The Famous Journey of a Diamond

Hollywood is full of rags to riches stories, though they’re largely a creation of screenwriters, and not the real thing. In those stories, an individual generally journeys from a very humble beginning to a very wealthy end, surrounded by the type of celebrities that oftentimes pick up an award or two for portraying the character. One of the most interesting journeys taken by anyone currently under the spotlights, however, wasn’t made by any star. Those journeys were made by the jewelry they wear; the most preferred and prestigious of which is, of course, diamonds.

There are no “new” diamond necklaces, earrings or bracelets as there are no new diamonds at all. The designers of diamond jewelry work with some of the oldest minerals on Earth. These minerals are sometimes billions of years old. When some of these diamonds were formed, there were no animals, no life on land and the Earth was spinning faster than it is today. These gemstones carry a weight to them that cannot be measured in carats or priced out in dollars.

Some diamonds aren’t even from the Earth. Diamonds of different types form in space, as well, and have been found on meteors. If the heat and pressure one finds deep within the Earth seems an impressive forge in which to make a diamond, consider that some diamonds are formed in the centers of stars!

The largest diamond on earth weighs in at a whopping 546 carats. This seems like a rather large diamond to any rational person but, in reality, it’s not even a pebble. In 2004 astronomers discovered a diamond floating 50 light years away from Earth that was once the core of a star. Long-since extinct, the star’s immense heat and pressure managed to create a diamond nonetheless. This diamond, however, is a bit larger than the 546 carats that can be boasted by the Golden Jubilee diamond. In fact, this cosmic diamond is 4,000km across. Not even the most demanding celebrity could find a use for that much diamond!

Diamonds on Earth are usually recovered by mining and then cut by skilled craftspeople who shape the gem to its most attractive possible configuration. They’re rated by the traditional methods of cut and clarity, carat and color but those measures are really just commercial. The final stage of any diamond’s journey is the point where it reaches its eventual owner and the visceral connection to a memory it often symbolizes.

Culturally, diamonds are associated with things that cannot be extinguished by time. Considering that our knowledge of geology was very scant when this association developed, it is a very surreptitious one, indeed. Diamonds are exchanged at significant moments in life, particularly upon engagements, as a testament to the enduring nature of one’s feelings toward another. They oftentimes appear on wedding bands for the same reasons. Though the pieces that appear on the necks and wrists of stars are oftentimes boasted about based on their expense and their designer, most individuals wouldn’t give up their engagement ring or their wedding ring for a thousand expensive diamond necklaces.

Because diamonds do endure, barring any accidents or being lost they will most certainly outlast their owners. Many important diamond jewels are held in museums such as the Smithsonian and in the crown jewels collections of many nations. These pieces have endured, sometimes hundreds of years, and were worn by some of the most famous figures in history. Of all the artifacts those individuals left behind, their diamonds are the ones likely to remain the longest.

Looking backward at the history of celebrities, Hollywood and otherwise, the temporary nature of our lives becomes readily apparent. Each moment is a precious thing. Oftentimes, physical objects are our only connection to the past which is part of the reason a material as enduring as diamond is so very much associated with relationships we consider to be lifelong. Diamonds may be renowned for their beauty but their renown in that regard can make it easy to forget how truly enduring they really are. Diamonds are far more than an ornament or a material used for fashion design, though they are excellent in those regards.

Diamonds, relative to our sense of time, will always be here. The diamond engagement ring exchanged between two people in love will outlive them, probably by millions of years, but certainly long enough to be handed down to future generations who will remember their affection for one another on their behalf. Every diamond you’ve ever seen constitutes a long and ongoing story. Unlike the celebrities who wear them at the various events, those stories go on forever, longer than most people could ever comprehend, in all reality, and sometimes span galaxies in distance.

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