The word diamond is derived from the Greek word ‘adamao’ meaning to ‘overcome’ or ‘tame’ and the word ‘adamas’ was used by the Greeks in reference to what was considered the hardest substance known to man. In fashion history, the diamond has taken its place as a symbol of luxury as much as of strength and perseverance and has become both a symbol of unique beauty as well as a common expression of certain universal ideas.

In western tradition, the diamond has long been associated with marriage in the form of the engagement ring and later as a celebratory gem for the 75th wedding anniversary. In Europe of the Middle Ages, diamonds began appearing in ornamentation jewelry in the 13th century and were recognized as precious items. King Louis IX of France even instated sumptuary laws to limit the access and use of diamonds to the king, although by the 14th century an industry in the faceting and cutting of diamonds had arisen in Venice and allowed the precious stone to be a more prominent luxury item. Shapes of cut in the diamond varied over time and became more elaborate as the diamond cutting industry grew throughout Western Europe.

The use of diamonds as ornament as well as tools date back considerably earlier and further East. In Indian Sanskrit religious texts dating to the 4th century B.C.E. reference is made to diamonds and the octahedron ideal that would reflect light in such a manner as to simulate a lightning bolt. Remnants of diamond drilling and engraving tools have also been found, dating to as early as the 8th century C.E. and give proof to an appreciation for the natural qualities of the diamond as well as to the evolution of a technology to manipulate its natural form.

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Even today, the diamond retains its prominence as both an instrument of strength and a symbol of purity. In early Indian Buddhist religion it was an icon of religious virtue as later in the Western tradition of nuptial engagement it would become a token of marital virtue and promise. The discovery of large diamond deposits in South Africa in the 1870’s altered the role of diamonds by making them much more accessible than before and today a diamond is a luxury item albeit less rare than at earlier points in history.

image: facets on a diamond
image: regent diamond cut

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