A diamond is the hardest of minerals, a highly reflective stone, usually colorless and transparent. This mineral was not originally found on Earth. Volcanic eruptions, from a deep source, contributed to their appearance, which bring these unique stones to the surface.
Diamonds are also the most popular gemstones in the world, which they owe primarily to their optical qualities and the greatest reflection of light known in nature. When a diamond is selected to make a jewel its angles are planned in such a way that the cut made in the right directions will enhance the sparkle.
Another unique optical property of the diamond is its dispersion. When white light passes through the stone, it splits into the primary colors. It is through this feature in a diamond that we can observe a spectacular array of colors, referred to as "fire" in jewellery.
Optical qualities are not the only ones that distinguish diamonds from other minerals, because a diamond is the hardest mineral in nature, impossible to be scratched by any other object or stone apart from another diamond. It achieves the 10-degree scale of hardness on the Mohs scale of mineral hardness, the highest possible value. Here, too, the roots of its name come from the Greek word "adamas", meaning invincible, unbridled.
This mineral is present in many myths and legends and is one of the most frequently chosen symbols of love during an engagement. Ancient Egyptians believed that wearing an engagement ring on the third finger of the left hand connects the 2 hearts through a "vein of love".
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