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The Nature of Diamonds
  1. What's in a Name?
  2. A Royal Gem
  3. Love & Betrothal
  4. Origins in India
  5. Indian Traditions
  6. Caste & Buddhism
  7. Mediterranean
  8. Myths & Legends
  9. Trade
  10. The Middle Ages
  11. Renaissance
  12. 17th Century
  13. 18th Century
  14. 19th Century
  15. 20th Century

Around 1600, gems assume more importance than their settings, marking a change in jewelry design that coincided with the peak century of Indian diamond production. The role of metal in jewelry is reduced to that of a framework, and enamel disappears from the front of jewels, now used only on the backs. The classical elements favored in the Renaissance are eventually replaced by naturalism in the form of sprays of leaves and flowers, ribbons tied into knots, and simplified geometric lozenges, ovals, and circles. The rose-cut diamond is seen in combination with the aging point and table cuts, closely packed together in continuous lines or clusters. The first brilliant-cut diamonds, an enhancement of the table-cut, appear, and further strengthen the feature role of diamond in jewelry. In addition, silver begins to be substituted for the traditional gold settings to avoid yellow reflections cast over the diamond's white brilliance.

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