What makes a diamond?

Diamonds come from the Earth.

A natural diamond’s creation began around 100 miles below the Earth’s surface. Each natural diamond is made of pure carbon, compressed by Earth’s pressure over time, and is the hardest substance on earth that exists naturally.

Today, there are many synthetic and laboratory-grown diamonds on the market. These are also made of carbon, but without the Earthly origins of real diamonds, they lack the unique diamond qualities infused by nature.

Diamonds are the oldest thing you’ll ever touch.

The first diamond was discovered in an Indian cave nearly 4,000 years ago. But the diamond journey? That began billions of years before. The stones you see in diamond jewelry today began forming from one to three billion years ago, making a natural diamond the oldest thing you’ll ever touch. A natural diamond’s markings and inclusions are symbols of their age, and can be considered small time capsules that tell stories of the Earth’s formation.

Diamonds are extremely rare.

Diamonds are becoming rarer every day because only one significant deposit has been found in decades. Now, there are so few one carat diamonds being recovered each year, the total number would fill only one exercise ball. Therefore, are diamonds rare? Yes, and they are becoming increasingly more valuable each day.

To keep up with the demand while resources diminish, scientists have started creating many replicas—from lab grown diamonds to simulated diamonds made of glass. However, even when a laboratory-grown diamond has the same chemical makeup as a natural diamond, their mass-produced origins are easily detected and prevent them from maintaining any real value.