Diamonds have an allure about them that make them probably the most sought after gemstones in the world. They say that “diamonds are a girl’s best friend”, and more than likely that sentiment is due to their brilliance, their sparkle, and the way they make a person feel when wearing one. But, what we know as these perfectly clear and beautiful gemstones start their lives as basically rocks. They have to be mined and honed and crafted into what we know as diamonds.

A diamond is a form of carbon, and its extreme hardness and light diffusion qualities make it a highly useful stone for industrial purposes, in addition to its pleasing aesthetic qualities. Diamonds make excellent abrasives because they can only be scratched by other diamonds. Therefore, they are extremely durable and retain their brilliant gleam wonderfully.

The earliest known reference to the diamond comes from a Sanskrit text dating back to approximately 296 BCE (before the Christian Era), which described the diamond’s qualities. It is generally accepted that diamonds were first mined in India, where they quickly became symbols of spirituality and holiness, decorating religious idols. Early on in their history, diamonds were traded in all direction of India for their different industrial uses, including engraving and drilling, as well as for their aesthetic purposes such as for ceremony, decoration, and adornment.

There was a strict prohibition against cutting diamonds. This taboo was started with the early traditional uses in India, and ended in the Middle Ages. By 1375, a guild of diamond cutters and polishers was established, as the technology of reshaping diamonds began to develop. The different shapes that were developed through the years only worked to exemplify the diamond’s beauty and brilliance, increasing their allure. Today, diamonds are most familiarly used for the purposes of adornments, such as for jewelry.
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I think that one of my favorite crafts is jewelry making. Beads should be part of any well-equipped jewelry making kit. I love the choice of styles that jewelry making allows you to try. The range of materials that you can use for jewelry making also means that their possible uses are limited only by my imagination. Even though I was not a particularly experienced craftsperson I soon found that I enjoyed jewelry making and created wonderfully original jewelry. Of course, I now wish that I was capable of far more intricate jewelry making but at least I am always improving on the ones I made before!

I enjoy jewelry making using a variety of different materials. It is fun to look at what I have handy that I can convert into pretty jewelry. One of my favorites is using strips of colored paper for paper mache jewelry. My kids love tearing pictures out of glossy magazines and we try jewelry making together, well, almost! They prefer to move straight to the decorating stage and I have found that dried macaroni makes an ideal bead. The tubes of pasta have a ready made hole for threading and can be painted easily. We also use clay quite a lot when jewelry making, probably because kids enjoy molding the shapes. I have to take over the baking part but once
that is done they can decorate and varnish their creations and continue with their jewelry making.
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Amsterdam is a major historical location for the diamond industry. Walking down the streets you will see a lot of jewelry stores as well as many diamond businesses with prominent security systems and signs reading “guided diamond tours”.

If you go on these tours you’ll see some breathtaking diamonds, as well a chance to see these stones being cut and polished. And if you have some cash to spare, purchase one for $4000 to $400,000.

Amsterdam has an extended history relating to diamonds, and has been a major diamond center since Sephardic Jews introduced the diamond cutting industry to Amsterdam in the later 16th century. Nowadays there are about a dozen diamond cutting facilities in the city, 5 of which offer guided tours. The tours are free and are usually conducted 9am to 5pm each day.

Amsterdam has an extended heritage in the diamond business, and has been a major European diamond center since Sephardic Jews introduced the diamond cutting industry in the later 16th century. Ultra-Orthodox Jews are still prominent in worldwide diamond marketing and distribution, and urban legend has it they hide diamonds in their beards to move them through customs without being detected. Diamonds are not necessarily cheaper in Amsterdam; however prices are fairly competitive. At least you will have seen the stones being worked, and when you purchase from a factory you get an extensive description of the diamond you acquire so you know exactly what you are buying.

The following renowned diamond stores offer diamond-cutting and polishing tours, and sales of the finished diamonds:

Coster Diamonds
Gassan Diamonds
Stoeltie Diamonds

Van Moppes Diamonds, which was the the 1st company to offer guided tours.

Be sure to sample authentic Dutch food at the numerous cafes. If you have a chance eat a “brodje haring” (an open-faced sandwich with salted herring) or try other seafood specialties from the cuisine of this seafaring nation.
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How can women get their dream diamond engagement ring when it is the boyfriend making the purchase and wanting it to be a surprise? To find the answer you need to understand your mans thought process. After all, he is shopping for a diamond, the symbol of his love for you.

The man shopping for an engagement diamond has three primary shopping priorities:

1) They want to make a good investment
2) They want to make you happy
3) They fear disappointing you or worse yet, rejection

On all three points, men act out of fear of making a mistake. Their pride and desire to surprise their girlfriend typically prohibit them from asking the womans advice. As men so often do, they try to apply logic to what is a very emotional decision.

Most men attack diamond shopping the same as any other problem they face. They research the subject, gather all the facts (often in a spreadsheet), and then make a logical decision. They assume you will have the same priorities they have so they focus on what will be a good investment. They seek a high quality diamond fearing that anything less will as somehow imply some lower level of love.
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