Rare Diamonds - A New Appreciation

When I walk into a jewelry store and see all the diamonds in all of the various settings that are for sale, it is difficult to realize that diamonds are indeed rare. While most people don’t even stop to consider how that diamond came to be sitting in that jeweler’s case, I've been wondering that there must be quite a bit of work that is done before a diamond is ready to be sold to the general public.

I've learned that for every one million diamonds that are mined, only one will be found that is a quality one carat diamond. In order to find a two carat diamond, about five million diamonds must be mined. More than two hundred tons of ore must be mined to find one small diamond, and even then, more than 80% of the diamonds that are mined are only good for industrial use, such as diamond drill bits.

So, the next time I visit the local jewelry store and see the one carat diamonds. I would look at this diamond with a new appreciation – knowing that it truly is one in a million!