1. The word "diamond" comes from the Greek word "adamas," meaning "indestructible."
2. The largest rough diamond in the world was discovered in South Africa in 1905, weighing in at 3,106 carats. Several polished diamonds were carved from it; the largest of which is called "Cullinan I" or "The Great Star of Africa", weighing 530 carats. Today, it is set in the British Royal Scepter on permanent display in the Tower of London.
3. Diamonds are the hardest natural substance on Earth.
4. The United States buys more than 40% of the world's gem quality diamonds, making it the world's largest diamond market.
5. Diamonds are virtually fireproof. To burn a diamond, it must be heated to 1292 degrees Fahrenheit (yikes!!).
6. In their pure state, diamonds are colorless. However, diamonds can also be yellow, brown, blue, green, orange, red, pink and black.
7. Blue and red diamonds are the rarest colored diamonds, while Fancy yellow diamonds are probably the most well known colored diamonds.
8. A rough diamond will lose 40 to 70 percent of its weight in the cutting process (how tragic!).
9. The earliest record of a man giving a diamond to a woman as a wedding ring was in 1477, when the Archduke of Austria gave a diamond to Mary of Burgundy.
10. Until the 18th century, the only diamond mines were in India. Today, the top three diamond mines in the world are: Botswana (24 million carats), Russia (17.8 million carats) and Canada (10.9 million carats). Photos from: Private Diamond Club, Leibish Co. Want more fun facts about diamonds? Visit GIA.com!