The Origin of Diamonds-India
The history of diamonds originated in India. /kloc-before the 0/7th century, although Borneo also produced diamonds in the early days, it can be said that India was the only place that produced diamonds because the output was very small. Ancient Indians divided the color of diamonds into four grades, which is a unique caste system in India, that is, the division of Indian status and identity: colorless diamonds are called "brahmins"; Light red diamonds are called "khshatili"; The light green diamond is called "veehouse"; The gray diamond is called "sudra". Diamonds have been described and recorded in the literature in the 4th century BC. Archaeological studies have found that in the 4th century BC, Indians used diamonds as tools to carve beads of other precious stones. Indians at that time knew that when two diamonds collided with each other, some of them would crack or even jump off, which was the beginning of diamond cutting. In the eyes of Indians, everything in the world has "the mystery of life". It is said that the diamond's previous life was a brave king named Bala. He is not only pure in birth, but also aboveboard in life. When he set himself on fire at the altar of God, his bones became the seeds of diamonds, and all the gods came to rob him. When they fled in a hurry, they planted some seeds from the sky and hid them in mountains, forests and rivers.
The Road of Diamonds-From India to the Mediterranean
Like China's ancient "Silk Road" to the west, it is the "Diamond Road" connecting ancient India and the west. The diamond road actually consists of two routes. One is by land, from India to Rome via Iran and Turkey. The second is the waterway, which crosses the Indian Ocean, passes through the Islamic holy city of Mecca, starts from Alexandria, Egypt, on the south bank of the Mediterranean Sea, and then reaches Rome via the Mediterranean Sea. Diamonds that appeared in the Roman Empire from the first to the third century A.D. were shipped from India through these two "diamond roads". It is conceivable that the best diamonds must be owned by the king of India first, and then by the rulers of various countries along the way. When we reached the finish line, there were few diamonds left.
After the third century, diamonds disappeared in the Mediterranean region for about 1000 years. One of the main reasons is that with the decline of the Roman Empire, the Persian Empire rose between India and the Mediterranean, replacing the Roman Empire and becoming the main absorber of Indian diamonds. In addition, the death knell of the decline of the Roman Empire was accompanied by the rise of Christianity. Because most of the previous diamonds were related to pagan superstitions, the interest of Christians who just converted to Christianity gradually decreased.
The New Life of Diamonds-Europe
In medieval Europe, although diamonds have reappeared, they still have various mysterious colors in people's minds. For example, some people think that diamonds can cure diseases, while others think that diamonds are poisonous and will lead to death if swallowed. There are some superstitions about diamonds, which have certain positive significance. For example, soldiers think that diamonds will bring courage to their masters, and carrying diamonds can be invincible in battle. For example, diamonds will make men love their wives more. But what makes diamonds occupy an important position in European life is the following major events.
(1) When King Louis IX of France (12 14- 1270) was in power, a rescue decree was issued, stipulating that only the king could own diamonds, and women were not allowed to carry them. Less than 200 years later, Cha VII's mistress broke the law of Louis IX for the first time in public, and repeatedly attracted attention to the diamonds on her jewelry in the court social arena. This made diamonds more attractive in Europe at that time, especially in the eyes of women.
(2) 1477, Maximilian I of Austria received a letter from the princess before her engagement with Princesse Marie in Burgundy, France, which wrote: On the day of engagement, the princess must wear a diamond-encrusted ring. In this way, the first wedding diamond ring in history was put on Mary's finger. Since then, the diamond ring has become the supreme token of lovers' loyal love.
(3) 1499, Portuguese navigator da Gama bypassed the Cape of Good Hope in southern Africa for the first time and opened up the road of maritime trade from Europe to Asia. In this way, Europeans can avoid the monopoly of diamond trade by Arab countries in the Middle East, and diamonds from India can appear in Europe in large quantities. In addition to the above factors, real diamonds have been reborn in Europe because diamond cutting and grinding technology was first developed in Europe. Venice, as an important trade port between Europe and the East, was once the earliest diamond cutting and grinding center in Europe when diamonds returned to Europe in the14th century. But its position was soon replaced by Antwerp, which soon became an international diamond cutting and grinding center. In the late15th century, diamond cutters in Antwerp began to polish the diamond surface with metal plates coated with fine diamonds. By the seventeenth century, the cutters here had been able to cut and polish 58 faces on the diamond; By the eighteenth century, the splitting technology of diamonds had been mastered. Due to the increasingly perfect diamond cutting and grinding technology in Europe, Europeans are more and more interested in diamonds, and Amsterdam and London have also become important diamond processing centers.
Connecting the past and the future-Brazil
India's diamond production reached its peak in the17th century, with an annual output of about 500-65438+ 10,000 carats, of which only a few reached the gem level. Since then, diamond production has declined rapidly. During the period of 1725- 1730, only 2000-5000 carats of diamonds were shipped from India to Europe every year, and the diamond industry in Europe was facing unprecedented challenges. Fortunately, in 1730, diamonds were discovered in Brazil, South America, on another continent far from Europe, and soon replaced India as the largest diamond producer. From 1730 to 1870, diamonds from Brazil dominated the world diamond market. Its output reached its peak during 1850- 1859, with an average annual output of 300,000 carats. Due to the mass production and supply of diamonds, diamonds are no longer a luxury that belongs only to princes and nobles. As long as you have money, no matter what your status, you can buy your favorite diamonds in the market.
Modern Diamond Industry-South Africa
Brazilian diamonds once made the world diamond industry prosperous, but their supply was limited. By 186 1, the annual diamond production in Brazil dropped to 170000 carats, and by 1880, the annual diamond production in Brazil was only 5000 carats. The impact of the sharp decline in output on the European diamond industry at that time can be imagined. At this time, a mysterious continent-Africa came with joy and news. 1866 In the summer, a boy of 15 years old found a diamond weighing 2 1.25 carats at Dake Farm on the bank of the Orange River. Later, the diamond was cut into 10.73-carat oval diamond, which was originally named "O'Reilly". When this diamond appeared in the World Expo held in Paris in 1889, it was easily named "Eureka". After the appearance of South African diamonds, Kimberly discovered a huge diamond deposit. During the period of 1872- 1903, the annual output of diamonds mined by various deposits around Kimberly City reached 20-30 million carats, accounting for 95% of the global total diamond output. Due to the discovery of diamonds in South Africa, De Beers, the largest diamond company in the world, was established, and a very prosperous modern diamond industry was born.
China diamond
I don't know when the history of diamonds in China began, but it is still inconclusive. China's oldest poem "The Book of Songs" records that "stones from other mountains can attack jade". Many scholars believe that this "stone from other mountains" is a diamond. Since then, China's Liezi and The History of Ten Kingdoms have recorded the Kunwu Sword. If it is recorded in detail, then Kunwu Jian is probably made of diamonds. However, the above records and the understanding gained from them are only people's guesses, and no clear conclusions can be drawn. The earliest clear record of diamonds in history is Jin's "Notes on Living Together": "In Xianning for three years, King Kong was sent to Dunhuang, and when gold was born, there was no need to look for treasures. You can cut jade and make a fortune. " Since then, in the history of Shu Wei, Sui Shu and the North, it has been mentioned that Persia has more diamonds. It can be seen that the earliest diamonds in China were not from China, but from India.
At present, Wafangdian in Liaoning, Mengyin in in Shandong and Yuanshui River Basin in Hunan are all important diamond producing areas. From 65438 to 0983, China's proven diamond reserves have ranked sixth in the world, and China's diamond production has now ranked among the top ten in the world. 197765438+February 2 1 day, a rural woman in Changlin Village, Linyi County, Shandong Province discovered the largest "Changlin Diamond" in China today, weighing 158.786 carats (slightly larger than ordinary walnuts), and now it is stored in the vault of the People's Bank of China. There are four diamonds over 100 carat found in China, all of which were found in Shandong. The largest diamond found in China weighs 1.4, which is equivalent to 2 18.65 carats. 1936 is produced in Yishu River, Shandong Province. The diamond is flawless and golden in color, hence the name "Golden Rooster" diamond. However, it was taken away by the Japanese invaders during World War II and its whereabouts are still unknown. 198 1 year in August, "Chenbu 1No." was found to weigh 124.27 carats.