Diamonds are rightfully hailed as the king of the gemstones. Being the hardest material on earth (a new mineral has since been found which is harder – carmeltazite), they represent the limit of the Mohs scale at 10. Diamonds are carbon, but with a different molecular arrangement, called allotropy. This slight difference in the molecule arrangement makes all the difference in the properties of diamond. There is no natural material that can scratch a diamond, so diamonds are used in many industrial tools as cutting materials.
Rarely, impurities or defects in the molecular structure can alter a diamond’s color, turning them into black, blue, green, yellow, purple, orange, pink or red. These colored diamonds are usually more costly than normal, transparent diamonds because they are so rare. Ever since the dawn of time, diamonds were prized by ancient civilizations and symbolized as strength, incorruptibility, and invincibility. The ability to disperse white light into its spectrum colors is one of the specialties of diamonds; its “fire.”
The diamond symbolizes the sun, the sum of all light, and the seventh (crown) chakra. There are so many legends and beliefs surrounding the diamond, including lots of lore and history that sometimes, it is hard to differentiate fact from fiction. One of these strange stories would be the story of the Hope Diamond, which seemingly brought bad luck to all its owners, passing through many hands, until a New York gem dealer bought it and handed it to the Smithsonian Institute. Other famous diamonds (there are many) include the Koh-i-Noor, Cullinan Diamond, Centenary Diamond, Shah Diamond, and the Regent Diamond.
Wearing the diamond is believed to enhance ones personal power and courage, while inspiring innovativeness, imagination and creativity to ones endeavors. Also, diamonds are believed to help increase wealth and abundance in life, while helping one to overcome all obstacles. It is also long believed to instill fidelity in relationships; hence the reason why diamond rings are often exchanged during marriages. In Greek mythology, the god of love, Eros supposedly shoots people with arrows tipped with diamonds to make them fall in love.
A diamond crystal in its original octahedral form
The diamond is a powerful gemstone, and may not be suitable for some people to use, or wear as jewelry. Using diamonds when they are not suitable may set off the opposite effect of what it was intended for. In such cases of incompatibility, a less “strong” crystal like quartz may be substituted for diamonds.
Diamonds are not particularly known for any health enhancing benefits, but it has traditionally been used to protect against poisoning, and to enhance overall physical strength. Also, because of their light refraction properties, diamonds have been used to maintain vision and a clear mind through old age.