what makes a Diamond 'important'? I was recently watching antiques roadshow and they had a fancy yellow diamond pendant that was about 2 cararts and the appraiser called it an 'important' diamond. i'm not sure why? is there a certain size or other criteria that makes a diamond 'important'? not just for fancy colors either....

My boss used to say that a lot. "We need a paper about X but the press will see it- can you write 200 weasely words on that?"

Well, diamonds are "important" for several reasons.

1) amazing hardness (the hardest natural substance on earth)!  Diamonds are actually used in industrial tools, surgical instruments and spaceship equipment because of their super hardness!

2) beautiful brilliance/sparkle: Diamonds have a really interesting crystal structure that slows down light and refracts it making the stone look like it sparkles in different colors and refracts light all over the place!

3) Rarity: Diamonds are hard to find- especially big diamonds. This means that, since demand for diamonds is high, the price of diamonds is high too!  Because of the high price of diamonds, diamonds are important in international trade as well.

4) historical importance: diamonds have been symbols of power and wealth for thousands of years!  They were first discovered in india where they were used in ornamenting statues of their gods.  Since then, diamonds and many other gemstones were thought to have godly powers.  Frequently, they were thought to protect warriors from harm.

5) Romantic Symbolism: This one can be blamed on De Beers.  In the 1940s, they revamped their marketing campaign and launched their "Diamonds are forever" ad.  Since then, women and men all over the world have accepted the diamond as a symbol of everlasting love. 

I'm sure there are other reasons...but these are the ones that came to mind first.

I'm super interested to hear what you all have to say!