Diamonds

It is often said that 'diamonds are for ever' and 'diamonds are a woman's best friend'. The above-mentioned statements coupled with the facts that numerous wars were fought for possession of diamonds, have made diamonds the most sought after precious stone in the world, since ancient times.
Diamond is the hardest known natural substance. It is made up crystallized carbon. Diamonds are created through a process of metamorphosis where intense heat and pressure within the depth of the earth's crust transform amorphous carbon into a solid mass of hard crystal and come to the surface via Volcanoes. Most diamonds are found in Kimberlite, which is volcanic rock.
Diamonds are not only used in jewelry making but for industrial purposes also. 80% of world's diamonds are not suitable for jewelry making.
Diamonds are graded and priced according to their carat, color, clarity and cut.
Carat is the standard weight for measuring diamonds. 1 Carat is equal to:
200 milligrams or 1/5 gram or 100 points.

However the size of a cut diamond does not have a bearing on its price as the price is determined by unit price per carat i.e. a big cut diamond with a low unit price per carat can be cheaper than a small diamond having a high unit price per carat.
The color of a diamond has the second most important factor in determining its price after carat. The more colorless or transparent the color of a diamond is the costlier it becomes.
Though at times colored diamonds are also highly valued.
Clarity or flawlessness also determines the price of a piece of diamond. If a diamond has less fractures and blemishes within it, the higher is its value.

The cut of a diamond depends on the craftsman. A diamond cutter determines the type of cut to be applied, after seeing a rough stone. Cut refers to not only the shape of the diamonds, but its proportions and finish, factors, which determine the sparkle of the diamond. It is up to the craftsman to enhance the beauty of the rough stone and it the final product, which is evaluated for pricing.
The best diamonds in the world are mined in South Africa, Brazil and Namibia. Cutting and polishing of diamonds is big business and India leads the world in this field. 8 out of every 10 diamonds used in jeweler worldwide have been cut and polished in India. Surat is the nerve center of diamond cutting and polishing industry in India.
There is a rage for diamond jewelry these days, as diamond jewelry has become status symbol .The coming of foreign players in the domestic jewelry market has not only increased variety in quality and design, but also made it somewhat affordable for the common masses to be lured by the radiance and sparkle of diamonds.