Diamond History

It takes nature hundreds of millions of years to make a diamond. Over millennia, heat, and pressure deep within the earth turn carbon, one of the basic elements of life, into a beautiful diamond. In time, the diamond crystals are driven closer to the earth’s surface by plate tectonics and volcanic activity, and after being harvested, can be found in places like Pennachio Jewelers.

Humankind first found and exploited the properties of diamonds around 800 BC. These diamonds were found in the riverbeds of India, and were thought to bring the possessor kismet, or good fortune. Today, diamonds are mined in Brazil and South Africa, as well as Canada, Russia, and Australia.

Before the diamond was used for jewelry, the stone was used for drill bits and engraving tools. The Greeks named this hard, seemingly indestructible stone adamas, which means “invincible.” Knives could not cut it and other stones could not scratch it. The diamond maintains its sheen and shimmer for a lifetime.

Diamonds became symbols of strength, courage, and invincibility in the Middle Ages. Its current status as the ultimate gift of love came by way of the Grecian myth about Cupid. In order for the arrows of Cupid to pierce the heart of any mortal, they had to be tipped with diamonds. Today, the diamond is the gem of choice to reflect love. Just as a diamond turns pure white light into the fire of the rainbow, so the gift of a diamond transforms the purity of your love into fire.