There are
interesting anecdotes which relate to the discovery of gems and how
they were acquired. These tales were gathered from tales retold by
the travelers about their travels and travails. One such is
recounted below-a tale of the diamond.
Diamonds have been an age old
statement of power and wealth. They have always been cherished and
valued.
In the regions of lofty mountains and deep gorges and valleys,
diamonds were found in abundance in them and in the beds of the
torrents. When the rains stopped and the streams from the mountain
side stopped flowing, attempts were made to retrieve the diamonds
from the beds and from the valley below.
The valleys were infested with venomous snakes making it difficult
for men attempting to reach for the diamonds. Pieces of flesh with
blood on it were thrown in, to attract the snakes. The diamonds get
embedded in the flesh, which was eaten by the snake. The eagles
above, which happened to catch the sight of the moving snakes below
pounced upon them and made them their prey.
Diamonds were found in the collected from the droppings of the
eagles. Sometimes they were found in the nests of the eagles and
some were found among the carcass of the birds and snakes.
The earliest record of diamond history belongs to 3000 years ago in
India, where these stones were first discovered for their property
to refract light.
Interestingly, this tale is from the Travels of Marco Polo and the
region he talks about in this tale is India.