DIAMOND

Diamonds were associated with poison, too. In some cases ,they were supposed to darken in the presence of poison, while in others they were an antidote. Interestingly enough, some people considered diamonds a potent poison. The goldsmith Benvenuto Cellini, when he was imprisoned in 1538, believed his enemies were poisoning him with diamond dust after he found a sliver in his food. This relief, the gem cutter who had been paid to grind the diamond substituted another gem and had kept the diamond for himself his poor family. In England, during the reign of James I, the Countess of Essex used diamond dust as a slow poison to do away with an enemy.

In short, a diamond can do whatever you want it to. It can chase nightmares, produce sleepwalking, and even make the wearer invisible. Watch out that you don't put a diamond in your mouth, how because it can fracture teeth.

India lost its prominence as a diamond center in 1725, when diamonds were found in Brazil. Prices of diamonds fell and fear that would fall even further made Brazilian diamonds difficult to et. As a result, they were sent to India, where they could be sold as Indian gems. The discovery of diamonds in 1870 in South Africa ~ed the diamond market even further. Few, if any, diamonds are : any longer in India or Brazil, with the vast majority of the, supply coming from South Africa, although diamonds are other countries, including the U.S.S.R., Australia, Borneo, other of Africa, the United States, and Venezuela.

If you would like to try your hand yourself at finding diamonds, place you can go where diamond mining is not strictly government controlled is Crater of Diamonds State Park in Murfeesboro, Arkansas. In fact, it is the only diamond mine in the world .were you can keep what you find, regardless of value.