The Ancient Greeks believed that diamonds were “Tears of the Gods”; the Romans thought they were “Splinters of Stars” fallen to earth; Mediaeval kings wore them as a sign of invincibility. 

 

For hundreds of years diamonds have been the ultimate symbol of enduring love and romance. Diamonds are one of the Earth’s rarest treasures.  They were formed at the beginning of time, when a combination of heat and pressure deep beneath the Earth’s crust miraculously transformed carbon into diamond – the hardest substance found in nature. They were brought closer to the surface by volcanic eruptions, but many did not survive the journey and of those that did, many are too blemished to be used in jewellery and are only suitable for industrial use. 

Over 250 tons of ore have to be mined and processed to produce a one carat gem quality diamond and as the world’s natural resources are used up, diamonds become rarer and even more valuable. 

See "Understanding the 4 C's" below for more information.