March 2024 : The History of Diamonds

There is no questions that diamonds are found at the heart of the jewellery industry. A spectacularly hard natural substance that truly stands the test of time, pre-existing the dinosaurs in fact. The youngest diamond is nearly a billion years old (she looks great for her age). So it makes sense that these sparkling wonders have become the symbol of enduring love for many decades. While the birthstone of April has made a permanent home in luxury jewellery, diamond engagement rings did not see a rise in popularity until the 1950’s when De Beer’s debuted their iconic slogan “A diamond is forever”. These four iconic words have appeared in every single De Beers advertisement since 1948, and even garnered #1 slogan of the century in 1999 (AdAge).

The first recorded diamond engagement ring was given to Mary of Burgundy from the Archduke Maximilian of Austria. While the marvels of modern technology has allowed us to find the perfect cut that highlights a diamond’s sparkle and fire, there is something heart-warming about early gem-cutting techniques. History suggests that while we were yet understand the scientific properties behind these gemstones, we knew they were special enough to hand craft and present to loved ones.

One of the most impressive recorded gemolocial finds was the Cullinan diamond. Weighing a whopping 3,106 carats (around the size of a very large bell pepper), Thomas Asscher and his team carefully planned and cut the diamond over the span of eight months. There is a story stating that the moment Thomas first perfectly split the gemstone (after the breaking his first tool due to the stone’s hardness) he fainted. However, his family have since disputed this proclaiming that “No Asscher would ever faint over any operation on any diamond”. We’ll let you be the judge. Since then, some of the stones made their way to Buckingham palace. The late Queen Elizabeth II occasionally adorned a brooch made from the Cullinan, cuts of which are also featured in the head of the Sovereign’s Sceptre with Cross and the Imperial State Crown (Royal ).

According to two sixth century manuscripts, the value of a diamond was determined by its purity, clarity, colour, brilliance, fire, hardness — and above all, rarity. Natural colour diamonds were appreciated as the most rare and precious stones. The word diamond actually derives from the Greek word ‘Adamas’, which means invincible (Rapport, 2021). Despite their reputation for being colourless these stones are host to a spectrum of beautiful shades. Their hues also comes in a range of intensities from faint to fancy vivid (GIA, 2024).