With a woman it can arouse unfathomable feelings of devotion when given to her by the man she loves. They are kept as family heirlooms and handed down from generation to generation.

They are truly timeless treasures. When cared for properly their beauty endures for ages.

Diamonds were formed millions of years ago in the earth's interior. They are a mineral made of pure carbon. They are the hardest natural surface known to man, and are hard enough to cut glass. A diamond can only be scratched by another diamond.

They have their uses in industry as well as making some of the most sought after jewelry in the world. In industrial uses, the quality of a diamond matters very little because it is used for its hardness and heat conductivity.

They are used in drill bits, saw blades, and are ground into powder to be used in polishing. Diamonds are used in laboratories for experiments involving high pressure. They are so much more than just a pretty rock.

The first diamonds were mined in India, and in their ancient civilization they were used as religious icons. Their use as engraving tools date back to early human history. Also very early in history, diamonds were believed to hold magical properties.

They were worn to give courage and put in sickbeds to aid in healing. In some instances it was even administered internally in powdered form.

The Hindu culture believed that the powder of flawless diamonds could cure you, give happiness, and long life, but the powder of a flawed diamond was poisonous and could kill you. In the European culture, it was also used as a cure for ailments and then as a poison.

The most popular use for diamonds is their incredible beauty. The love affair with diamonds as adornment in the European culture began around the Eleventh century. At first they were worn only by royalty, later by the aristocracy, and finally much later by wealthy commoners.

Not until our modern times has the diamond become available to almost anyone. Although they are no longer believed to hold any real magical power, the magic they create in the mind of anyone who wears them can not be denied.