The Best Information & Advice Ever on Buying a Diamond Ring
Not only do we sell British-made diamond set wedding rings, but we also sell unusual engagement rings set with diamonds at Love2Have. So, in this article, we're going to talk about diamonds. One of the rarest and most precious stones in the world, considered a prime sign of love, luxury, and swagger. No matter what changes occur in fashion trends or in how people show affection, a diamond has remained one of the most valuable objects worldwide and across all cultures throughout the centuries.
Here are 15 things you didn't know about diamonds
Number one. The largest diamond ever found was 3,106 carats, or 1.33 pounds of pure diamond. The gem, which came to be called Cullinan, was discovered in 1905 in South Africa and was presented by the mine's owner and the South African leadership to King Edward VII of the United Kingdom for his 66th birthday. The Cullinan was later cut into nine large pieces and 100 smaller ones. Today, eight of these stones are in Queen Elizabeth's collection, while the two largest stones from the Cullinan are part of the crown jewel on display at the Tower of London. The largest stone cut from the Cullinan, among the more than 100 stones of various sizes, is the Great Star of Africa, weighing 530 carats.
Number two. The most expensive diamond to be sold was the 24.78-carat Graff Pink. Graff Pink is the previous record holder for the most expensive diamond sold, at $46.2 million in 2010. There was an auction run by Sotheby's, the seller of Graff Pink in 2013, for a pink diamond called the Pink Star, which sold for $83.2 million. However, the buyer defaulted on the payment, making Graff Pink the most expensive to actually be sold at the auction price.
Number three. The taste for diamonds is not new at all. People have loved diamonds for as long as we know. In India, evidence was found of people collecting and trading diamonds as early as the 4th century before Christ. A Roman naturalist from the 1st century, Pliny, is quoted as saying, "Diamond is the most valuable, not only of precious stones but of all things in this world."
Number four. Diamonds are billions of years old. We all know that old is gold, but apparently even older are diamonds. Formed of nearly a hundred thousand carbon, pressed far below the Earth's surface, under immense heat, the carbon atoms bond together, giving us the stunning diamond crystalline allure that ages back up to 3.3 billion years ago. Such a timeless gem.
Number five. There is no natural substance harder than a diamond. Nothing beats diamond; it is not just a fashion statement, but actually a scientific fact. The only thing that can scratch a diamond is a diamond. Diamond is four times harder than any of the elements that come right after it on the scale, such as sapphires and rubies, et cetera. As a matter of fact, the origin of the word diamond is the Greek word Adamas, meaning invincible, or indestructible.
Number six. Diamonds are not only a sign of beauty but also luxury. In many ancient cultures, diamonds were believed to give their wearers strength and bravery on the battlefield. For that reason, many kings had diamonds on their armour as they entered battle.
Number seven. The US buys around 40% of the world's gem-quality diamonds. Even though the US is not a diamond producer, it is still the largest diamond market worldwide.
Number eight. Diamonds were believed to be curative. Aside from being able to cure any emotional pain, because why would you stay sad after getting a diamond? Diamonds were believed to have healing properties in the Middle Ages and were used to treat many illnesses, from mental illness to fatigue.
Number nine. Diamonds are technically cheaper in bigger chunks. Buying two single-carat diamonds would cost you more than buying one two-carat diamond. That doesn't apply to diamonds smaller than one carat, though. Three diamonds, each slightly less than one carat, set in a ring can cost less than a one-carat ring. Basically, the bigger chunks are cheaper on a per-unit basis, starting at one carat.
Number ten. The process of mining diamonds is harder than most people think. If you don't understand why diamonds are so expensive, it is because they are extremely rare. To only get one single carat of this precious gem, we need to mine 250 tons of Earth. So if any of you Aluxers are wearing a diamond while watching this, look at it and imagine how much digging went into getting you this beauty.
Number eleven. Romans and Greeks believed diamonds were tears of the Gods. The Romans and Greeks were so stunned by the beauty of diamonds that they believed they were not only tears shed by the Gods but also slivers from falling stars. Romans even believed that Cupid, the God of desire, love, and affection, had arrows that were tipped with diamonds. That is perhaps where diamonds began to be a sign of love.
Number twelve. The first diamond ring proposal happened in 1477. 540 years ago, Archduke Maximilian of Austria became the first man we know of to have proposed to a woman. It was Mary of Burgundy, with a ring encrusted with diamonds. The rings were customised so that the diamonds spelt the letter M. Archduke Maximilian started a trend that, to this day, remains the ultimate way to propose anywhere in the world. Click the top right corner to watch our video on the world's most expensive engagement rings.
Number thirteen. Diamonds are the birthstone for those born in April. All of you Aluxers born in April can consider yourselves the most precious of the bunch because your birthstone is undisputedly the most valuable gem in the world. You can also consider yourself the toughest of them all.
Number fourteen. Up to $100 million in diamonds was stolen in the 2003 Antwerp diamond heist. In 2003, a group of thieves managed to pass through 10 layers of security, including infrared detectors, a magnetic field, and seismic sensors, among others, and smuggle $100 million worth of diamonds from the Antwerp World Diamond Centre in Belgium. It was dubbed the diamond heist of the century, and to this day, it remains unknown how they managed to pull off the break-in.
Number fifteen. There is a big planet made of 33.3% diamond, floating in the Milky Way. In 2004, scientists discovered this beauty orbiting a star near us, in the Milky Way. The planet is mostly made out of carbon, and one-third of it is pure diamond. We honestly think it would've deserved a fancier name.
For those of you who stuck around this far, we have a bonus fact. There is a star entirely made out of a diamond. The big chunk of crystallised carbon weighs five million, trillion, trillion pounds. That means we have a diamond of 10 billion trillion carats floating somewhere across our galaxy. The scientist named that beauty Lucy, after the Beatles song Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds. That is how you name a diamond star.
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