Saturday, February 21, 2009
While modern culture assigns value to diamonds for their tremendous beauty and their indicator of an individual’s wealth or fortune, many ancient people gave the stones value for their strength and symbolism. The Greeks gave the stone its more modern name by calling it “adamas” which translates to “unconquerable”. The hardness of the stone is no mystery, and the tools of the ancient time of the Greeks would have found the stone impossible to cut or conquer. Other societies have given the carbon crystal value for its “magical” or healing properties and as protection.
Because of its human history, with reference existing in most known cultures, and its actual geological life span, a diamond is one of the most antiquated and ancient objects that human beings can buy and own. Today’s diamond ring or pendant may have been born anywhere from fifty million to two billion years earlier.
The famous and ancient “Arthsastra” manuscript gives us the first written notation of the diamond. The Romans are the next to speak of diamonds, believing them to be tears of their many Gods. They wore diamonds to protect themselves from many common problems and to give themselves the invincibility of the stones.
This combat use of diamonds led later societies to assign them to the protection of their Kings, and royalty would soon be the only group allowed to possess and wear the gems. Kings had special armor and decoration for battle and combat and these pieces were frequently laden with diamonds. This may be the reason many kings survived a great deal of battlefield activities, since the diamonds would identify them as protected from evil and unconquerable.
In the 1200s King Louis IX of France made it law that diamonds were to be worn only by the King - thus began the diamond’s journey towards incredible value and status. Only a century later however rings of the wealthy were being set with gemstones and diamonds, but not as aesthetic decorations, but as amulets of protection against murder, beasts and phantoms. Many people who encountered diamonds believed them to be a cure against poison, while others believed powdered diamonds to be tremendously toxic.
The mystery and mystique of diamonds only continued to grow and their possession was only to be in the hands of wealthy or royal peoples. Finally, their symbolism turned to a more decorative nature, and their value made them excellent tokens of affection. In 1477 the first diamond engagement ring was presented to Mary of Burgundy by the Archduke Maximilian of Austria. At that time diamonds were left in their original condition, uncut and rather pyramid shaped, but quite quickly the art of gem cutting developed. By the 1500s, Venice, Italy was a trade capital and diamond cutting center for the world.
Among the most common forms for early diamonds to be worn were in rings or set in bands. By the early eighteenth century the diamond industry had developed to a level that allowed most upper and middle class individuals to be able to acquire a piece of diamond jewelry. By this time settings took less precedence and the stones themselves were the focus. It was common for women to wear diamonds, and most socially active individuals would possess a matched set of earrings and a necklace for outings and events.
It was also during this time period that diamond cut styles began to change dramatically. Prior to the advent of gas lighting the large flat rose cut was acceptable for most diamond jewelry. The jeweler would then set the stones in their simple gold settings and back the diamond with a foil intended to add sparkle to the gem. With powerful interior lighting, diamond cutters began to experiment with techniques intended to enhance the light and fire of the stone without artificial backings. This introduced cuts such as the brilliant cut, and innovative jewelers began using white gold and silver or platinum to better reflect and enhance the new “sparkle”.
Late in the nineteenth century troves of diamonds were discovered in Africa, which flooded the world market and made diamonds available to anyone who could afford them. At almost the same time the government of France sold the royal jewel collection in public auction. This eliminated the last vestiges of exclusive ownership for diamonds and allowed crown jewels to be worn by anyone who could afford their auction price.
Today diamonds are seen as a sound investment and an expression of affection. It is a common occurrence for a man to ask a woman to marry him, and secure the agreement with a diamond engagement ring. This is seen as symbolic of love and commitment on the part of a young man both for the value of the ring, and the beauty of the stone and its setting.
posted by cindrela at 11:24 PM
