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Diamond

Diamond, from the ancient Greek ἀδάμας - adámas, meaning "unbreakable," "proper," or "unalterable", is one of the best known and most sought after gemstones. Diamonds have been known to humankind and used as decorative items since ancient times, with some of the earliest references traced to India.

Buddhist works dating from the 4th century BC describe the diamond as a well-known and precious stone. Another Indian description written in the beginning of the 3rd century describes strength, regularity, brilliance, ability to scratch metals, and good refractive properties as the desirable qualities of a diamond. Heavy mining over centuries led to the depletion of India's diamond resources and thus the exploration for seeking out and finding diamonds from other parts of the world began. This led to discoveries in Brazil and South Africa. South Africa became the favoured center for diamond resources, and quickly rose as the world's biggest diamond producer.

Today, 92% of the world's diamonds are cut and polished in India, mostly in the city of Surat. Some 85% of the world's rough diamonds, 50% of cut diamonds, and 40% of industrial diamonds are traded in Antwerp, Belgium - the diamond center of the world. Antwerp's association with diamonds began in the late 15th century when a new technique to polish and shape the gems evolved in this city. The diamond cutters of Antwerp are world renowned for their skill. More than 12,000 expert cutters and polishers are at work in the Diamond Quarter.

Diamond's hardness and high dispersion of light - giving the diamond its characteristic "fire" - make it useful for industrial applications and desirable as jewellery. Diamonds are such a highly traded commodity that multiple organizations have been created for grading and certifying them based on the four Cs, which are carat, cut, colour, and clarity. Other characteristics, such as shape and presence or lack of fluorescence, also affect the desirability and thus the value of a diamond used for jewellery.

Here at Hester Clarke, we have a wide range of Diamonds to suit all needs and all budgets. And for those thinking of popping that special question, why not come in and talk to us about a range of Diamond engagement rings?

See our page about the 4 C's for further explanation on cut, colour, clarity and carat.