The diamond is the enduring muse for De Beers. Created billions of years ago, deep within the earth, the resilience and brilliance of diamonds enthralled ancient civilisations, just as they continue to enchant us today, their natural beauty and symbolism crossing cultures and continents.
In all etymologies, the word for diamond is linked to strength and power. From the Greek, it derives from adamas, meaning unconquerable and indestructible, relating to the notion that they couldn’t be truly possessed, destined to outlive all those who owned them.
For thousands of years, people were fascinated by the origin of diamonds, spinning their own potent and poetic stories. Early Hindus believed they were created when bolts of lightning struck rocks, the Greeks that they were splinters of stars that had fallen to Earth, while Roman philosophers considered them tears of the gods. Plato even believed that diamonds were living beings that embodied celestial spirits.
Seen as precious and powerful in equal measure, diamonds have long been full of meaning. In the times of the Egyptian pharaohs, a diamond was placed in the middle of the ankh, a cross with a loop at the top that was the hieroglyphic symbol for life itself. Hindu mythology exalted diamonds as talismans against fire, poison and evil spirits. To Romans, they were the giver of strength and courage and warriors wore leather breastplates studded with diamonds in battles.