15 Fascinating Facts About Diamonds

1. Every diamond is at least 990 million years old. Many diamonds are 3.2 billion years old.
2. Diamonds were first discovered in India about 2,800 years ago.
3. It is estimated that a total of only 200 tons of diamonds have been mined since they were first discovered.
4. Diamonds are formed between 62 and 124 miles beneath the surface of the Earth.
5. The word diamond comes from the Greek word adamas, which means invincible.
6. Ancient Greeks believed that diamonds were the tears of the Gods.
7. There is a legend that diamonds will keep away ghosts and prevent nightmares.
8. The 14th century alchemist Pierre de Boniface claimed that diamonds could make a wearer invisible.
9. Napoleon carried a 140-carat diamond in the hilt of his sword for good luck.
10. Diamonds not only come in colors; they also occur in a black form known as charcoal diamonds or midnight diamonds. Black diamonds are exceptionally rare and one of the most famous is the 67.5 carat cushion-cut Black Orlov, which was named after Count Grigor Orlov, Catherine the Great’s lover.
11. Red diamonds are the rarest of the colored diamonds.
12. The Gemological Institute of America’s 23-letter color grading system (D through X) was created in 1963. They skipped letters A, B, and C so that their system would stand out among the other diamond color grading system.
13. The marquise cut of diamond was named for Louis XV’s mistress the Marquise de Pompadour.
14. The 45.52 carat blue Hope Diamond is the most famous gem in the world. It is the largest blue diamond in existence.
15. In the 9th century, if a man broke off an engagement, his ex-fiancée got to keep the engagement ring. If the woman broke the engagement, she was obligated to return the ring.