Diamonds, the more you know about them, the more precious and romantic they become.

The first diamonds were discovered sometime between 600 and 800 B.C. in India. Originally, diamonds were recognized as the brightest and hardest of all minerals, and they were prized by princes and kings as a sign of wealth and power. In their natural state, diamonds are not especially beautiful, in fact, they appear rather yellowish and oily, but they are the hardest of all known minerals, fully 85 times harder than the next closest gem substance, corundum.

Even the name "diamond" suggests strength and durability. It comes from the Greek word "adamas" meaning "invincible."

The fundamental attributes that distinguish precious gems from all other minerals are beauty, rarity and durability. The diamond possesses all three of these characteristics to an exceptional degree -- that is why it is the most precious of gems.

Until the 15th century only kings wore diamonds as a symbol of strength, courage and invincibility. Over the centuries, the diamond acquired its status as the ultimate gift of love. Indeed it was said that Cupid's arrows were tipped with diamonds which have a magic that nothing else can ever quite equal. The Greeks believed the fire in the diamond reflected the constant flame of love.

For millions around the world the fire, mystery, magic, beauty and romance shining out from a simple solitaire says all that the heart feels but what words cannot express. However, it wasn't until 1477, when Archduke Maximilian of Austria gave a diamond ring to Mary of Burgundy, that the tradition of the diamond engagement ring was born. The reason a woman wears it on the third finger of her left hand dates back to early Egyptian belief that the vena amoris (vein of love) ran directly from the heart to the top of the third finger, left hand.

Above all, diamonds remain the ultimate gift of love. Their hardness and durability represent permanence more than any other substance known to mankind. Diamonds are the universal favorite to celebrate an engagement of promising love that will last a lifetime. A gift of a diamond says, "Not just for now, but for always", because "a diamond is forever".