Public Servant Lifestyle

De Beers rough guide to the sparkling world of arguably the most extravagant gift of all.

Diamonds are one of nature's miracles, pure crystalline carbon, created deep within the earth, millions of years ago. Discovered by man over 4,000 years ago, in India, they are valued for being the hardest natural substance on earth, the symbol of forever.

Diamonds, created by nature deep in our planet, carried, by distinctive volcanic eruptions, to the earth's surface, hidden for hundreds of millions of years, until discovered by geologists, and recovered by miners, using the most advanced technology known, are cut and polished - liberating a beauty reflecting love and romance - then set in precious jewellery - completing a journey of discovery...

How Are Diamonds Formed?

Diamonds were formed under conditions of great heat and pressure, 200km deep inside the earth, as long go as 3.5 billion years. This means they were formed at the earliest stages of development of our planet, which is estimated to be some 4.5 billion years old.

Carried to the surface, by volcanic eruptions, millions of years ago, diamonds are found in coneshaped pipes of rock, called kimberlite, the mines we know today.

In some cases, the pipes have been weathered, and their diamonds dispersed by rivers and glaciers, to far-lying areas, such as coastlines.

There are two types of diamond occurrence:

1. Primary (kimberlite)
2. Secondary (alluvia).

Both of these require different mining methods.

Alluvial is the recovery of diamonds from ancient riverbeds, or seashores, while pipe mining involves the extraction of diamonds from volcanic pipes. These pipes contain kimberlite or blue ground. Open cast, and at a later stage, perhaps underground mining, is required to extract these diamonds.

Where Are They Found?

The top seven diamond-mining countries are:

1. Botswana
2. Russia
3. South Africa
4. Angola
5. Namibia
6. Australia
7. Democratic Republic of Congo

Diamonds are also found in Brazil, Guyana, Sierra Leone, Liberia, Ivory Coast, Ghana, the Central African Republic of Tanzania, China, Indonesia, Zimbabwe, and India.

Where Are Diamonds Cut?

Traditional diamond-cutting centres are:

New York -USA
Antwerp - Belgium
Tel Aviv - Israel
Mumbai - India
Johannesburg - South Africa.

The Four Cs

When looking to purchase a diamond, it is important to remember the four Cs - the characteristics which give the diamond its quality, and value.

These are:

1. Cut - A diamond's cut is what gives it sparkle and fire. The better the proportion, the better the diamond is able to handle light, creating more sparkle and scintillation.

2. Colour - The majority of diamonds range from those with barely perceptible yellow and brownish tints, up to the very rare pinks, blues and greens, which are known as fancies. The best colour for a diamond is colourless.

3. Clarity - Most diamonds contain tiny inclusions, not discernible to the naked eye. The fewer, and smaller they are, the less likely they are to interfere with the passage of light through the diamond, and therefore the more rare and beautiful it will be.

4. Carat weight - One carat is divided into 100 points - so that a diamond of 75points weighs 0.75 carats (1 carat = 0.2grams). Two diamonds of equal weight can therefore have different values, depending on their cut, clarity or colour.

Information provided by De Beers.

More information available in Africa, Middle East, Gifts