Legion World Forums LEGION OUTPOST Mission Monitor Board Gems thread

...The Gemological Institute of America (GIA) recognizes these as real diamonds from a compositional perspective. But, the man-made diamonds don't have the rich geological history that natural diamonds do. Laboratories simulate the heat and pressure from the Earth's mantle that create natural diamonds. For the synthetic manufacturers and the consumers, diamonds come down to a matter of time and money: days versus millions of years, thousands of dollars versus tens of thousands of dollars or more (man-made diamonds sell for about 30 percent less than natural ones) [source: MSN]. If you want a uniquely colored, relatively inexpensive diamond (it will cost less than a natural colored diamond), you can find man-made ones in shades of orange, yellow, pink and blue. Finding a large diamond will prove a greater challenge -- most man-made diamonds weigh less than one carat...

--Kevin Bonsor and Candace Keener

...These Roman gemstones were lost during the period between AD 75 and AD 230. This remarkable collection of 88 gems (one of the largest single deposits to be found anywhere in Roman Empire) were found in the sediments of a large drain beneath the cold hall of the baths. They would have originally been set in finger-rings. Most belonged to the legionary soldiers, but some may have been lost by the civilians and women who were also admitted to the baths...