July 16th, 2010 by Brad Handsome

When did diamonds initial become recognized as precious stones and utilised for jewelry? The earliest reference to them has been identified in a Sanskrit document dated around 300 BCE. They were definitely associated with the gods and were used to decorate religious icons and statues. In India, only kings, the highest caste, were allowed to personal them.

Although diamonds had been traded east and west of India, they were definitely still prized in their natural crystal state, or polished to increase the shine and luster of them. The 1st guild of diamond cutters was established in 1375, and it was then that the practice of cutting the stones and faceting them was developed.

From the earliest times, diamonds had been the province of kings and queens. Actually, in the 13th century, Louis IX of France decreed that only royalty could own diamonds, a dictate which faded away about 100 years later. By the late 15th century, they had been utilized as wedding rings.

The largest diamond ever uncovered was a 3106-carat diamond discovered in 1905 in a mine owned by Thomas Cullinan, for whom the stone was produced. It was cut into smaller stones, the largest being made into the 530-carat Wonderful Star of Africa diamond, cut by the Asscher Brothers, a famous diamond firm to this day. It’s also named the Cullinan I diamond, and is set inside Scepter with the Cross with the United Kingdom.

A smaller stone cut from the Cullinan diamond is known as the Lesser Star of Africa. It weighs 317 carats and is aspect of the Imperial State Crown. Both gems could be seen as part on the British Crown Jewels which are displayed within the Tower of London. The rest on the Cullinan diamond was cut into 11 smaller-weight stones and numerous fragments.

While the Cullinan diamond is the biggest diamond ever found, there can be a rumor that the man who discovered the diamond truly broke off part from the diamond before presenting it to the mine’s owner. This diamond, if the rumor is true, would have been 5,000 carats!

Brad Handsome manages Diamond Jewelry site and an author of Jewelry Review