Small yet extraordinary, diamonds hold a world of wonder. From their ancient origins to their cosmic connections, these gemstones continually astound jewelry enthusiasts and novices alike. Let's delve into some fun, unbelievable and downright fascinating facts about diamonds.
1. The U.S. is the World’s Largest Diamond Market
The United States dominates the diamond market, accounting for more than half the global demand for polished diamonds. This is due in part to the country's strong consumer spending power, a long tradition of including diamonds in engagement rings, and a healthy luxury goods market.
2. Diamonds Weren’t Always Mined
It’s easy to envision large pit mines using heavy-duty machinery to dig up diamonds deep below the Earth’s surface. However, this wasn’t always the case. Long before these modern, advanced underground mining techniques became widely available, miners found diamonds in or near rivers, known as alluvial mining.
Diamonds formed deep within the Earth's mantle are brought to the surface by volcanic activity, ultimately settling in riverbanks and riverbed sediment. While alluvial mining still accounts for a sizable percentage of all diamonds found today, the vast majority are found using underground mining.
3. The Deepest Diamond Mines
Some diamonds end up nestled peacefully in the bottom of a trickling creek. Others remain deep within the Earth, waiting to be mined. Exactly how deep? one of the world's deepest diamond mines, reaches depths of 630 meters (2,067 feet) and is estimated to contain approximately 120 million diamond carat reserves.
4. Diamonds Are One of the World’s Hardest Substances
Despite being known for their delicate, intricate sparkle and brilliance, diamonds are one of the world’s hardest substances. This, however, does not mean diamonds are indestructible, as they can still be broken and fractured along the gemstone’s naturally occurring planes. Diamonds can only be scratched by another diamond, and some diamonds are shaped and cut using diamond-tipped tools.
Diamonds still hold the crown for the hardest naturally occurring substance on Earth. However, recent scientific research has resulted in a synthetic carbon nitride compound that threatens to rival diamonds as the hardest substance on Earth.
5. Not All Diamonds Are White
Variety is the spice of life, and even diamonds come in an array of colors. Color is one of the 4Cs used in grading diamonds, and it can greatly impact a gem’s value. From deep, dramatic reds to light tints of yellow, diamond color can be impacted by various factors, including damage to the diamond or the existence of trace amounts of other elements trapped within.
Boron’s presence in a diamond absorbs the red and yellow color portions of the light spectrum, emitting blue light and giving us blue diamonds. Damage to a diamond, which can be caused by shifting plate tectonics within the Earth, can cause atoms within the diamond to shift, causing light to be absorbed and transmitted differently, as is the case with rare red diamonds.
6. Rare Reds: The Rarest Color of Diamond
Many people have the misunderstanding that diamonds are incredibly rare when, in reality, they are one of the most abundant gemstones on the planet. However, special circumstances and environments can result in special, extremely rare diamond types. The rarest colored diamonds are red diamonds, with only approximately 30 discovered to date, making them incredibly valuable and sought after.
7. Diamonds in Space
Diamonds aren't just Earth-made treasures. Scientists have discovered tiny diamonds in meteorites formed under intense pressure during collisions. These extraterrestrial diamonds are not just scientifically valuable; they are also much older than any diamonds found on Earth, offering a glimpse into the early history of our solar system.
Additionally, some believe that planets like Neptune and Uranus might have diamond rain, where methane turns into carbon under extreme conditions, forming diamond crystals. And, if raining diamonds isn’t "out of this world" enough for you, researchers believe Mercury could have an 11-mile underground layer of diamonds.
8. Diamonds Are Found in Almost All Regions on Earth
Diamonds can be found on almost every continent, from the icy landscapes of Canada to the scorching heat of Africa and Australia. While some regions are more famous for their diamond deposits, the precious gem's formation occurs in various geological environments, resulting in a global distribution. However, areas with a history of volcanic and plate tectonic activity are more likely to see more significant deposits of diamonds.
9. Anything with Carbon Can Become a Diamond with Enough Pressure
Diamonds are essentially crystallized carbon subjected to immense heat and pressure deep within the Earth. This means almost anything containing carbon has the potential to be transformed into a diamond.
10. Diamonds Older Than Dinosaurs
Most diamonds on Earth started their formation between one and three billion years ago. And since dinosaurs roamed the planet roughly 252 million years ago, most diamonds were here before the Mesozoic Era in which the dinosaurs lived. However, as diamonds continue to form today, some researchers believe carbon from ancient life forms, such as dinosaurs, may result in diamond formation when plunged to deeper depths by plate tectonic movement.
11. The Largest Diamond Ever Found
The Cullinan Diamond, found in South Africa in 1905, is the largest rough diamond ever discovered. It weighed an astonishing 3,106 carats and was later cut into several smaller diamonds, including the famous Cullinan I and II, which have long been a part of the British Crown Jewels.
12. Non-Jewelry Uses for Diamonds
Most (an estimated 75-80%) diamonds mined are unsuitable for jewelry. Instead, they are used in industrial applications, such as diamond-tipped cutting tools, drilling bits, and polishing materials. Diamonds are also great conductors of heat, making them perfect for cooling down hot electronics, creating strong materials for scientific experiments, and improving the efficiency of electronic devices.
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