Symbolism of diamonds
It is said the Greeks believed diamonds were tears of the gods; the Romans believed they were splinters of fallen stars. Many long dead cultures have sought the divine or the mystical in diamond, thereby explaining its specialities.
Perhaps the earliest symbolic use of diamonds was as the eyes of Hindu devotional statues. The diamonds themselves were thought to be endowments from the gods and were therefore cherished. The point at which diamonds assumed their divine status is not known, but early texts indicate they were recognized in India since at least 400 BC.
In western culture, diamonds are the traditional emblem of fearlessness and virtue. Although rarely seen in jewellery prior to the Baroque period, early examples of betrothal jewels incorporating diamonds include the Bridal Crown of Blanche (ca. 1370-1380) and the Heftlein brooch of Vienna (ca. 1430-1440), a pictorial piece depicting a wedding couple.
Today, diamonds are used to symbolize eternity and love, being often seen adorning engagement rings. This modern tradition can be directly traced to the marketing campaigns of De Beers, starting in 1938. These campaigns have included measures such as:
- showing diamonds as wedding gifts in popular romantic movies
- publishing stories in magazines and newspapers which would emphasize the romantic value of diamonds and associate them with celebrities
- employing fashion designers and other trendsetters to promote the trend on radio and, later, television
- enlisting the Royal Family of the United Kingdom to directly promote diamonds.
This campaign was described by De Beers' PR agency N. W. Ayer as "a new form of advertising which has been widely imitated ever since" with "no brand name to be impressed on the public mind. There was simply an idea -- the eternal emotional value surrounding the diamond." Indeed, the campaign succeeded in reviving the American diamond market, which had been weakened by "competitive luxuries", and in opening new markets where none had existed before. In Japan, for example, diamonds were successfully promoted as a western symbol of status, which coincided with Japan's cultural opening after World War II. Japan, which had no diamond tradition before the De Beers campaign, is today the second largest market for retail diamonds.
The slogan "A Diamond is Forever", invented by N.W. Ayer, is one of the most successful slogans in marketing history. Its purpose is to dissuade women from selling the diamonds they have received, so that prices can remain at a high level even at times of economic hardship.
The diamond engagement ring is, however, not an original invention of De Beers. It can be traced to the marriage of Maximilian I (then Archduke of Austria) to Mary of Burgundy in 1477. While the act did much to advance the Habsburg empire, it did little to make the diamond ring a widely encountered expression of betrothal.
The inception of the engagement ring itself can be tied to the Fourth Lateran Council presided over by Pope Innocent III in 1215. Innocent declared a longer waiting period between betrothal and marriage; plain rings of gold, silver or iron were used earliest. Gems were more than baubles; they were important and reassuring status symbols to the aristocracy. Laws were passed to preserve a visible division of social rank, ensuring only the privileged wore florid jewels. As time passed and laws relaxed, diamonds and other gems became obtainable to the middle class.
The LifeGem company further taps modern symbolism by offering to synthetically convert the carbonized remains of people or pets into "memorial diamonds." However, many people still feel very uncomfortable at the thought of wearing the carbonized remains of people as jewelry.