Centuries have passed since the great Alexander of Macedon set foot on the land of India with his army. It was there that he first saw a diamond stone, which had no equal in strength. Alexander returned from a campaign with several precious stones, but in Europe this precious mineral was only appreciated in the XIV century, when the masters of Flanders applied their cutting system to it. Since then, a 57-facet diamond has become the king of gems. And one of the largest diamonds adorns the English crown. Do not count the myths and mysteries of the diamond. Stone is a champion in all kinds of mysterious stories related to him.
Synonyms
What names did not receive a diamond that has been faceted! Many can’t even understand the difference between a diamond and a diamond, considering that we are talking about some differences. In fact, these concepts mean the same thing: a diamond processed in a classical way, having 57 faces.
The word “diamond” has dual “citizenship”: German means diamant, which means “diamond” or “hard”; and French - read as diamant and translate "diamond" or "brilliant."
Derivatives of this word sound and spell almost identically to the original in many languages of the world. In Spanish, in particular, diamante means both a gem and a feminine name.
And in Slavic languages this word is pronounced almost identically, but it is written with some differences. For example, “diamant” (“diamond”) is translated from Ukrainian into Russian as “diamond,” that is, in this case it is closer to French origin.
And also, if you want to hint to someone with irony about his irresistibility, then you can quite express yourself like this: "Darling, you are the diamond of this society."
A bit of physics
Diamonds, as we already know, are obtained by processing diamond with an accuracy of 57 faces. This is how the classic Rosetta is achieved. Diamonds are mined in different parts of the world except the North Pole. In India, where did the knowledge of the diamond come from, kimberlite pipes are now depleted.
A rough diamond is a rather nondescript mineral: colorless, with a crystalline structure and a high level of density, which surpasses all other precious stones, such as ruby, sapphire and emerald.
In poetry, a metaphor is often used by which a person with a solid, unbending character is called a diamond.
We are used to presenting a diamond stone sparkling with shades of blue. However, this is only one of the varieties of the entire available spectrum of diamond colors. In order to obtain this high status, a diamond must have a classic bluish tint with a fair share of brown. There are only 2% of all extracted material.
Most minerals, despite their high strength, do not pass the standards of transparency, tint, and color, and therefore are used in high technology. Such, by the way, "take in the astronauts."
Exotic specimens
In addition to classic diamonds, there are rare species that have shades of color from pink to black (the rarest). Their value is determined in each case separately, taking into account transparency, clarity, the presence / absence of impurities or bubbles, and, of course, size. Starting price - a few thousand dollars per 1 carat. At the moment, no explanation has been given to the phenomenon of multi-colored diamonds.
However, it is traditionally believed that the “pure water diamond” has the greatest value. This means that it does not contain any visible inclusions and, when placed in water, simply “disappears” in it, merging with the structure of the liquid.
The setting for a diamond is an equal partner: the effect of splashing shades of color depends on it. Therefore, today, jewelers invent the most unimaginable devices to maximize the beauty of the stone. From here came the names: dancing and floating diamond. The first is fixed in a movable frame, and the second "floats" in a fixed capsule.
Yakut diamonds
The Russian north has repeatedly surprised with its surprises. This happened at the end of the 19th century, when researchers made assumptions about mineral deposits, in particular, diamonds in the Yakut land. Only then they did not pay attention to these notes, and even the times were alarming.
In the 30s of the XX century, Soviet researcher V. S. Sobolev conducted a comparative analysis of the geological features of the Siberian and African territories and suggested that there may be diamond deposits in the regions of the far north. Prior to World War II, no special expeditions were sent to Yakutia, and in the 50s a mass study of these areas by geologists began.
It turned out that both Russian and Soviet scientists made the correct assumption, and now the Yakut stone diamond is known all over the world, and especially large specimens are in the Diamond Fund of Russia.