10 Fun n' Nerdy Facts about Diamonds
- The ancient Romans and Greeks believed that diamonds were tears cried by the gods or splinters from falling stars.
- Diamonds form about 100 miles below ground and have been carried to the earth’s surface by deep volcanic eruptions.
- Diamonds are made of a single element — carbon.
- Diamonds are the very hardest natural substance. The only thing that can scratch a diamond is another diamond.
- The first known use of a diamond engagement ring took place in 1477, when Archduke Maximillian of Austria gave Mary of Burgundy a gold ring featuring an M spelled out in diamonds.
- Ancient Hindus used diamonds in the eyes of devotional statues and believed that a diamond could protect its wearer from danger.
- During the Middle Ages diamonds were thought to have healing properties able to cure ailments ranging from fatigue to mental illness.
- A planet was discovered in 2004 and scientists believe that roughly a third of the planet's mass is carbon, much of which may be in the form of diamond as a result of the temperatures and pressures in the planet's interior! The planet orbits a nearby star in the Milky Way, and is named “55 Cancri e”. Perhaps even more amazing, scientists have discovered a star that is essentially a diamond of ten billion trillion trillion carats. They named the star Lucy after the Beatles song “Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds.”
- Diamonds were used to engrave gemstones in India by 300 BCE.
- Diamonds can be burned. It must be heated to between 1290-1650 degrees Fahrenheit in order to burn it. House fires and jewelers’ torches can sometimes reach that temperature!
