Where Did Diamonds Come From?

As early as the 1400s, diamonds had become popular and fashionable in Europe.  However, it was in the rivers and streams of India where diamonds are first known to be found.  Some estimate that India was trading with diamonds as early as the fourth century BC.

By the early 1700s, India's limited resources began to reflect an equally limited quantity of diamonds for trade and Brazil became a new source for diamonds.  Diamonds were first discovered not in diamond mines but in the pans of gold miners along the Amazon River.  Brazil would dominate the market for over 150 years.

Diamonds were somewhat of a luxury and were mostly consumed by ruling classes and royalty in Europe.  Wars and political unrest in the 1700 and 1800s brought with their changes in power and wealth a change in the demand for diamonds.

The first South African kimberlite pipes were discovered in the late 1800s.  Though diamonds had been discovered and traded long before this, the real store of the modern market begins in Africa.

Stay tuned to our blog for more exciting facts about the diamond industry.  Our next blog will discuss the excitement of early South African diamond exploration and the role that Africa has played in today's modern diamond industry.