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A diamond is a natural gem made by the splendor
of nature. Billions of years ago, small animals
and microorganisms made up life on earth. Slowly,
they would die and became organic material that
laid on the Earth’s surface. Over great periods
of time, they were covered by layer upon layer of
dust and stone, and buried to a depth of over 100
miles. There, they changed into a material known
as carbon (more commonly called coal). The extreme
heat and pressure caused from the weight above compressed
the carbon – and the result was a diamond.
Over the following billions of years, the Earth’s
crust would shift, and the diamonds would move toward
the surface, where they could be mined by modern
man. On average, 250 tons of Earth must be moved
to produce a single one-carat diamond. Larger diamonds
are far less common than smaller ones, which is
why a 2 carat stone costs much more than twice as
much as a 1 carat stone.
It’s estimated that a diamond is about 3.4
billion years old, a fact greatly adding to its
fabled allure.
But diamonds don’t come out of the ground
looking like they do on a bride-to-be’s finger.
They are cut and chipped to take on the shapes we
all recognize.
NEXT:
4. "Popular diamond shapes"...
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