Know your diamonds

THEY ARE up there with some of nature’s hardest and most thermally conductive materials, which means that diamonds are, literally, forever. The stones have been present throughout human existence and were said to have magical powers. Due to this, diamonds have carried an ascribed sense of value to what otherwise would be just another rock.

In 1477, Archduke Maximilian I of Austria presented Mary of Burgundy with the first diamond engagement ring in the world. Fast forward hundreds of years, and diamonds helped to shape South Africa’s economy, politics, and culture. In the 1800s, De Beers dug a giant gaping hole in the ground in Kimberley to get to them, and became the ultimate global authority on the mineral’s sales, distribution and quality control.

Today, diamonds have two kinds of value: Symbolic, where the stone represents one’s love and appreciation for another person, and monetary. The first one is (supposedly) impossible to measure, whereas the second one isn’t.

Walking into a jewellery store, you’re surrounded by stones that, at first glance, all look the same. Is that diamond slightly yellow or does it appear that way because the rest of the necklace is gold? Should I take the biggest one that I can afford? The value of a diamond is determined by certain criteria. Learning about these factors allows you to make an informed decision when purchasing the rock of your (or someone else’s) dreams.