| Diamond Earrings and Other Fine Pieces | | | | well over 1000 years ago. One of the first diamond |
| Diamond rings are the most common form of | | | | wedding ring was the one given to Marie of Burgundy |
| diamond jewelry, but diamond earrings, bracelets and | | | | on the occasion of her wedding to Archduke |
| necklaces are also quite popular. In fact, diamond | | | | Maximilian I of Austria in 1477. It wasn't until over |
| jewelry has been around since the days of the | | | | fifty years later however, during the reign of Henry |
| Roman Empire, although it took almost 1500 years | | | | VIII of England that diamond cutting had reached a |
| before diamond jewelers had figured out how to cut | | | | level that was suitable for jewelry such as diamond |
| diamonds into attractive shapes that displayed their | | | | earrings. |
| "fire," or shine and brilliance. Diamond earrings are but | | | | Dull and Lifeless |
| one way that people adorn themselves with this | | | | If you had been buying diamonds back then, you'd |
| mystical, precious gem. | | | | have been disappointed; those early cuts did not |
| A Fascinating History | | | | show the kind of brilliance that we see in fine |
| Chances are that the first diamond jewelry was from | | | | diamond jewelry today. It wasn't until the 1800s that |
| India. The tremendous geologic forces required to | | | | art of diamond cutting had reached a level of |
| form diamonds exists mainly in regions of the world | | | | refinement that allowed the gem's real beauty to |
| where one tectonic plate slams into another; the | | | | shine through the way it does in contemporary |
| Himalayas, where the Indian subcontinent plows into | | | | diamond jewelry. |
| Central Asia, is one such place. Loose diamonds from | | | | Fiery and Brilliant |
| deep underneath these mountains have been known | | | | Today, there are many different cuts to choose |
| to appear in the rivers that flow south and westward | | | | from when buying diamonds. Round cuts and square |
| from the Himalyas: the Ganges, the Brahmaputra and | | | | cuts both have characteristics in their favor, but a |
| the Irriwaddy have all been sources of these rough, | | | | relatively new cut, called the "princess," has been |
| octagonal crystals. | | | | gaining in popularity over the past thirty years or so. |
| Before diamond jewelers had learned the art of | | | | This particular cut combines the best features of |
| precision cutting, diamond earrings weren't particularly | | | | round and square cuts, and causes the least wastage |
| beautiful; rough and dull-looking, they were | | | | of all cutting methods - so the gem retains much |
| nonetheless prized for their hardness. | | | | more of its original weight. All three cuts however will |
| One early example of diamond jewelry in the West | | | | make for highly attractive and valuable diamond |
| was actually a crown made for a Hungarian princess | | | | earrings. |