By Lubna Abdel-Aziz To what lengths would you go for a piece of carbon? What if that piece of carbon lay deep underground 90 miles beneath the earth's surface lying there for two to three billion years? And what if it had been subjected to great heat and pressure, gradually losing its black unattractive appearance, to become the most precious of all gems? Men have been known to go to great lengths in pursuit of diamonds. They lie, cheat, steal, kill, and more than that, nations have even gone to war over diamonds. This most enduring of all of earth's gems is the hardest, naturally occurring substance known to man. Even acid cannot dissolve a diamond. A diamond is forever! The subject of myths and legends, diamonds are a common focus in songs, films, books -- notable among them, Ian Fleming's Diamonds are Forever. Despite their worldwide popularity, diamonds may be the new kid on the block. It was other gemstones that lured the ancient world. Sapphires were revered, so were rubies, emeralds, and all manner of coloured stones. Moreover, they were believed to have special powers to cure specific illnesses. Some of these stones are still among the most prized, and are so rare that a natural, unenhanced, strongly coloured stone, can be worth as much per carat or more, than a diamond of comparable quality. Still, a diamond is a diamond, and "diamonds are a girl's best friend." It is what she hopes to wear for life when prince charming comes calling, pledging his eternal love and devotion. The origin of the word is adamus, Greek for invincible. They were first discovered in India in 800 BC, where they were esteemed as icons. Today they are found in many other parts of the world. The largest number of gem quality stones are produced in South Africa (about 49 per cent). Canada, India, Russia, Brazil and Australia are also significant sources. It was only late in the 19th century (1870), that diamonds rose to such heights of popularity. The reasons are multiple: an increase in their supply, cutting and polishing techniques, improved world economy flourished, and a formidable publicity campaign, masterminded by the South African owners of De Beers, who took diamonds out of the domain of the very wealthy, making them a dream come true for every starry-eyed bride. The De Beers Group is a Johannesburg-based diamond and mining trading corporation established by Cecil Rhodes and Charles Rudd, which has a near de facto monopoly of the world's diamond trade. The name, however, comes from the owners of the South African farm, where diamonds were first discovered about 1866. The children of farmers Nicholas and Diederik De Beers found what they called "a pretty pebble" in the sandy bed of the Voal River. They brought the pebble home, which turned out to be worth $2,500 -- and you know the rest of the story. A diamond is a transparent crystal of tetrahedically-bonded carbon atoms. Its exceptional physical characteristics are its extreme hardness and its high dispersion index and high thermal conductivity. It is commonly judged by the four Cs: carat, clarity, colour, and cut. Blood Diamonds is a big adventure thriller, which tells of a bond between an ex-mercenary from Zimbabwe (Leonardo di Caprio), who smuggles diamonds out of war-torn Sierra Leone in the late 1990s, and a poor fisherman (Djimon Hounsou), whose son is kidnapped by rebels and trained to kill. Its chief villains are the "conflict diamonds" which are illegally mined, and the profits end up buying guns and waging wars. The film's message is to make people aware of whether a purchased gem is legally or illegally mined. Diamonds are a major source of revenue and stability for the African continent, provided it benefits its people rather than destroys them. According to the World Diamond Council, Africa generates $8.4 billion worth of diamonds each year, and the industry employs 10 million people globally. Film did more for diamonds during the last century than any aggressive De Beers campaign. The sight of a ravishing starlet dripping in diamonds is most pleasurable to the eyes of all ages; it is the diamonds however that usually walk away with most of the razzle dazzle. No one loved, or wore, diamonds in all their splendour like Elizabeth Taylor, and she still does. Adored and pampered by her fifth husband Richard Burton, he showered his beloved with diamonds for every occasion. He bought the famous Asscher cut Krupp diamond in 1968. She has worn it many times, notably on Larry King Live in 2003. For her 40th, Burton gave her another famous diamond, a heart-shaped spectacle, known as the Taj Mahal. "I would have loved to give her the Taj Mahal," said Burton, "but it would have cost too much to transport." The Taj Mahal diamond, was satisfactory enough. Burton was not done. He purchased a 69.42 pear-shaped carat diamond, now known as the Taylor-Burton diamond. Burton kept going on and on, but we have to move on. There are less than 50 spectacular, extraordinary coloured, large, diamonds that have gained fame, not only because of their exquisite beauty, but because of the famous people who wore, bought, or sold them. Among them the Cullinan diamond, the largest rough gem quality ever found, 3106.75 carats (621 carats), known as the Star of Africa, now part of the Crown Jewels of Britain. The most famous and the most alluring is the Kohinoor (mountain of light) diamond. Small by other standards (109 carats), it was one of the largest known diamonds in the world. It was seized by the British as one of the spoils of war, also now part of the Crown Jewels. Whether one carat or 10, let us pamper and polish our "pretty pebbles" that radiate such joy, and will continue to do so as family heirlooms for generations. Is that not why "A diamond is forever." Give us the luxuries of life, And we will dispense with its necessities. -- John Lothrop Motley (1814 -- 1877)
