In a relationship, symbols are important and vital. Jewelry represents a number of symbols. If you really care for the other person, nothing beats diamond jewelry to deliver the message.
They say a diamond is forever. You know, in the commercials. Well, it is nearly true. Yes, it can be destroyed, but not by dropping it down the garbage disposal! This makes it a symbol of commitment.
Diamonds are also unique in their creation. They are the only gem created from one element. The element is carbon. Although carbon is common, it is rare in diamond form.
If you just could isolate carbon by itself in a material form in a lab, it would be a powdery substance. The color would not be clear. It would be a dark, mucky mix, but a mix with potential to be great.
Diamonds are created when carbon is battered by certain forces. These include heat and pressure. Given enough time, the carbon evolves into a hard, clear substance - a diamond.
As often occurs, the Greeks were Johnny on the spot when it came to naming this clear substance. Given the difficulty in breaking or cutting it, the name came from the Greek word for unconquerable. Adamas is the specific word and fits nicely.
If diamonds are formed in the crust of the planet, how do we find them? Well, we mine for them, but no mine is deep enough to reach them. Instead, we focus on volcanic areas where diamonds have been pushed up to the surface in lava flows and explosions.
As you have probably gathered by now, the age of diamonds is measured over millennia. Most diamonds we find are billions of years old. Yes, that is billions with a B.
Over 80 percent of diamonds mined are useless for jewelry purposes. They simply do not meet the exacting requirements. Instead, they are used in industrial situations such as saws and lasers.
On the human scale, diamonds have not been used as jewelry for as long as you might think. Although royalty is noted to have diamond encrusted things, the first diamond ring on record was only given in 1477. Given their age, that isn't long ago.
All and all, diamonds are a symbol when used as jewelry. They are precious, so the recipient values them. They are billions of years old and hard to damage, so they also are symbols of commitment and a long life. All these components give them great value.
