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Hey, what do you most want to get from your boyfriend? Go out to dinner?
Dancing? A movie? Stay in? Or a diamond? *hums People's ad*
I love diamonds. Ha
ha ah-ha, it is I, BabyPowdr, the diamond monger, here to tell you about
this precious gemstone, that is really nothing more than carbon. That's
right... it's made of the same stuff as coal.
Not that many people will care about this part, but here are some facts about the
diamond. Fake diamonds are made by submitting carbon or graphite to very high
temperatures and extreme pressure. These synthetic stones are made basically the
same as a real stone, only faster. A cleavage, or split, can only be made along
certain planes. This is because of the structure of the carbon molecules forming the
rock. Diamonds are nearly 150 times harder than the world's second hardest
mineral, corundium. Carbon can be hard (diamond) or soft (graphite).
The majority of diamonds are ugly and are used in industry for cutting and grinding.
There are many famous diamonds. To name a few for you (look up the stories!),
here are probably the most interestingly storied or famous: the Koh-I-Noor, the
Sancy (Le grand Sancy), the Regent, the Florentine, and, of course, the Hope
diamond. Look up these tales, they are quite interesting. The folktales of
diamonds are almost as old as the stones themselves.
The diamond represents April for a birthstone, your 60th wedding anniversary,
and it supposedly has the powers to heal the following: dermatitis, incubii
(protection against), loss of courage, loss of energy, loss of strength,
nightmares, and psoriasis. Weird... I thought that it was for love! "A diamond
is forever," to quote DeBeers, I think. It was some company like that. So many diamond companies, and more are hitting the market every year. People's, DeBeers, Tiffany's, that new Northwest territories one, the ones in France, and Italy... they're popping up all over the place. But always the same idea, that a diamond is forever. LoLz, next stop... the shapes and sizes of your rock!
The crystal structure may be cubic, but your diamond is likely not to come in a
square. Many cuts are available, to make the brilliance the absolute best. This
means making those many facets, vertices, tables, and angles reflect the maximum
amount of light. Some popular cuts are the table cut, old mine cut, round rose
cut, cabochon cut, heart cut, ovals and pear cuts. Well-cut diamonds hold that
"fire", the brilliance that makes them seem alive. But be warned... fakes hold more sparkle than actual stones. Diamonds are duller than crystal or glass, most
of the time. (This isn't always true...!) You can also buy many "grades" of diamonds. Not like meat, they aren't graded A, B and so on, they are graded in carats,
like gold. Only I think they are spelt differently -- carat versus karat. Different cuts and carats have different prices. A low grade carat equals the cheapest of the lot; usually it is the same with size, but it depends on the jeweler.
What makes people love these pretty little things? I don't know, but if I did, I
could begin to get help. LoLz, ha ha ah-ha.
From the earliest times, diamonds have symbolized consistency. As early as the
15th century, men began to give rings to their betrothed. Only rich upper class
men were able to do that, though. Most gems were table cut, square cut, or just polished the best they could be. By now, new technologies of cutting and setting diamonds has made it possible to show off the brilliance of the stone more affordably. Fancy cuts, such as square, marquise, heart, emerald, and pear have appeared on the market. In the later years of the 20th century, diamond sales have soared. Japan, India, and China picked up the traditions of the western world, and now give engagement
rings. Diamonds are given and received around the globe today as tokens of love and celebration throughout our lives. The new discoveries of diamonds in Northern Canada are helping to meet the growing demand for this stone worldwide. Will you be lucky enough to receive one?
BabyPowdr
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