But diamonds aren t just valued for their beauty. They re also used for various industrial applications like deep well drilling, as cutting edges or tips or as powder abrasives, thermal conductive devices, and in electronic manufacturing. The word diamond is a derivation of the Greek word, adamas , which means invincible. Up until the 18th century, India s Golconda mines were the only location in the world where the gems were mined. Diamonds were eventually discovered in Brazil in 1726 and then in 1866 in South Africa, a country that has since become the world s number one exporter of the gemstones.
Diamonds are synonymous with romance, engage-ments, weddings and enduring love.
The stone was first acquired by Cartier in 1969 and Burton was determined to purchase it for his then wife. Ten years later Liz Taylor sold the gem for 3 million dollars. The Taylor-Burton diamond is not the only one that s acquired a reputation. The priceless and sought-after gem is said to have weighed 240 karats and it mysteriously disappeared in 1665, never to be seen again. Two hundred years later it was claimed by Sultan Babar, the first Mogul Emperor.