamonds were thought to bring luck, success, and even the power to defy astrological events. Many adorned themselves with diamonds, hoping to enhance their sexual prowess and allure. Philosopher Plato even described diamonds as living creatures, embodying divine spirits.
Until the 15th century, only royalty could lay claim to diamonds, considering them symbols of courage, power, and invincibility. However, as centuries passed, diamonds evolved into a symbol of enduring love, intertwined with tales of romance and myth.
The origins of the first diamond remain shrouded in mystery, but we do know that, from ancient times until the 18th century, all the world’s diamonds hailed from India. The rise of commercial relations between Europe and Eastern Asia, from the Roman Empire to the arrival of Europeans in India in the early 16th century, saw India as a major source of diamonds. Venice played a pivotal role as a hub in the diamond trade. However, as time passed, the diamond commerce shifted to the city of Antwerp, which offered better communication and exchange facilities. In 1866, the first diamond was discovered in South Africa, followed by the Kimberley diamond deposits a few years later, ushering in the remarkable era of Kimberley diamonds.
The word “diamond” originates from the Greek word “adamas,” signifying invincibility, and “diaphanes,” meaning transparency. Throughout history, diamonds were believed to mend broken marriages and symbolized courage on battlefields.
Diamonds, known as the hardest naturally occurring substance, consist solely of carbon. However, they can only be melted at an astonishing temperature of 5500 degrees Celsius! Billions of years ago, intense heat and pressure deep beneath the Earth’s surface miraculously transformed carbon into diamonds through volcanic activity. These diamonds were eventually ejected from the Earth’s crust, solidifying into their raw form. Resistant to acids and capable of cutting through virtually anything on Earth, they can only be cut by other diamonds.
But do diamonds truly last forever? While they seem indestructible, their fate hinges on extraordinary circumstances. Diamonds, in their current state, will likely endure for as long as our planet exists. They can only be melted at a staggering temperature of 5500°C—a feat that the Earth’s global atmosphere will never reach, even under extreme conditions like a massive meteor impact that could wipe out all life. They would only melt if, one day, our planet were to plunge into the Sun, where temperatures soar to 5800°C. Strangely, astronomers predict that Earth will meet the Sun in about 7.5 billion years, as the star nears the end of its life cycle. Even then, diamonds may not vanish entirely. When that time comes, the Sun’s temperature is expected to drop to approximately 3000°C, ensuring that some small diamonds will continue to exist, scattered throughout the cosmos.
So, in a sense, diamonds are indeed forever—enduring symbols of beauty, resilience, and the enigmatic wonders of the universe.