Diamonds—Fragments of the Stars

I love the charming legend that Europeans first discovered diamonds from Africa in the pouch of a shaman, who used them for healing magic. Prehistoric peoples believed they were fragments of the stars and teardrops of the gods.

In the most ancient times, diamonds were worn simply as adornment in their unpolished and rough state. As you might easily guess, diamonds are thought to bring luck, but there is another school of thought purported by diamondphobes who believe that these gems bring sure misfortune. The legend of the Hope diamond is a fascinating history wherein every owner of the royal rock was bankrupted until it was nestled in the safe of the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C.

Diamonds are associated with lightning and with ensuring victory to warriors wearing them. Diamonds are thought to be powerful enough to fend off madness and even to stave off the devil himself ! The medieval mystic Rabbi Benoni believed that diamonds were conducive to true spiritual joy and had power over the very stars and planets in the heavens.

A curiosity regarding most of the lore about diamonds is that they are supposed to be effective only if received as gifts; the outright purchase of a diamond is said to ruin the magic. I don’t agree on this; if I could afford a diamond for myself, I know it would bring me enormous fortune!

Renaissance astrologer and scholar Gerolamo Cardano was wary of the crown jewel of crown jewels. He proclaimed this about the diamond: “It is believed to make the wearer unhappy; its effects therefore are the same upon the mind as that of the sun upon the eye, for the latter rather dims than strengthens the sight. It indeed engenders fearlessness, but there is nothing that contributes more to our safety than prudence and fear; therefore it is better to fear.” Alchemist Pierre de Boniface was far more confident about this queen of crystals, claiming it could render anyone wearing one invisible! Still, other medieval healers and humbugs claimed diamonds could cure poisoning and were themselves a powerful poison if ground up. Perhaps the most obvious unfounded claim regarding diamonds is that they could overcome and cure the plague.