Until as recently as 200 years ago, all red gemstones such as red spinel and the reddish garnets were called “ruby.” Any discussion of the origins and history of ruby must take such facts into consideration. Incidentally, it is said that ancient Rome acquired ruby, the “king of gems,” from what is present-day Sri Lanka. Therefore it follows that commercial mining had already been established in Sri Lanka by that time.

Diamonds were highly valued and revered as talismans in India as early as the 8th century B.C. From that time until their discovery in Brazil in 1725, India was the sole source of diamond. Prominent citizens of ancient Rome wore rough diamonds set in gold rings because of their ability to scratch any other substance. At the time, these were worn more for their mystical properties than for enjoyment of their beauty. Considering the quality of diamonds from ancient Rome, it is apparent that stones of finer quality were not exported, being kept for use within India instead.

The first European to visit the diamond mines in India was the French gem merchant Jean-Baptiste Tavernier (1605~1689). Tavernier traveled to the East six times between 1631 and 1664, and wrote The Six Voyages, a journal of his travels. Both an adventurer and a preeminent gemstone merchant, he visited the Court of the Mogul Empire and Golconda, the diamond-trading center of the time, as well as various diamond mines. In his travel journal he describes, in great detail, how the diamonds were dug from terrain of rock and sand (alluvial deposits); how, unlike the Europeans, the Indians were more concerned about retaining weight; and how trade was freely allowed. Tavernier also noted that at the time, the price of diamonds greater than 3 carats could be calculated by multiplying the square of the weight of the stone by the price of a one-carat diamond.

It is recorded that colored stones were found in the Kingdom of Pegu (Myanmar) and the island of Ceylon (Sri Lanka), with gems such as ruby, spinel, topaz, sapphire, hyacinth (zircon), and amethyst coming from Pegu. Tavernier also wrote that there were lions, tigers, and elephants in Pegu-making travel by ship necessary- and that travel from Europe to Persia and India required finding a route that would avoid pirates at sea. Tavernier also noted which caravans were best to associate with, reminding us of how difficult a task it was to travel 350 years ago. Apparently Ceylon produced ruby, sapphire, and topaz, and these were more beautiful and clear than those from Pegu. His writings show that it was already known then that Hungary was the sole source of opal, and that Persia was the source of turquoise. Tavernier returned to Paris on the late 1660s and sold Louis XIV a collection of diamonds from India that included a blue diamond. In recognition of his services, a title of nobility was conferred upon him.

The discovery of diamonds in South Africa in 1866 dramatically increased the production of diamond. Combined annual production (all types of rough, including industrial quality) for India, Brazil, and South Africa in 1870 was 300,000 carats (60 kilograms). By 1880, South Africa alone produced 3 million carats (600 kg), 10 times the 1870 total. Subsequent production from other African countries resulted in production of 27 million carats (5.4 metric tons) in 1960, and with the further addition of Russia, 43 million carats (8.6 tons) were mined in 1980. Finally, Australian production and the increase in production from Botswana pushed total annual production for 1990 to 101.5 million carats (20.3 tons). (Statistics from Levinson, Alfred A., et al., “Diamond Sources and Production: Past, Present and Future.” Gems & Gemology, Winter 1992. GIA)