Why do diamonds represent "permanent"?

According to reports, the eastern part of Siberia recently discovered the world's largest diamond mine -"Diamond City"The mine, valued at about 13 billion pounds, is the most expensive diamond mine in the world, based on the remaining production of the mine, combined with the total value of the diamonds produced.

1."King Kong" can be cut jade

China's ancient books on the description of the diamond is not much, "The Book of Songs" goes: "he's stone, can attack jade", many scholars believe that "other stone" refers to the diamond, but this argument worthy of scrutiny. History of China's history can be found on the diamond records, first seen in the Jin Dynasty, "Jin Huju Note": "Xianning not years, Dunhuang Shang sent King Kong, gold, a hundred Amoy can be cut jade, a Tianzhu. "The ancient India. Dong Jin Guo Pu Note "Shanhaijing Xishan by" mentioned: "This emblem out of diamond, stone and gold. Glory, you can carved jade." Xiangshan in tomb unearthed in the kind of the East, there is a gold inlaid with diamonds Ring, diamond diameter of about 1 mm, ring diameter of 2.2 cm. This is our country so far found the earliest kind of diamonds. After that"Wei Shu", "Sui Shu" and "Northern History" and other books, also mentioned that Persia has more diamonds. We can see that China's earliest diamonds are not produced in China, but from India.

About 3,000 years ago, in the Gorkunda region near Hyderabad, India, the oldest diamonds known to mankind were found in alluvial deposits between the Godavari and Krishna rivers. Legend of the valley, narrow mountain line is difficult, and the valley covered with diamonds, from the ferocious serpents and groups of giant elephants day and night guard. Therefore, the mining people will be slaughtered sheep slaughtered, leaving the valley, vultures will follow the bloody dive to the valley, the title of diamonds covered with meat. And so on at the top of the mining dug people loudly drink, scare off the vulture, made diamonds, and then left to the meat of the eagle beast. Traveler Marco Polo in the description of the wonders of the world also mentioned the valley, and sailor Sinbad second expedition voyage of the legend, is also full of around the legend of the valley filled with diamonds.

Therefore, the international community generally believe that the diamond is the earliestThe ancient IndiansFirst developed and used, and then people only in Indonesia, Brazil found, but these findings are secondary placer. Until the end of the nineteenth century, people in southern Africa was found in the first primary diamond mine, after the diamond industrialized mining spread to North America, China, Russia and Australia and other places.

This dazzling gem was discovered at the beginning was dedicated to the gods. Ancient India found it after the diamond to use it to make the statues of the eyes, so that more glorious idol. Founded in 585 BC, Myanmar "Ruiguang Shwedagon Pagoda", in its diameter of 27 cm on a gold ball inlaid with 5449 diamonds and other high-grade stones. British Museum A bronze statue of ancient Greece, the eyes are made of diamonds.

2.India's "Diamond Road"

In the 17th century, although Borneo also produced diamonds, but because of its small number, it can be said that India was the only source of diamonds. In ancient times connecting India with the West is the "Diamond Road", the route is composed of land and water. From India via the present-day Iran, Turkey arrived in Rome; waterway, across the Indian Ocean, through the Islamic holy city of Mecca, from the Mediterranean south of Egypt's Alexandria and then across the Mediterranean to Rome.

From the 1st century AD to the 3rd century AD, the diamonds emanating from the Roman Empire came from India through these two diamonds. One can imagine that the best diamonds must first be owned by the kings of India, followed by the rulers of countries along the way.

After the third century AD, in about a thousand years, diamonds in the Mediterranean region almost disappeared. One of the main reasons is that with the fall of the Roman Empire, the rise of the Persian Empire between India and the Mediterranean, it replaced the Roman Empire and become the main attractors of Indian diamonds.

Indians in the fourth century BC, already know how to use diamonds to other gemstone bead hole. At that time Indians also know that when the two diamonds friction, some diamonds will be worn away, which opened up a diamond cutting precedent. But the real diamonds in Europe to get new, is the first diamond cutting technology in Europe has been rapid development.

In the early 14th century when diamonds returned to Europe, Venice was Europe's first diamond-cutting center. But its position was quickly replaced by Antwerp, Belgium, which soon became the International Diamond Cutting Center. In the late fifteenth century, diamond-cutters in Antwerp had begun to polish diamonds with metal disks coated with fine-grained diamonds; in the 18th century they had mastered the diamonds and other diamond-cutting techniques, and these Technology in Europe is maturing. Europeans increasingly interested in diamonds, Amsterdam, London has also become the world's important diamond cutting and machining center.

3.Diamond love letters once into fashion

Diamond is how to hook with love it? Medieval Europe, diamonds have been very much attention, but people still think of the diamond with a variety of mysterious, such as diamonds that can be treated, some people think that diamonds are toxic, swallowed will cause death. There are also some on the diamond legend has some positive significance, such as the soldiers that the diamond will bring courage to the owner, the battle to wear diamonds can be invincible; diamonds will make men love to his wife deeper.

Diamond and love together, is the 15th century thing. Before the 13th century, diamonds in Europe is a royal aristocratic patent, wearing a diamond is a symbol of wealth and status. French King Louis IX in the 13th century promulgated a ban on women and non-aristocracy does not allow the wearing of diamonds, this prohibition until the mid-15th century was lifted. The first woman to wear diamonds is the French King Charles VII mistress Anne Solei, she publicly wearing prohibited diamonds prompted the king to lift the ban, bright diamonds became the aristocracy of wealth, the highest power to show off.

In 1477, the Duke of the Principality of Burgundy in Charlotte, Nancy died in Nancy, only 20-year-old Princess Mary to the throne, appeared around her cherished with various purposes suitors, Princess Mary finally chose Austria Maximilian Prince Lee. Prince Maximilian painstakingly produced a diamond ring inlaid with diamonds, marry Princess Mary, the diamonds are embedded in Gothic letter "M" shape, it is the first letter of two names. The ring is also the world's first royal wedding ring, since only the diamond ring as an engagement ring tradition. Prince Maximilian not only embrace the beauty, but also inherited the Principality of Burgundy territory, including from southern France to the Netherlands area, the achievements of the European history of the most extensive Habsburg dynasty.

Hard physical properties of diamonds in the tool is often used to cut glass, in 1558 to 1603 in the United Kingdom, with diamond stone inlaid octagonal crystal ring all the rage. At that time, wearing a diamond ring fashionable young people set off with a diamond in the window on the letter of passion, the diamond ring was once known as the lettering ring. Even Elizabeth I, on a piece of glass, talked with Sir Walter Wing on his poems and talked.

In 1725, Brazil discovered a large diamond deposits, soon replaced India, becoming the world's largest diamond producer. In the next 140 years, diamonds from Brazil dominated the world diamond market, its production peaked between 1850 and 1859, with an average annual output of 300,000 karats. Due to the abundant supply of production, diamonds are no longer just luxury goods to enjoy the nobility, this change has greatly promoted the development of the world diamond market, diamonds have become ordinary people can also afford the precious moments of life. In 1886, one of the founders of Tiffany Charles Louis Tiffany launched the first engagement ring. This is the diamond ring in the world, for the first time will be set on the diamond ring convex ring on top of six fine platinum claw fixed, so that light can enter the gem, the greatest extent, a brilliant eye-catching Guanghua. Since then, the world began to obsess and follow this tradition, to send a diamond ring to his bride as a token of love, has gradually become an unwritten rule.

4.Monopoly of the diamond market

Eastern Siberia recently discovered the world's largest diamond mine - "Diamond City" Mill mine, for the news feel most panic, it should be De Beers. Because today's international diamond market is monopolized by De Beers, the company uses the 4C evaluation criteria to assess diamond grades across the country and monopolizes the price of diamond markets at all levels. It is precisely because of this monopoly, diamond prices rose in the year was controlled in a relatively reasonable range, the move to maintain the diamond market for centuries of sustainable development.

De Beers is how to achieve the monopoly of the diamond it? The decline of mineral deposits in Brazil, the late 19th and early 20th century, South Africa Kimberley huge diamond deposits not only occupied the rise of the global diamond market share of 95%, which gave birth to the world's largest diamond company De Beers, and thus created the Modern very prosperous diamond industry. De Beers has so far controlled 65% of world diamond production.

"Diamond forever, a permanent spread," De Beers this ad for 70 years timeless, so that diamond has become a modern love, engagement and marriage ceremony is an integral part of the ceremony. In 1939, De Beers boss Harry Oppenheimer in order to open the US market, visited New York's Ayr advertising company (later JWT), the company decided in the United States, "Reader's Digest" for Germany Beers Diamond Advertising. In 1948, Al's advertising designer Ms. Francis Gratti put forward the ad saying: "A diamond is forever", its Chinese translation of "diamond forever, a permanent spread" is also praise.

In order to effectively control the market, then successfully master the global Jiucheng more than the source of the diamond De Beers dismissed thousands of workers, large-scale reduction of diamond production, "create" the scarce properties of diamonds. De Beers diamond mining in South Africa after the monopoly, the South African diamond production but decreased by 40%. De Beers then created a single channel for diamond placement, selling diamonds to only a handful of buyers in the London Diamond Group and then placing them on the market. This diamond single channel sales system, the establishment of the world diamond market to establish a long-term dynamic balance between supply and demand, to avoid the diamond market with the world economic situation changes and rapid turbulence.

The world

Africa Star Cullinan

Said the diamond can not fail to mention the "Africa Star Cullinan", which is a two-century world-renowned giant diamonds.

1905 South African drilling discovered a colorless and transparent, without any flaws, the texture of the excellent weight of 3106 karats of diamonds original stone, was the name of the mine was named "Cullinan." The new transatlantic cable quickly spread the news around the world, when gem industry experts estimate the value of the ore up to 7.5 billion US dollars. At that time, South Africa is a British colony, February 10, 1908, this giant drill was split into several large pieces after processing, processing of finished diamond total of 1063.65 karats, all owned by the British royal family. The largest diamond named "Cullinan 1", also known as the "African Star", weighing 530.02 kt.

This large diamond is a drop-shaped, 74 cutting surface, crystal perfect, was embedded in the British king's scepter. While the African star of the "fellow", were set in the British Queen and Queen Mary's crown.

Classic story

The two countries compete for "light mountain"

Every name has its own story of the diamond, especially those famous for hundreds of years of drilling, "Light Mountain" is one of them. It was the world's largest known diamond, once the treasure of India's Mughal empire, is now embedded in the crown of a British royal family. In February 2009, India's independent leader Gandhi's great-grandchild, Tushar, appealed to the British to return the British Crown's "Light Mountain" diamonds.

"Light Mountain" can be traced back to 1304. This diamond is produced in India Kola mine, the original stone is said to weigh 800 karats. The diamond was originally cut into a rose shape, weighing 191 carats. In 1526, Sudan Ba ​​Baer plunder the diamond, while the establishment of the Mughal empire, "light mountain" which became the Mughal empire treasures. The 18th century, the Persian Emperor Nadisha led his army to attack the Mughal empire, is said to get this diamonds. In the search for no occasion, there are concubines concubines implied diamond hidden in the Moguls Sudan headscarf. When the Persian emperor to check the Sudanese headscarf and to find out the diamond, the diamond's brilliance surprised him, could not help but yell "light mountain". "Mountain of Light" Diamond hence the name.

Eight years later, Nadirsha was assassinated, his men will be a "light of the mountain" to Kabul, dedicated to the Afghan dynasty. Later, after several twists and turns, until the 19th century, the Sikh kingdom Rangit Singh will it once again brought back to India. In 1850, India will be "Mountain of Light" dedicated to the British Queen Victoria.

In 1862, Queen Victoria will be the diamonds carved cut into a round shape, weight reduced to 108.93 kt. Since then, the diamond and other cut pieces together with the diamond, was set in the Queen Victoria's crown. Since then, "the mountain of light" has been inlaid in Queen Alexandra and Queen Mary on the crown. Eventually, the diamond in Queen Elizabeth on the crown to find a permanent position. Queen Elizabeth in 2002 after the death of the Queen inlaid with "Light Mountain" crown was placed in her coffin. Now, the crown is stored in the Tower of London.