Such fascination over diamonds is chronicled in history. Marilyn Monroe, a Hollywood bombshell icon, sang the “Diamonds are a girl’s best friend”. Shirley Bassey, on the other hand, performed the “Diamonds are forever”. Popular songs like these are reflections of women’s everlasting captivation and attraction to this rock.

Diamond is derived from the Greek word “adamas”, which translates to invincible or unconquerable. Interestingly, adamas’ root word comes from “dam”, an Aryan word which literally means to subdue or tame. Hence, the word “madam”.

Adamas was used to express the hardest substance known. And it became synonymous to the diamond stone – an indication to the hardness of the gem made of carbon in its most condensed structure. Carbon is a fundamental element of all life on earth.

Diamonds are natural crystalline minerals. These stones are popularly linked with prosperity, wealth, love, and social status. Diamonds are also associated with security, poisoning, healing, magic, and even lightning in other cultures.

The diamond is one of the world’s oldest substances. Diamond deposits were produced more than 100 miles below the Earth’s surface. Diamonds are shot to the surface of the earth by volcanic eruptions. These precious stones can be tactical and technologically advanced substances. The diamond is the gemstone of Arkansas and the birthstone for the month of April.

Diamond Facts and Myths

The facts and myths linked with diamonds surpass continents and cultures. The fame of diamond is inscribed in Indian, Greek, German, French, English, Chinese, Polish, Korean, and also in African, American, Japanese, and Arabic cultures among others.

• The world’s first known citation to this brilliant stone comes from Arthsastra, a Sanskrit manuscript. Arthsastra means “The Lesson of Profit” was authored by Kautiliya. Kautiliya was a minister to Chandragupta of the Mauryan Dynasty (322 BC – 185 BC).
• The Roman literature made its first citation of diamonds only in the first AD century. This was in reference to the alluvial diamonds discovered in Borneo and India.
• The ancient Romans and Greeks deemed diamonds as tears of the gods. They also believed that diamonds were chips of falling stars. Supposedly, according to the Romans and Greeks, Cupid’s arrows were tipped with diamonds. These diamonds were believed to have had an intense magic that nothing and no one else can equate with. The great Plato wrote about diamonds as living entities, personifying celestial beings.
• For Hindus, diamonds are created when bolts of lightning hit rocks. The Hindus even placed diamonds in the eyes of their statues.
• The Jewish high priests resolve to using diamonds in deciding the guilt or innocence of an accused person. A diamond is held before an accused individual. When the diamond stone seemed to darken and dull, the person is guilty. When the diamond glows with increased luminance and brilliance, the person is innocent.
• Diamonds were worn by the Romans because it was believed that diamonds holds intense magical powers over life’s problems. Diamonds were thought to be givers of strength, bravery, invincibility and courage to the wearer during battles.
• In the olden days, royalty like Kings led wars and battles wearing heavy leather breastplates adorned with diamonds and other gems. Diamonds were believed to possess God-given supernatural abilities and powers beyond the comprehension of any man. That explains why warriors stayed away from the Kings and all those who had “magical” diamonds on their breastplates.
• A sumptuary law was established by Louis IX of France reserving diamonds sorely for the King. This signifies the scarcity of diamond stones and the value bestowed on it at that time. Until the 14th century, Kings can only wear diamonds. Diamonds signify for courage, invincibility, and courage. Since then, diamonds gained its current status as the prime gift of love.
• Slight numbers of diamonds began emerging in the 14th century in European regalia and jewelry. Diamonds began were set mainly as an accent point among pearls. But the ownership of these exceptionally large and noble diamonds was always the privilege advantage of royal houses and particularly rich families. As an example, the imperial crown of the Russian Czarina Catherine the Second (1729-1796) was designed with 4936 sparkling stones.
• And during the Middle Ages and the Renaissance, a ring set with an expensive stone was not valued as much as a jewelry item. It was considered more as an amulet that furnishes magical powers. When a diamond is set in gold and sported on the left side, a diamond was said to possess powers to take away nightmares, defend against phantoms, devils, and even clam savage beasts. And it was also believed that a garden or a house linked at each corner with a diamond stone was to be sheltered from storms, lightning, and blight.
• Diamonds were also believed to convey generosity and high merit. These stones were also believed to soothe and pacify the mentally unstable and also conclude lawsuits in the wearer’s favor.
• Diamonds are commonly believed to bring progress and charm but these precious stones are also known to counteract the effects of astrological events. Minerals were the first medicinal elements. There was a popular belief in the Middle Ages that a diamond could restore the health of sick person that took the diamond into his bed.

Diamonds as Poison

Although diamonds were used as amulets against poisoning, diamond powder administered internally was a well-known poison. Here are several accounts of diamond poisoning in history:

• The Turkish Sultan Bajazet (1447-1513) was murdered by his son. It was said that a large quantity of powdered diamond was poured in the Sultan’s food.
• In 1532, Pope Clement VII’s doctors administered him with fourteen spoonfuls of pulverized stone jewels, including diamond, It resulted in his death.
• Catherine de Medici was notorious for murdering people by diamond powder.
• The famed Italian goldsmith, Benvenuto Cellini, articulated an attempt on his life by an enemy who instructed diamond powder to be blended in his salad.
• The society of diamonds with poison may have been encouraged to prevent the practice of thieving diamonds by swallowing them. This is usually done during diamond mining.