Diamonds began to appear in royaly jewelry around the 13th century. They were not used as the main peice but along with other jewels and pearls. During the 17th and 18th centuries diamonds began to become popular by themselves in first gold settings, then when the diamond became more valuable in lighter colored metals such as silver, that would showcase their brillance better.
Diamonds were valued as early as the 4th century BCE in India. There they were known as vajra or "thunderbolt" and were related to the god of war, which is where they started to get the belief that they protected a warrior in battle.
Diamonds were first only found in India in the 4th century. Another deposit of diamonds was not found untill 1725 in brazil.The major shift in diamond trade was in 1870 when large diamond deposits were found in South Africa. Before then the diamond had been a rare and therefore very valuable gem, after that diamonds were availible to anyone who could afford them.
Today many diamonds are used in industry to enhance the strenght and cutting power of machines. Diamond is used to cut and grind hard substances and it is used in things like surgical blades and windows.
Diamonds are mined in 25 countries around the world and on every continent except Europe and Antartica.The major diamond mines are now found in Russia, Africa and Australia.
Diamond production has grown considerably in the past 25 years. The chart below shows this growth.
