From the Earth to Your Hand, the Journey of a Diamond

Everyone knows that diamonds are among the most precious items on earth. But not everyone realizes the journey from a rough stone to a beautiful faceted gem is very long and difficult.

A diamond's story begins deep in the earth - 100 to 200 miles below the surface. Basically diamonds have two main uses: in Jewelry (due to their rarity and beautiful appearance) and in Industrial Applications (due to their unique molecular properties). In terms of quantity, about 30% of diamonds are of gem quality and are distributed to experts for cutting, polishing and jewelry production. The remaining 70% of diamonds are sold to industries for cutting, drilling, grinding and polishing in industrial applications. The Journey of a Diamond from the Earth to Retail contains several stages. Exploration, Mining, sorting, cutting & polishing, Jewelry Manufacturing and retailing. To learn all the twists and turns a rough diamond takes, check this out.

The value of diamond jewelry sold each year exceeds $60 billion US, which includes the cost of the diamonds, precious metals and other gems. America represents the largest market share (55%), followed by Japan (15%), Europe (10%), Asia Pacific (5%), Asia Arabic (5%) and other countries (10%). According to independent research, diamond jewelry is the most highly sought-after category of luxury goods, both by women for themselves and by men for gifts. The diamond industry employs approximately ten million people around the world, both directly and indirectly, across a wide spectrum of roles from mining to retailing.

The diamond's strength and pure transparent beauty have always represented the purest emotions of human heart -- commitment and deep lasting love. For over 64 years, Parks Diamond Jewelers has been one of the most trusted names in jewelry in the Texarkana region. Parks is committed to make every customer "feel at home" with their personalized service and their classic to cutting edge jewelry designs.

To celebrate the diamond, and your love, Parks Diamond Jewelers is giving you a chance to win $50,000 towards diamonds and the wedding of your dreams.

Click here to enter. Contest ends September 30, 2011.