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The fact that
diamond is an extremely beautiful stone, and that it is virtually
indestructible makes it one of the most desired of gemstones. No other
stone has the awe inspiring reputation of the diamond.
00000The diamond is pure carbon and the hardest material known to man and
without that quality our lives would be altered for the worse. It is
hard to imagine a world without them. Industry relies on them to a
remarkable degree. Surgeons use diamond bladed scalpels. In fact there
are as many uses for them as there are facets on a brilliant cut
stone.
00000Gardner Williams, the African mining engineer who became General
Manager of DeBeers in the 1890's said, "To win them, temples have been
profaned, Princes tortured, women strangled, guests poisoned by their
hosts, and slaves disembowelled. Some have fallen on battlefields to
be picked up by ignorant freebooters and sold for a few silver coins.
Others have been cast into ditches by thieves or swallowed by guards,
or sunk in shipwrecks, or broken to powder in moments of frenzy. No
strain of fancy in an Arabian tale has out-stripped the marvels of
fact in the diamond's history"
Diamond is reputed to promote prosperity, generosity, love and
spirituality.
Chemical
Composition - C
Crystal System - Cubic
Hardness - 10
R.I. 2.417-2.420
SG - 3.51-3.53
N.B.
Being pure carbon the stone will burn in an atmosphere of oxygen or if
heated to a very high temperature. It is unaffected by acids.
Styles:
Diamonds are cut in many different shapes and styles. Rounds being
brilliant cut, 8 cut and Swiss cut. Squares as step or princess cut,
as well as pears, marquise, baguettes, hearts etc. Also there are old
style cuts found in antique jewellery
Prices - Please
call for current prices.
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