9 Myths about Diamonds: True or false

If we're talking about hot topics-Myths about Diamonds in the jewelry world, then diamonds definitely take the spotlight. There are always various rumors swirling around diamonds, such as "Diamonds are just carbon," "Diamonds are the biggest lie in the world," "Diamonds are expensive because of monopolies," and so on. But did you know? Many of these surprising rumors may not necessarily be true; they could very well be attempts to confuse and mislead. Today, let's select some of the commonly mentioned rumors and see whether they're truths or falsehoods!

Myths about Diamonds

Diamonds are just carbon.

Some say diamonds are nothing special; they're ultimately just carbon. This is completely misleading! While diamonds are indeed composed of carbon atoms, they are not merely carbon! Hair is made of protein, so when people need to supplement protein, why eat eggs instead of hair? Oxygen and ozone are both composed of oxygen, but they are completely different things. The relationship between diamonds and carbon is similar. Although many substances contain carbon elements, arranging them into the crystal structure of a diamond is extremely difficult. Moreover, even if the crystal structure is arranged into a diamond, it's very likely to be just industrial-grade diamond, far from gem-quality diamonds.

Diamonds are expensive due to monopolies.

Diamonds are so expensive because of monopolies? No, no, no! If anyone still believes that the diamond industry is monopolized by De Beers, then they're outdated! De Beers indeed controlled over 90% of the global diamond supply back in the day when even millennials hadn't been born yet. However, by 2016, its market share had decreased to around 35%. Other competitive players like Alrosa, Lucara, Dominion Diamonds, Rio Tinto, and Petra Diamonds have increasingly significant shares. The high price of diamonds is because of their inherent excellence and rarity, not because of any monopoly, especially considering that monopolies no longer exist.

There's nothing harder than diamond.

That's right, diamonds are the hardest substance in the world, and this isn't just a casual claim. There's an authoritative "test" for hardness called the Mohs scale, established by the German mineralogist Friedrich Mohs in 1822. In this "test," diamonds are the top performers with a hardness of 10 out of 10. This means that nothing other than a diamond can scratch a diamond, and cutting or polishing diamonds can only be done with diamonds themselves. However, despite their high hardness, diamonds are also highly brittle. Don't assume that just because they're hard, they're indestructible. It's especially important to avoid impacting them with sharp objects. There's a joke about a diamond miner trying to test the hardness of a diamond by hitting it with a hammer, but the result was quite unfortunate—the diamond shattered into fragments.

You have to go to South Africa to buy diamonds.

"The best diamonds come from South Africa," "You must go to South Africa to buy diamonds"… If someone told you that, then they either don't know about diamonds or they're trying to deceive you! The quality of a diamond has nothing to do with its origin. Why? Because professional certificates don't indicate where a diamond comes from at all! The most straightforward evaluation criteria for the quality of a diamond are the 4Cs.

Finding diamonds is not easy.

It's true that finding diamonds is difficult! How difficult? Let's just say it exceeds your imagination. Only a tiny number of countries have diamonds, and among them, only about 6% have commercially valuable diamonds. Furthermore, only 1.8% of the diamonds mined in these 6% of diamond mines are suitable for cutting into gemstones. Are you surprised by these numbers? And that's not all—you still don't know that diamonds are often found in the most remote and barren places on Earth. For example, there's a diamond mine on the edge of the Kalahari Desert in Botswana where the summer temperature can soar to 104°C, and diamond mines in the Siberian tundra of Russia can have temperatures as low as -40°C.

All diamonds are blood diamonds.

Many people may have watched a movie starring Leonardo DiCaprio called "Blood Diamond," which left a deep impression regarding blood diamonds. The "blood" in blood diamonds refers to bloodshed and war, so blood diamonds are more accurately called "conflict diamonds." Some conflict-ridden countries in Africa happen to produce diamonds, and combined with the high profits from selling diamonds, governments in these war-torn areas start using the money earned from diamond mining to purchase large quantities of military equipment, fueling wars and harming their people.

However, in reality, after blood diamonds were exposed, the diamond industry implemented the Kimberley Process Certification Scheme to curb the circulation of blood diamonds. Since then, the World Diamond Council, together with multi-agency organizations from 81 countries, has followed the "Basic Implementation Guidelines of the Kimberley Process," ensuring that over 99.8% of diamonds worldwide are proven to be legal diamonds. Blood diamonds are not something you can buy just because you want to, so there's no need to worry about this.

Diamonds symbolize love.

It's widely recognized that diamonds symbolize love nowadays. Getting engaged requires a diamond ring, and the 60th wedding anniversary is called the diamond anniversary… This isn't just talk; there's evidence to support it. Legend has it that the arrowhead of Cupid's love arrow is made of diamond. The classic slogan "Diamonds are forever" has deepened the association between diamonds and love.

Giving diamonds to express love has a long history. As early as the 13th century, King Louis IX of France ordered all women, regardless of their status, not to wear diamonds. However, this rule was later broken by a love story. A woman named Agnes Sorel, who was favored by King Charles IX at the time, wore diamonds because of the king's favor. From then on, wearing diamonds was no longer just a privilege but also became an essential item for women to get married.

In 1477, someone proposed with a diamond ring, which was quite rare at the time. Princess Mary of Burgundy was a typical beauty with a rich background, and Prince Mark Milan won her heart by standing out from the crowd with a diamond ring. At that time, diamond rings were not yet popular, and most of them were rough diamond crystals. However, this diamond ring was carefully crafted into the shape of the Gothic letter "M," the first letter of their names.

Synthetic diamonds are no different from natural diamonds.

If you only use your eyes, you may really not see any difference. Synthetic diamonds and natural diamonds look exactly the same to the naked eye! Moreover, they have the same chemical composition, crystal structure, and physical properties, and they come in various colors and qualities.

However, to say that synthetic diamonds are no different from natural diamonds just because of this would be too one-sided. Not only can professional appraisal agencies distinguish synthetic diamonds from natural ones using instruments, but they also differ greatly in many aspects. Natural diamonds may take billions of years to form, while synthetic diamonds can be produced in a laboratory in just a few weeks. They can be created whenever and however many are needed, with no comparison in terms of rarity, heritage, or collectibility with natural diamonds.

Mozambique diamonds are high-value diamonds.

Be careful; Mozambique diamonds are not diamonds! Mozambique diamonds are indeed popular these days, but they're only diamond imitations. Mozambique diamonds are originally called moissanite, with the professional names "synthetic silicon carbide" or "synthetic carborundum."

Not only are Mozambique diamonds not diamonds, but they're also rarely natural! Because natural moissanite is extremely rare, most of the Mozambique diamonds seen in the market are synthetic. Mozambique diamonds are priced at only 5% to 10% of diamonds with equivalent visual effects. Although they're very cheap, they have no collectible value.

In summary, "9 Myths About Diamonds: True or False" serves as a valuable resource for debunking misconceptions surrounding diamonds. By dissecting various rumors and beliefs, the article provides insights into the true nature of these gemstones. From clarifying their composition and value to debunking myths about their origins and symbolism, readers gain a deeper understanding of the diamond industry. By separating fact from fiction, this article empowers readers to make informed decisions and appreciate the beauty of diamonds with a newfound clarity.

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