Diamonds are a girl's best friend... Tiffany, Cartier... Why am I singing this song, you may ask? Hahaha. I'm not a woman, if that's what you're wondering, at least not the last time I checked. I'm singing it, not just because I'm watching "Burlesque," but also because I visited the Diamond Museum in Amsterdam. Mmm, yes. Diamonds. "Shine bright like a diamond, shine bright like a diamond." Here I go again, hahaha.
I'll try to stop, but they are just so shiny... My pressies.I'm a bit torn whether to tell you about this wonderful museum or not. Who knows, maybe there's the next Ocean's Eleven lurking here. Now listen carefully, because I won't repeat this. At 90 degrees from the fence, there are two quantum cameras that detect every movement, and 5 snipers on the roof ready to shoot anyone. Just kidding, of course, haha. Still, if anyone decides to visit it or imitate George Clooney, here's a bit of information:
Now it's time for the history of diamonds, haha. I won't delve into the full history because it would take hours, and let's be honest ā I don't know it myself. But I'll share with you what I learned during my visit to the museum.It is believed that diamonds appeared 3 billion years ago, 200 kilometers beneath the earth's surface. They originate from carbon, which was subjected to immense pressure and high temperature. A heart attack and sunburn ā excuse the dark humor, haha. According to the hardness scale (please, no dirty thoughts, hahaha), the diamond is at the top, while talc is at the bottom. The scale runs from one to ten ā from soft (hahaha) to very hard. A dream come true for every woman, hahaha. I mean the diamond.
It is assumed that some of the first diamonds were found in India, which made the country one of the largest diamond suppliers until the 18th century. Another reason to visit India, hahaha. Yet, polishing a diamond had to be done carefully, because improper handling - or "polishing" - could result in it being divided into small particles or even vaporized. Bye-bye, wealth! Based on the shape of the uncut diamond, it was determined what kind of gemstone could be formed. Usually, this was about 50 to 60 percent of the material.
This process was first applied in Venice. With the discovery of platinum, gold, and silver, which previously gave diamonds a more exquisite appearance, these materials were replaced. The hardness of platinum, although not as high as that of diamonds, allowed for more stability as a base and finer craftsmanship. Yet, diamonds were not only admired by women. In Persia and India, they were worn by men who wanted to showcase their wealth and power. These men used diamonds with as few defects as possible during crystallization. As you might guess, those without defects were called "flawless" and were the most expensive.
At that time, only a few could afford them - George Clooney for example, hahaha, and the goal was for the diamond not only to be flawless but also colorless. Back then, the diamond color classification hadn't yet been created - we're talking about the period from the 14th to the 16th-17th century - which only appeared finally between the 17th and 18th centuries.
Following the migrations of peoples in the 15th and 16th centuries, much of the knowledge about diamonds, their production, processing, and trade was transferred to Amsterdam by various nations. Over time, Amsterdam became one of the largest cities of that era for diamond processing and trade worldwide.One of my favorite parts of the museum was the opportunity to see how diamonds are processed on video. There was a small demonstration showing the grinding and polishing process ā true artistry that requires incredible precision, not for everyone, hahaha.
I also saw diamonds from different eras, some of which were worn by royalty - Back to the Future or more Back to the Past, hahaha!!!!! I hope this information inspires you to visit Amsterdam not just for the Red Lights, parties, and liberated way of life but also to learn more about diamonds firsthand or at least to see the museum in person. It's quite dazzling, hahaha, and you never know ā you might find a diamond from centuries ago in a park, forest landscape, or even while swimming in a lake. Fingers crossed, and I wish you luck to share something like that here one day, hahaha.
@darthsauron