What is it about women and diamonds? There is no logical reason why we should love them the way we do, yet every woman I know goes weak when they walk past a jewellery shop window (preferably Tiffany & Co).
It may be a diamond's sparkle, brilliance or the fact that they are expensive (tradition states that a man should spend twice his monthly salary on an engagement ring), but there is something about those sparkling gems that would drive any self-respecting woman to give up her Kelly bag just to have one (the bigger the better, of course).
Diamonds were first discovered 4,000 years ago in the riverbeds of Golconda, India, and have mesmerised millions of women ever since.
They are pure, or nearly pure, carbon and brought to the Earth's surface by volcanic explosions of magma. This magma cooled and solidified as kimberlite ore, which remains the primary source of rough diamonds.
The word diamond comes from the Greek word adamas (which translates as 'unconquerable') - which is appropriate considering that a diamond is the hardest known natural substance. It is the only gemstone composed of a single element, which makes it the purest and one of the most expensive stones.
'Diamonds are like people - we are all born with different characteristics that make us individual, but we are all beautiful in our own way,' says Laura Chow, vice-president of Lazare Diamonds, Asia, which has remained a leader in the diamond industry for almost 100 years. 'Like humans, diamonds need to be polished in order to see their true beauty.'