The Cullinan diamond is the largest rough diamond ever discovered. It was unearthed in South Africa in 1905 and weighed a whopping 3106 carats.
The word “carat,” which is the measurement used to weigh diamonds, originated from the Greek word keration, meaning “carob.” Carob tree seeds were used as counterweights to weigh precious stones during the period. It is speculated that the seed species was specially selected because of a belief that their individual seeds are unusually consistent in weight. Unfortunately, science does not bear that out as factual.
The U.S. is currently the world’s largest diamond market, consuming about 48 percent of all gem quality diamonds. The U.S. also produces the most synthetic industrial grade diamonds, but Arkansas is the only state where gem quality diamonds are mined, the largest of which weighed 40.23 carats.
Rough diamonds don’t look much different than the average pebble and are easily passed over by the untrained eye.
Diamonds have been found in meteorites from outer space, indicating that diamonds are created even in outer space.
The highest yielding diamond mines in the world are found in Botswana, Russia, and Canada. About 80% of these mined diamonds are of a quality only used for industrial purposes rather than jewelry.
Because both are the exact same mineral – pure carbon – it is impossible to differentiate between a lab created diamond and an earth-mined diamond by sight or standard diamond testers. Only trained experts using specialized equipment found at gemological laboratories can detect a diamond’s origin.
The tradition of giving your fiancée a diamond originated in 1477 when the Archduke of Austria proposed to his future wife, Mary of Burgundy, with a diamond ring.
