The Darkness in Diamonds by Ghazal Thiruvengadam

The Darkness in Diamonds

Diamonds. Shiny, beautiful and priceless might be some of the words that pop into your head when you hear, think or read about these gemstones. But most people are not aware of the severe conditions of the diamond mine workers who dig to save their lives.

 

What are Diamonds?

Diamonds are the hardest, least compressible substances among all natural materials. Although diamond is rare, it consists of one of the most common elements: carbon. If an unevenly cut diamond is accidentally swallowed, the consumer will probably die as the gem can cut through flesh. Diamonds are also the best thermal conductors.

 

Diamond was first mined 4,000 years ago, here in India! Their rarity, durability and beauty made them popular among medieval royalty. The Greeks and Romans believed that these jewels were the tears of God. The Hindus, on the other hand, gained so much power to diamonds that they were even placed in the eyes of statues of deities. Diamonds have always been believed to bring luck and success.

 

Famous Diamonds

Although diamonds cause a lot of trouble to mine workers, everyone must agree that these gemstones are breathtakingly beautiful. The Cullinan, also known as ‘Star Africa’ is the largest cut diamond in the world. How many carats a diamond has determines how valuable the it is. The Cullinan has 530.20 carats - Imagine how expensive it must be! This diamond was discovered in Transvaal, South Africa on an inspection tour of the Premier Mine. The Cullinan was cut by Joseph Asscher , who examined the crystal for around six months before deciding how to divide it! When the Cullinan was first discovered, certain signs suggested that it might have been a part of a larger gem. But o discovery of the ‘other half’ has been recognized.

 

Another famous diamond is The Orloff, also known as ‘The Orlov’. It was 300 carats when found in India. It is now in the Diamond Treasury of Russia, in Moscow. There are many historical events involving The Orloff.

 

Some other famous diamonds are: The Centenary Diamond, The Regent, Koh-i-noor and The Idol’s Eye.

 

The Blood Diamond

Diamonds are always associated with beauty, glamour and wealth. But not everyone is aware of the harsh and brutal conditions of the diamond mine workers and the hardships they go through. Diamond miners, who pan or dig for diamonds produce 15% of the world’s diamond. But their salaries are not enough for the work they have done. An estimated amount of one million diggers in Africa earn less than a dollar per day. Besides being underpaid, diamond miners work in extremely dangerous conditions. Scarcity of safety equipment and essential tools make miners more prone to injury. Miners can easily die or get injured by landslides, mine collapses and other accidents. Conflict/Blood diamonds are those illegally traded to fund conflict in war-torn areas, particularly in central and western Africa. Shocking fact: Approximately one million people are employed by the diamond industry in India!

 

Now, you must be thinking or wondering about what action has been taken to help assist these mine workers. In 2006, a well known film, ‘The Blood Diamond’ was released starring Leonardo DiCaprio. The film is about life as a min worker in Africa. This movie helped raise awareness on the mine worker’s tough situations.

 

Conclusion

Once you have learnt about the workers of the diamond mines, you no longer see as much beauty in the gems as you did before. You realize the darkness in diamonds.