The Journey Of The Diamond In Your Diamond Engagement Ring
Ever wondered how far your diamond travelled before it got to you? Diamonds are found in the earth or even in rivers or under the sea. When they are deep within the earth, they need to be mined and this can be very hard work, digging deep into the earth till they find these rough gemstones.
Most diamonds then make their way to Antwerp in Belgium as this city still reigns supreme when it comes to diamond trading. From here, it travels all the way to India where the stones are cut and polished, then back to Europe. When it comes to the rough diamonds, over 80% pass through Belgium and around 50% of the polished stones do too. So this really is the diamond hub of the world.
India has had a long legacy of diamond cutting and polishing, right from way back during the time of the maharajahs. Most of the work is done in three places: Gujarat, Mumbai or Jaipur. The exports last year were in the region of over £12 billion and it seems to be growing at about 20% yearly. There was a time when Antwerp was a cutting and polishing centre as well but more and more of this part of the diamond processing is moving to India.
So the next time you look at your diamond engagement ring, pause and ponder a moment as to the very long journey it has been on before it was set in a ring for your finger.
Tags: diamond engagement ring, Diamonds
