THE DEFECTS IN DIAMONDS

The following defects were identified in the ancient books of Garuda Purana.

1.Spots - The diamond pieces with spots like water marks make the piece defective. If the spots are red that must always be rejected.

2.Black Signs - If the diamond pieces would have the black stamps like the clutch of a crow, that is said to have been as inauspicious as the life-takers.

3. If the diamond pieces were having the island-type imprints on their masses, which could be of four colours such as white, yellow, red and black, were con­sidered inauspicious.

4. If the diamond pieces had acquired many unwanted elements in their sides, cones and middle of their masses, those were considered inauspicious.

5. If there were any of the four types of lines, such as: lines going through the left side, going through the right side, crossing a line, or crossing the line and going upwards, then of these four the first one is considered of good quality. Apart from these, the pieces with oiliness, yellowish pale­ness, grayness, depression on the masses, cracks, lack of shine, and high rough-ness are all considered defective diamonds.

THE INVINSIBLE AND UNIQUE

The diamonds do not only have any equal among the metamorphic rocks but is unique even among all the procureable objects on earth. It is indeed the Vajra, the thunder, owned by the Gods' king, Indra, which is made of the diamonds. The Vajra is such powerful that by its dazzling thunderous strokes of lightning its cleaves any density of the clouds and down the life-sustaining downpour to create the streams, rivers and seas.Diamonds is attached to thunder and the Lord Indra for several justified reasons. It is said; Lord Indra has killed the demon king, Wali, by hurling the vajra or thunder and got many new gems and jewels.

It is also said in Indian mythology, when Lord Indra failed to conquer another demon king Vritrasoor, then he went for years of penance to win the blessings and suggestion that there lived a pious and humanity's well wishing saint named, Dadhichi, who agreed to part with his bones, could help make the weapons that would kill the demon king. Indeed, the weapons out of these bones are considered the Vajra, the invincible weapon for any demons for that matter. Found in the metamorphic shapes these jewels have been named by the Sanskrit scholars as Vajra. Even in English the word diamonds' is a derivative of the Latin word 'admas' which actually means invincible.

VALUATION OF DIAMONDS

Sage Varahamihira had also valued diamond and estab­lished a standard for the purpose. Eight seeds of mustard forms one grain of rice. The diamond piece weighing equivalent of 20 such grains of rice should cost two lakhs of kasharpana (Value used during that periods). Indeed a highly expensive jewel, diamond's prices continue to go up upto twelve rattis and after that at each three rattis, its price just doubles.

(The conversion table for various weighing systems for gemstones is:

1 Gram = 5 Carats = 1000 Milligrams

200 Milligrams = 1 Carat or = 100 Cents

182 Milligrams = 1 Standard Ratti (Stones Ratti)

It is advisable if the stones are bought as per their weight in Carats as it is a standard term throughout the world. But in India, many times you get stones made following the system of Savaya and sold in their weight as Rattis. This should also be acceptable.

(Cf. Ratna Aur Jyotish, Page 39).

DEFECTIVE DIAMONDS

The Sages of the ancient times have identified many demerits which should enlighten the native about the authencity of a diamond piece. These are: 1. Paleness, 2. Yellowish ness, 3. Lined, 4. Full of Depressions in the Mass, 5. Oily, 6. Glaze less, 7.Extremely Hard, 8. Dotted with Black Bubbles, 9. Having White Dots and having the Sign of a Crow's Claws. This apart, the diamond pieces with red dots are highly injurious. It is called a killer diamond. Diamond piece with the look of a fly, having hair like lines, with the blotches of clay in the mass, stray granules of solid dust, burnt, blemished, without lustre, and brittle-type diamond would seldom ensure happy results. Similarly, the diamond pieces spotted with water bubbles are also not auspicious.