09 Nov Same diamond, different meaning
We treasure diamonds for their beauty. No matter how big or how small. Diamonds will always have a majestic ambience. We give diamonds at special occasions, preferably to our loved ones. However, there is way more to a diamond than meets the eye. That is why the same diamond could have a different meaning. Back in the day people believed diamonds had a lot more purposes and powers. Especially supernatural powers…
Ancient Greeks and Romans
Whenever warriors in Ancient Greece went to battle, they always brought their shield. This shield contained diamonds. They believed these diamonds would strengthen their muscles. They believed the diamonds made them invincible. That is why the Ancient Greek called the diamonds ‘adamas’. This means ‘invincible’, ‘indestructible’ and ‘untamed’. The Ancient Greeks and Romans thought the adamas were the tears of weeping gods, which have hardened. The Greek philosopher Plato wrote about diamonds as if they were living beings. Roman literature stated that Cupid’s arrows were tipped with diamonds. No wonder everyone falls madly in love with the touch of a diamond.
The East
In the East people believed diamonds could be used as a heart amplifier. When a person was ill, you’d place a diamond in a glass of water. The glass of water remained untouched overnight. In the morning, the ill one sipped the water slowly. By doing so, people believed the heart of the person that drunk it, would strengthen. Furthermore, people from the Far East believed that carrying a diamond would prevent you from getting ill in the first place. What an excuse to buy that rock!
India
The civilization of India is divided into castes. In the past, each caste of people was allowed to own diamonds. However, they could only own diamonds whose color matched their caste. For example: the priests and rulers were allowed to own white diamonds, the rarest and most valuable ones. The landowners and warriors could only own brown ones. The merchants on the streets could own the yellow diamonds. The lower class was allowed to own the gray ones. They believed every color of diamond had a different ‘strength’. And of course: the higher the class, the more powerful the diamond would be. The famous Koh-I-Noor, which originates from India, belongs to the most powerful diamond categories because of its extremely white color.
Medieval Europe
Just as in other parts of the world, diamonds became more and more popular among people in Europe. As well as in Ancient Greek, the people in Europe referred to diamonds as “tears of gods”. This was due to the fact that people believed diamonds gave strength, power, eternal life and safety.
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To this day, we still attach great value to diamonds. Nowadays diamonds symbolize the undying love between two people. It is believed if you place an engagement ring on your loved one’s finger, this person will instinctively know if you are the one. There is only one way to find out! Who knows, maybe diamonds still have special powers?
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