Look into a diamond and it’s easy to intuit why gems have been charged with such love and lust for so long: they’re pretty! But for all the emphasis on a diamond’s allure, the gem has taken on far more than a bit of bling over the centuries.

What gives diamonds their lasting, worldwide appeal? Let's explore what makes them so captivating.

The Rarity and Natural Beauty of Diamonds

Part of the reason diamonds sparkle so brightly is because they are rare. Natural diamonds are created over billions of years under intense heat and pressure in the Earth’s core, so they are extraordinarily pricey.

Their creation by nature over geological time scales and slow transportation from deep within the Earth also contributes to the sense of mystique. Each diamond is completely unique: the combination of clarity, color and cut and carat can result in a completely characteristic personality.

Known for its impressive display of rainbow-colored flashes when expertly cut and polished, a diamond appears as if pixie dust has kissed it, for it has acquired what jewelry mavens call the superior ability to scatter light into myriad sparkling sprays. A diamond shines much more brilliantly than any other stone.

A Symbol of Eternal Love

One of the main things that makes diamonds shine is associated with the enduring fantasy around love and romance: The diamond is the accepted symbol of love and engagements, and a wedding ring will always include a diamond. Diamonds were part of a spurt of self-assertive symbols of personal royalty that signified the arrival into maturity of Archduke Maximilian of Austria in 1477. Maximilian proposed to Mary of Burgundy with a diamond ring, and by then a silent romance was underway that has burned brightly ever since.

Diamonds are also symbols of ‘forever’, because they score the highest returns of any substance on the hardness scale: true love and true diamonds are nearly indestructible. Diamonds are, in the words of the song, for ‘ever’. To the romantics, diamonds embody the very definition of eternal love.

Cultural and Historical Importance

But it isn’t only about romance – diamonds are also steeped in great cultural and historical meaning. The first diamonds were discovered in India more than 2,000 years ago and were believed to possess mystical qualities. Ancient Hindus regarded diamonds as magical amulets that had the power to protect from harm and invite good luck.

And so, in Rome, diamonds’ association with Cupid – and Cupid’s association with healthy erotic love – eventually led to the notion of having diamond-tipped arrows ignite desire in lovers’ hearts. Now that’s an aphrodisiac!

Diamonds became symbols of wealth, power and rank – kings and aristocrats wore them in elaborate jewelry and crowns to assert their lofty positions. For centuries, the diamond was seen as a treasure of the elite, a marker of social status.

More standard these days, diamonds appear today to the average user as noble and exclusive as ever. The reason why celebrities and public figures choose to shine with them is because diamonds don’t go out of style.

The Marketing Power of Diamonds

Clearly, shrewd marketing campaigns helped boost the transnational love of diamonds, too. The ‘A Diamond is Forever’ slogan by De Beers ensured that diamond engagement rings define the way that a man’s love and commitment to a woman should be communicated. The message was clear: nothing says ‘till death do us part’ quite as succinctly as a diamond engagement ring.

But through romantic symbolism, diamond marketing positioned these gems as absolutely necessary for life’s largest moments in time. Today, for many, the diamond remains the default gem for engagement, wedding and anniversaries. Marketing also enhanced the bias that diamonds are superior status symbols,; in the end, through advertising, film, and celebrity, diamonds became global symbols of aspiration and success.

Durability and Investment Value

Beauty and status is not the only reason for which individuals covet diamonds! Due to their mo­­­lec­u­lar structure, diamonds are also valued because they are the hardest substance on our planet. In fact, it takes a slightly more industrious rubbing motion to plasticize a diamond compared with a successful flirtation on Tinder.

Diamonds are also a smart, stable investment. Values rise and fall but very fine diamonds usually retain their value or increase it over a period of many decades. Over generations, some of them accrued immense value. For hundreds of years, diamond rings and other jewellery have been passed down from generation to generation.

The Ethical Impact of Diamonds

Recent years have sparked awareness of the ethical and ecological consequences of hard-rock diamond mining, such as environmental disturbances and human labor issues that incorporate

For many a conscientious consumer today, eco-friendly diamonds that are ethically sourced also means striking a chord with one’s ethics. In today’s market, diamonds that shine bright like a diamond can also be enjoyed with unadulterated consciences.

Final Thoughts

Because of their enduring combinability of rarity, beauty, meaning and durability continues to prove irresistible, we will miss them. After all, there are no diamonds in the dust.

Given the fact that diamonds are one of the rare phenomenon of nature, it is certain that in the next several generations they will remain prized and sought-after goods in the whole world.

FAQs

Why are brown diamonds less popular if they're so rare?

Brown diamonds are more common than colorless or fancy colored diamonds, even though they are still relatively rare. The public perception is that brown diamonds are less valuable and desirable since brown is associated with impurities. However, brown diamonds have a beauty all their own with rich, cocoa-like hues. Savvy collectors are starting to appreciate their uniqueness.

How big was the largest diamond ever found?

The largest diamond ever discovered is the 3,106-carat Cullinan diamond found in South Africa in 1905. It weighed over 1.3 pounds! The Cullinan was eventually cut into several polished gems, the largest of which is the 530.20 carat Great Star of Africa.

Do diamonds really last forever or can they decay?

Yes, diamonds do essentially last forever! Their tightly bonded carbon structure makes them extremely hard and resistant to change. Diamonds will not decay or disintegrate over time like other crystals. Unless exposed to extreme heat, they will remain unchanged for billions of years. The durability of diamonds adds to their allure as everlasting symbols.

Why are diamonds associated with romance if they have no color?

Diamonds became linked to romance in the 15th century when Archduke Maximilian proposed to Mary of Burgundy with a diamond ring. Their colorless brilliance came to symbolize pure, eternal love. Diamond jewelry later became a standard way to express romantic commitment. Clever marketing has since amplified the emotional associations between diamonds and love.

How are black diamonds formed in nature?

Black diamonds get their inky color from microscopic black inclusions scattered throughout the stone, often carbon or tiny mineral crystals. These dark inclusions give black diamonds their rich, saturated color. They can form when the diamond experiences high pressures and temperatures during creation in the mantle. Black diamonds are quite rare in nature.