[EDITORIAL NOTE:  Below are three suggested introductions that can be used to tie into specific annual events. The diamond factoids are divided into four parts, all or part which can be used on a space available basis.]

For Valentine’s Day
One of the most popular Valentine’s Day gifts are diamonds – also known as “the gemstone of love.” Here are some interesting facts about diamonds, provided by the Gemological Institute of America in Carlsbad, Calif.
For April
Diamond is April’s birthstone. Here are some interesting facts about diamonds, provided by the Gemological Institute of America in Carlsbad, Calif.
For the Holiday Gift-Giving Season
Every year, one of the most popular gifts given during the holiday season are diamonds. Here are some interesting facts about diamonds, provided by the Gemological Institute of America in Carlsbad, Calif.
Did you know…?
• Diamonds are the hardest natural substance on Earth.
• Diamonds were formed approximately 100 miles beneath the earth’s surface.
• Diamond crystals are brought closer to the earth’s surface through volcanic activity.
• 250 tons of earth must be mined to produce a single one-carat diamond.
• Less than 20 percent of the diamonds mined worldwide are gem-quality.
• The earliest written account of diamonds dates back to around 500 B.C.
Courtesy the Gemological Institute of America.

Did you know…?
• In their pure state, diamonds are colorless.
• Blue and pink are the rarest colored diamonds.
• Yellow and brown are the most common colored diamonds.
Courtesy the Gemological Institute of America.

Did you know…?
• Diamond is the hardest natural substance on earth.
• Diamonds are virtually fireproof. To burn a diamond, it must be heated to 1292 degrees Fahrenheit. (The typical house fire reaches a temperature of approximately 1100 degrees.)
• Only one polished diamond out of a thousand weighs more than one carat.
• The word carat comes from the Carob Mediterranean tree whose seed was used for centuries as the standard of weighing precious stones.
• 1 carat = .2 grams or .007 ounces.
• The largest rough diamond, discovered in 1905, is the Cullinan diamond, weighing in at 3,106 carats (2.8 pounds)!
Courtesy the Gemological Institute of America.

Did you know…?
• Even though the U.S. only accounts for less than one percent of total global gemstone production, America buys more than half of the world’s gem quality diamonds – making it the world’s largest diamond market. (Consumers in the united states alone purchased $9 billion worth of loose gem-quality diamonds in 2001.)
• Australia produces the most diamonds by volume.
• Until the 18th century, the only diamond mines were in India.
Courtesy the Gemological Institute of America.