The fascination with diamonds isn't a modern phenomenon. The history of diamonds is entwined with the history of the world. Pliny, a Roman natural¬ist in the first century AD, described diamond as "...the most valuable, not only of precious stones, but of all the things in this world."

But what makes diamonds so special? Different people have different answers to that question. A research scientist might say it's the conditions under which diamonds form in the earth. An economist might say it's their rarity. A consumer might say it's their association with love and beauty. And they'd all be right.

Diamond is the only gem made of a single element: carbon. Diamond is typically about 99.95 percent carbon. The other 0.05 percent can include one or more trace elements, which are atoms that aren't part of a diamond's essential chemistry. Some of these elements can influence its colour or shape.

Formation conditions also help determine a mineral's identity. Diamond forms under high temperature and pressure conditions that exist only within a specific depth range beneath the earth's surface. Graphite, like diamond, contains only carbon, but its formation process is very different. Without any one of these factors, diamond might be just another mineral. Fortunately though, the magic combination of composition, structure, and formation gives diamonds the qualities that make them extraordinary.