Diamonds And Gemstones: Captivating The Human Race

Stones have been around longer than civilization has been. Primitive men have been interested in colorful rocks that they thought held powers. Gold, silver and copper were the preferred materials in making jewelry and statuettes representing gods because they were easy to melt and cast. Ancient seals were decorated with these colorful stones with unusual shapes to mark ownership of certain objects. Diamonds and gemstones have become symbols of mysticism and power. As time went by, seals were outdated and the unique rocks were used as ornaments by the wealthy.

One of the earliest stones that captured the imagination of humans was diamond. Its history is marked by mystery, beauty and lately, commercial expertise. Diamond was initially used as decorative ornaments and as talisman to ward off evil. It was used to protect warriors in battles, cure sickness and heal wounds. It was during the Middle Ages that diamonds were valued for their worth. In recent times, diamond has become one of the most sought after precious stones and diamond mines, increasing in value as the demand for it boosted.

Gemstones are often used now as birthstones, connoting the month of birth in the Gregorian calendar. Early civilizations have attributed magical properties to birthstones. Over time, astrologists assigned a gemstone for each sign of the zodiac. There have been changes in a person's birthstone due to the changing times and culture. Other stones like pearl have also been used to assign a birthstone based on the day of a person's birth. But up to this day, among the most prevailing gemstones used are garnet, emerald, topaz, opal and amethyst.

The anniversaries of special occasions like weddings have also been marked by diamonds and gemstones. The tenth and sixtieth anniversaries are traditionally marked by diamond while the fifteenth and eightieth are marked by ruby. The twentieth is marked by emerald while the twenty-fifth is silver and thirtieth is pearl. All these started in the medieval times when a husband will crown his wife with a wreath made of silver or gold marking their twenty-fifth and fiftieth anniversary. This day, we celebrate all the little milestones we reach by giving gifts adorned with diamonds and gemstones representing the number of years a couple has been together.

Caring for diamonds and gemstones can be tricky. Diamond, being the strongest stone of all, can withstand almost anything. However, other gemstones are relatively softer that they must not be placed in cleaning solutions containing strong chemicals. Others can be treated by oil, heat or radiation to obtain the most desired color. Since temperature and chemical can damage a stone, it is better to ask a professional jeweler to handle the cleaning procedure before we inflict more harm to the diamonds and gemstones.

Mankind has always been fascinated by things that we don't understand. Science may have improved technology and may have made the world smaller, but there are certain products that will still remain mystifying to us all. We may now understand where diamonds and gemstones come from, and we may now know how to obtain them, but Mother Nature has kept us in the dark how she produces these precious stones. We continue to be mesmerized by the beauty that these stones have, and in the years to come, we will still go on using them to mark the most beautiful and significant occasions in our lives.