Color Range: colorless to slightly yellow; may occur in a faint to pronounced color like pink, red, purple, blue, green, orange, brown or black.

Value: Extremely rare to extraordinarily rare, depending upon the variety

While the most commonly found diamonds are colorless with a very faint yellow tinge, diamonds do come in every hue of the rainbow. Most of the shades are faint, but there are exceptions; one of the most notable is the diamond variety known as maernstrike.  Maernstrike diamonds are actually iridescent, producing a fiery play of brilliant color that is truly unlike any other gem.

Two other unusual varieties are the star-of-Tamzyrr diamond and the dragon's-tear diamond. Star-of-Tamzyrr diamonds have a lesser fire than other diamonds, but display a peculiar sky blue star with hundreds of delicate rays when turned to catch the light. Dragon's-tear diamonds display shades of scarlet and cerulean in their pervasive fire, but show not a trace of any other color in the spectrum. There is also a variety of vivid pink diamond that is mined by the Khanshael beneath Dhe'nar lands, but it rarely leaves the hands of the dark dwarves.

Various diamonds may be found all over Elanthia, but some are geographically limited, such as star-of-Tamzyrr diamonds (which are found only in the southern part of the Turamzzyrian Empire), maernstrike diamonds (which are found only in elven lands), and large yellow diamonds (which are found only in the arctic north near Icemule Trace.) The legendary diamond mines at Kherram Olt Dzu are the finest in Elanith, if not the finest in the world.

Worshippers of Eorgina associate all hues of diamond with that goddess, but black diamonds are pervasively known as Eorgina's sign -- a truth that is particularly strong among the elves, where legends of the Li'aerion Artisans still endure. Few elves will wear black diamonds unless they mean it to indicate that they share Eorgina's views and ideals, for, while they do not worship the Arkati, they do recognize their presence and power, and those unwilling to serve Eorgina have no wish to attract her eye.

Virtually every culture has something different to say about diamond, but all Elanthian races save the sylvans hold it in high esteem. (This is not an impressive exception, since the sylvans have never had much use for gems, preferring unadorned silver or mithril in metalwork jewelry.)

Diamonds are useful as focuses in all varieties of magical working save one -- that of sorcery. Diamonds innately resist having more than one variety of mana channeled through them at a single time. Using diamonds in attempts to enhance sorcery will often hinder spells rather than enhancing them. At best, the stones are inert; at worst, they explode. Still, the Faendryl find them attractive, and there is no danger of explosion if the diamond is not deliberately included in the spell.

Although the Erithi rarely wear diamond jewelry, preferring the elegance of agate and jade, they do recognize that this jewel possesses greater power to enhance the mental arts of transference than any other stone. The greatest savants of the Eloth Dai create teleportation talismans of remarkable power from owl feathers with diamond beads upon their shafts. These talismans are attuned to their creators and resist use by anyone not of the Eloth Dai.

In elven heraldry, diamonds are the royal jewel of House Illistim. As well as bestowing the heraldic honor upon their own people, monarchs of Ta'Illistim will often bestow diamond jewelry upon those who particularly please them, a sign of royal favor that may be extended under rare circumstance outside the race of elves. One case of such an occurrence came upon Eoantos 13 of 5103 in the city of Ta'Illistim. After announcing that the Aelotoi would have the right to hold full citizenship in the elven cities, Queen Myasara presented Braedn, ambassador of the Aelotoi people, with a maernstrike diamond pendant crafted in the sign of a peacock to represent her esteem for him.

Beneath the ground, diamonds are not particularly uncommon, but dwarves have a great love for diamonds. They feel that the gem is an excellent expression of the Dwarven spirit -- unimpressive at first, but sparkling with a fire like no other once cut -- and diamonds are the traditional Dwarven courting gift. Some dwarves give rings when expressing their passion this way, but larger pieces of jewelry are more common, such as bracelets, circlets, beard ornaments, and necklaces. While diamonds are mined in many parts of Elanith, the marvelous diamond mines at Kherram Olt Dzu are really without parallel. The fame of the Oltregek Clan as gem-miners began with their discovery of diamonds at Kherram Olt Dzu, and it has only increased ever since.

Once a miner parts with a diamond, and once it has been cut and polished, another culture's interest in diamonds becomes particularly apparent. While gnomes traditionally delight in all "sparklies," they are especially drawn to diamonds, an interest that crosses almost all cultural boundaries within the race. Nylem rogues ensure that no jeweler's strongbox remains safe when it contains a selection of diamonds, resulting in many gem sellers who desperately offload diamonds before the gnomes discover that a new shipment has arrived. The Withycombes take great pride in gem cutting, and, as they value the sparkle of a gem above all its other qualities, they prefer diamonds above all other gems. Among the Vylem bloodline, the adolescent gnome queens take great pride in bedecking themselves with the gems in imitation of their chosen patron.

The most disconcerting use of diamonds in gnomish culture (to outsiders, at least) is doubtlessly the coming-of-age ritual of the Felcour bloodline, in which the young gnome is given a knife and challenged with defending himself against a hardened warrior. Under rare circumstance, the diamond does not come into play, but the young gnome is not expected to prevail. Typically, the warrior beats the adolescent brutally into unconsciousness, and then someone implants a jagged shard of diamond beneath the young gnome's skin and stitches the wound closed. When the shard works its way out again, the gnome brings it back to the warrior and is deemed an adult from that day henceforth. Some groups of Felcour use the same diamond over and over again to induct their adolescents, while others permit the youth to retain the diamond shard afterward. One particularly savage group is distinguished by requiring the young gnome to hold the shard of diamond while a trained battlechanter shatters it with his voice. This leaves a particularly distinctive scar on the hand that these Felcour call "the second bloodmark."

Star-of-Tamzyrr diamonds were named when Selantha Anodheles, first Empress of the Turamzzyrian Empire, scorned all other gems to wear these jewels in her crown during her coronation. By wearing diamonds on her brow, in the eyes of her people, Selantha called on the power of the diamonds to enhance her keenness of thought. Selantha herself was not noted for superstition, being a practical, deadly sort of woman, but it enhanced her reputation for intelligence. The crown itself was a foot-high marvel of white gold worked into twisted, diamond-inlaid flame shapes. For safety, the crown is worn only at the highest court occasions.

According to the traditions of human healers and mages, diamonds strengthen particular bodily functions depending upon where they are worn. It is said that wearing a diamond above the pulse in your wrist will increase your physical strength, wearing diamonds at your earlobes will increase your perceptiveness, wearing a diamond pendant over your heart will inspire you creatively, wearing a diamond on your ankle will make you surefooted, and wearing a diamond ring will inspire passion within you -- which is why human tradition requires that diamonds be given when courting or wedding. The ring is the most common marital diamond gift because, when compared to other pieces of jewelry, rings are extraordinarily difficult to steal, and they are attractive at even a small size -- an important consideration when finances are a concern.

Giantmen traditionally believe that a spirit inhabits every diamond. Dark-hued diamonds are believed to be inhabited by female spirits, while pale diamonds are inhabited by male spirits. It is considered unwise to wear diamonds unless you are a cleric or otherwise trained in spiritual magic, and it is seen as particularly dangerous for people of a fertile age to wear diamonds opposite their own gender, as the diamond's spirit will battle with the potential parent's spirit and cause deformity in his or her children.

Samarak the Grim, first chieftain of the Grot'karesh Hammer Clan, would often describe women who had earned his respect as being "as wily as a black diamond's fire!" Upon at least five recorded occasions, he presented women in his newly formed clan with a distinctive ornament that he called "a black spirit amulet," using it each time as a way to reward someone who had aided the newly forming clan with a significant feat of spiritual magic. Each one was made from a magnificent, tear-shaped black diamond set in a disk of silver, and leather bands spanned the disk in such a way that it could be bound about the head, woven into the hair, or worn as a choker with equal ease. No one ever knew where Samarak obtained these diamonds. The Jastevian priestess Anshosar, who lives in Kilanirij and advises the current chieftain of the Grot'karesh, currently wears one of the black spirit amulets. The whereabouts of the other four (or more, if more than five were distributed) are unknown.

The word diamond comes from the Greek word "adamas" meaning unconquerable or invincible.  Interestingly, its Aryan root "dam", to tame or subdue, is also the basis of the word "madam".  The adjective adamas was employed to describe the hardest substance known and became synonymous with the gem.

It will always be the oldest item that anyone can own, from 50 million years old for the most recent deposits to 2.5 billion years for the oldest.  Formed more than 100 miles below the surface of the Earth and shot to the surface by volcanoes, it is also a strategic and high-tech material.

We commonly associate with this natural crystalline mineral wealth, prosperity, social status, and love but lightning, magic, healing, protection and poisoning are also evoked in other cultures or in other times.

A house or garden touched at each corner with a diamond was supposed to be protected from lightning, storms, and blight.  Diamonds were also supposed to impart virtue, generosity, as well as to calm the mentally ill and even to determine lawsuits in the wearer's favor.  Not only was it commonly believed that diamonds could bring luck and success, but also that they could counter the effects of astrological events.

The Hindus believed that they were created when bolts of lightning struck rocks.  They even placed some in the eyes of some of their statues.  Jewish high priests turned to diamonds to decide the innocence or guilt of the accused: a stone held before a guilty person was supposed to dull and darken, while when held before an innocent one to glow with increased brilliance.

Until the 14th Century, only Kings could wear diamonds, because they stood for strength, courage, and invincibility.  Kings led the battles on the battlefields wearing heavy leather breastplates studded with diamonds and other precious stones because it was believed that diamonds possessed God given magical qualities and powers far beyond the understanding of common man.  Thus, warriors stayed clear of Kings and those who were fortunate enough to have the magical diamonds in their breastplates.  Since then this gem has acquired its present status as the ultimate gift of love.

Even rough diamonds were worn as talismans against poisoning; diamond powder administered internally was however a legendary poison.  The son of the Turkish Sultan Bajazet (1447-1513) was said to have murdered his father pouring a large quantity of powdered diamond in his father's food.  In 1532, Pope Clement VII's doctors dosed him with fourteen spoonfuls of pulverized gems, including diamond, which resulted in death for the patient.

Diamond is the birthstone for the month of April.  Diamond is the anniversary gemstone for the 30th and 60th year of marriage. Diamond jewelry is the anniversary gift for the 10th year of marriage.