Someone once said, "A diamond is forever." The diamond is possibly the most sought after of all gemstones, being a symbol of wealth and success. In this report I intend to enlighten your knowledge on the characteristics of diamonds, how they are formed, and some of the famous diamonds in the world.
My first topic is the characteristics of diamonds. The diamond is the hardest of all known, natural minerals. Diamonds are typically composed of many separate crystal fused together and resemble shards of broken glass when they are found in this natural condition. These beautiful gems can be crafted, by gem cutters, in many unique ways such as, square cut (emerald cut), marquise, and brilliant. Square cut diamonds suit their name and are either cut into a square or rectangular shape. Marquise cut diamonds are cut into an oval shape which narrows to a sharp point at the end.
A scattering of "brilliant" cut diamonds shows off...
The Hope Diamond, which Switzer helped to acquire ...
English: Hope Diamond without lighting.A brilliant cut diamond has a round shape with fifty-eight facets, which are small flat planes on the surface of a diamond.
My next topic is how diamonds are formed. Diamonds can be produced naturally or synthetically. Diamonds are believed to form naturally in molten lava at extreme pressures and scorching heat. The magma that reaches the surface of the Earth through a vent cools and solidifies into a blue tinted rock which contains the crystallized gems. However in 1955 man-made diamonds became possible when the General Electric company subjected graphite to a massive amount of heat and pressure in a lab environment. Since 1960 many companies throughout the world have produced artificial diamonds. Although man-made diamonds greatly resemble natural diamonds they are slightly different in size, shape, and quality.
My final focus will be on describing some of the famous diamonds in the world. Perhaps the best known diamonds...