Diamond History
from
Diamond Experts

The history of wearing diamond jewelry is as ancient a custom as any on record. Diamonds appeared in early history to be of primary importance, after the seeking of food and shelter, within societies. It has been assumed that the wearing of diamonds was originally motivated by a desire to remember the spring with its promise of food and warmth, and later in history, the diamond became a personal adornment, a symbol of rank and wealth.

Throughout history, rulers wore large diamonds as badges of rank. Diamonds were also convenient "portable" wealth in the early days of India. Most of the historical diamonds that still exist are Indian, and all have eventful and sometimes bloody histories. The French traveler Jean Baptiste Tavernier brought a number of them to Europe.

Diamond's effect on history has been mainly because they are possibly the greatest concentrated form wealth which is negotiable and redeemable almost anywhere. Diamonds have played a part in many upheavals and, during recent world wars, paid the way for the escape of refugees from totalitarian tyrannies.

The Koh-i-Nur Diamond, or Mountain of Light, has longest history of all famous diamonds, as it was known to be in the possession of the Rajahs of Malwa as long ago as 1304. The 410-carat Regent Diamond played a part in the French Revolution. It was one of the last big diamonds to be found in India, in 1701. The Hope Diamond, to which stories of tragedy has become attached, is supposed to have been part of the famous Blue Tavernier diamond brought to Europe by the French traveler Jean Baptiste Tavernier.

From at least the fourth century BC, India traded in wholesale diamonds, taxed them and exported them. There had long been trade in diamonds between India and Babylon, Mesopotamia, Syria, Israel, Egypt, Ceylon, and Arabian countries. Diamonds that reached the western part of the Roman Empire were prized for their magical powers, but Rome also re-exported the diamonds to China as tool bits set in iron holders for cutting jade and drilling pearls during the first five centuries AD. There were no superstitions about diamonds in China to deny this use and, even as tools, they were still regarded as presents fit for kings, according to the Chinese philosopher Lao-tse in the first century AD.

The Arabs and Persians monopolized trade between the Roman Empire and East Asia and, during the middle ages, between Europe and East Asia until the sea route to India was discovered. It appears that they retained for themselves many of the finest diamonds from India and sold the poorer and smaller ones. The Arab, Teifaschius, issued the earliest diamond price list ever discovered in the twelfth century.