Metallurgy, Materials & Chemistry
Diamond mining and use
by ~1st millennium BCEAncient Indian minersArthashastra; RatnashastraPan-Indian / unspecified
1,000 BCE
India recognised, mined and traded diamonds; it was the world's only diamond source for ~2,000 years.
- Dated
- 1,000–1 BCE
- As scholars put it
- by ~1st millennium BCE
- Originator
- Ancient Indian miners
- Source text
- Arthashastra; Ratnashastra
- Region
- Pan-Indian / unspecified
- Discipline
- Metallurgy, Materials & Chemistry
- Evidence
- Documented
- Confidence
- High
- Verification
- Reference-cited
Meanwhile in the West
Europe sourced Indian diamonds until Brazilian finds in the 18th c.
Fair to say
Diamonds were found, not 'invented'; the achievement is mining, valuing and grading them.
Path to modern innovation
The origin of the global diamond trade.
1,000 BCEDiamond mining and use
501 CETransmission
Exported to Europe via trade.
References
- 1Arthashastra
- 2histories of diamonds
Further reading
Corrections and additional sources: edit IND-100 on GitHub.