Romancing the rock
Dogs may do for men, but diamonds are a girl's best friend, confirms Madhurima Sen

Ore and more
The story began in India, around 800 BC, with the discovery of diamond-rich alluvial deposits that probably had volcanic sources. Perhaps that explains the burning passion diamonds inspire in women of all hues! The stone derived its name from the Greek adamas, meaning unconquerable. Taking the implication literally, only kings wore diamonds for a long time, as a symbol of strength, courage and invincibility. Gradually, the indomitable stone came to symbolise the unbreakable bond of love, and became the ultimate gift between lovers, who agreed with the Greeks that the fire within a diamond was the everlasting flame of love. Even Cupid's arrows were said to be tipped with diamonds!

Setting Trends
As the legend grew, women began romancing the stone. In 1477, Mary of Burgundy established the hoary tradition when she received a diamond ring from her fiancé, Archduke Maximilian of Austria. Thus was born the first diamond engagement ring.

Eternal Vows
Women wore the precious bauble on the third finger of their left hand following the early Egyptian belief that the vena amoris (vein of love) ran directly from that finger to the heart. In colonial America, the engagement ring was known as the 'keeper ring' because it was worn over the wedding band and thus became its 'protector' or keeper. For newly weds, the custom of giving a diamond anniversary, eternity or alliance ring - a band of diamonds that says "my love runs out at the circle's end" - continues to be a unique symbol of enduring love. Marilyn Monroe was gifted a platinum eternity ring encrusted with 35 baguette-cut diamonds by her second husband, baseball legend Joe DiMaggio. That the short and stormy marriage didn't last is another story.

Immortal Bonds
Another Hollywood legend who's immortalised these lustrous lumps of carbon is Elizabeth Taylor.

So much so that even her perfume line for women is called White Diamond! Many of her rocks came from Richard Burton, her husband twice over. One of the most famous was the 69.42 carat pear-shaped Taylor-Burton that now hangs from a diamond necklace. It was sold at an auction to Cartier of New York for $1,050,000 and bought the very next day by Burton as a testimony to their empestuous romance. Another of their tokens of affection had a history of passion more harming than theirs: apparently its original owner was Mumtaz Mahal, who was given the heart-shaped yellow diamond by a besotted Shah Jahan.

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