Diamonds are a kind of carbon with  atoms organized in a specific way to distinguish it from other types of carbon. Diamonds were first discovered in India, around 3000-4000 years ago, straightaway man realised that this mineral wasnot an ordinary mineral  and started to use it   in jewelry and religious rituals. Diamonds have been treasured since then but it was in the 19th century that they became really common in the Western world after the finding of new mines first in Brazil and then in South Africa and the improvements in cutting and polishing methods. Also in the late 19th century there was one of the first large marketing campaigns seeking at making the diamond the supreme object of desire. The campaign, as we know was a  great success.

As diamonds are the hardest of all minerals and they are also excellent thermal and electrical conductors, there are many industrial applications for diamonds therefore synthetic diamonds and diamonds simulants are quite common. In jewelry the better known simulant is probably cubic zirconia. Synthetic diamonds can have a better purity than natural diamonds and what really matters in the end, is the quality of the cut that will be the final factor when checking a diamond. Good quality synthetic diamonds can in the long run lower the price of all diamonds, very much alike to what happened to the price of pearls, after cultured pearls were introduced on the market in the 1950s.

Diamond jewelry is still very popular and you will be able to get it in a wide variety of styles. Often diamonds are used as a form a contrast to more colourful gemstones, something that you find in rings or diamond earrings for women is a colorful gem such as a ruby or emerald surrounded by smaller diamonds.  Diamond jewelry might not make the list of the best novelty gift ideas but it is still a very much liked and appreciated gift.