Lore:Diamond

Diamond ore

Diamond is a kind of rare, transparent, and hard crystal that is extremely valuable.^[1] Their value is determined by their clarity and brilliance, unlike other gems. The difficulty in cutting a sample also plays a factor in its overall value.^[2] Not only is a diamond valuable, but it is very versatile and can be applied in crafting. For example, diamonds in the armor-making process reinforce the final product by improving its durability and resistance to critical attacks.^[3] Diamond can be an ingredient in alchemy and are commonly sold by fine alchemists. Crushed diamonds mixed with Bittergreen petals can make a potion of invisibility, an effect that is widely prized.^[1]^[4] Invisibility is one of several different effects that diamonds can produce, such as spell resistance, reflect, and detect key.^[5]

Several ruins throughout Tamriel used diamond keys to access deeper parts of it. For example, the diamond key in the Labyrinthian, guarded by the spirit of Mogrus the Dim was one of two to open the ruins' inner sanctum.^[6] Other dungeons such as the Halls of Colossus,^[7] the Crystal Tower,^[8] and Dagoth-Ur also use them.^[9] In a similar sense, the Dragon Cult ruins of Skyrim use artifacts called Dragon Claws to open circular puzzle doors. They are made out of gems and the Diamond Claw was used in a temple called Skuldafn. In its palm was the answer to the riddle. It was the Fox, the Moth, and the Dragon.^[10] Another example is the Diamond Paragon, a large creamy white stone cut like a navette created by the Snow Elves of the Forgotten Vale. It was made to activate a portal egress to another part of the region.^[11]

On the island of Vvardenfell, the only diamond mine in the district was the Abaelun Mine, located northeast in Caldera and west of the Foyada Mamaea. Despite that, diamond veins rarely appear throughout the district and are located in far-off caves like the Abanabi Caves on the Zafirbel Bay, Dun-Ahhe in the Dry Camp Valley, and Punammu on Lake Amaya.^[1]

In the hills of Yokuda, there are plenty of volcanic geodes and jewels, and the ancient Yokudans mined several gems including diamonds. However, because their metric of worth was the gem's rich color and creamy luster, diamonds were often discarded because of their lack of hue.^[12] The Taneth noblewoman, Falorah was called the "Jewel of Taneth" because she was as beautiful, cold and hard as a diamond.^[13]

There are several notable diamond samples throughout history, such as the Resolute Diamonds, two chunks of azure diamond that serve as keys to the Crystal Tower in northern Summerset Isle. They only work with specially-attuned Sapiarchs called Tower Sentinels, who then undergo a long ritual to link themselves to the diamonds. The charge lasts for eleven years until their successors can re-attune.^[14] In 2E 582, the Daedric Prince of Deceit and Secrets, Mephala combined the two diamonds and turned it into a single diamond, one that serves as a key to the Crystal Tower but bounds its wielder to reality.^[15]