The name diamond comes from the ancient Greek word, Adamas, or unconquerable. It is the hardest of all gems, ranking 10 on the Mohs' Hardness Scale (a listing of comparative gemstone hardness).
A diamond's brilliance, hardness and durability, along with good marketing and promotion, have made diamonds the most sought after gemstone in the world today. There are significant diamond deposits in South Africa and Siberia, and a recent find in Australia.
Diamonds have been discovered and commercially mined on a small scale in Canada, and the state of Colorado, U.S.A. It has been reported that a diamond miner must dig approximately one ton of rock for every half carat of diamond found.
Color grading of diamonds starts with the letter "D" as the finest grade of white, and progresses through the alphabet as tint levels increase. Clarity, signifying the level of inclusions in the gem, begins as Flawless, and moves through VVS, to VS, to SI to I or included grades.
