Diamond

"The diamond, symbol of innocence, purity, and strength. Diamonds give courage and strength, protection from pestilence and helps the cause of true love. But take heed of this warning: Diamonds gained by treachery or violence, or desired out of envy or greed, are ill omens, and bring bad fortune. Great evil comes upon those who gain them without honour."

- The Belt of Deltora

The great Diamond is the talisman of the Jalis tribe and holds the first medallion on the Belt of Deltora. It was also the first gem that Adin received when he went on his quest to create the Belt of Deltora.

History
When fire and water "attacked" the Land of Dragons and merged it with the land of Pirra, seven gems were created as gifts to the seven tribes of the land. The Diamond was the land's gift to the Jalis.

Tales of Deltora
The Diamond was the first gem Adin set out to acquire. As he made his way to Jaliad, he encountered a Jalis at a dilapidated hut. The knight immediately challenged and fought Adin, despite the latter claiming that he had come to talk to the Jalis, not fight. The knight won after an intense fight and, instead of killing him as Adin had expected, proclaimed that he would spare his life for one night, since Adin had given him a good fight. He took a confused Adin to Jaliad for a feast and introduced himself as Greel. Greel took him to the feasting hall and insisted that he eat and drink while he could. At the end of the meal, Greel suddenly remembered that Adin had wanted to talk to Jaliad's leaders. He told Adin that if his tale entertained the Jalis, they would let him go while they chased him, but if it did not, they would kill him on the spot. Adin told the Jalis of his dream and the Belt he intended to fill with the gems of the seven tribes, expecting them all to mock him. Instead, the Jalis fell silent and Greel told him the story Tenna of the Jalis, again confusing Adin. Greel proceeded to introduce Adin to Tatti, Tenna's descendant and the storyteller of the Jalis. Greel asked her to tell a particular Tenna Birdsong Tale, one that Adin recognised - the tale of Opal the Dreamer. When Tatti finished the tale, Greel quickly retrieved a golden box containing the Diamond and personally placed it in the Belt, knowing that Adin was the "man of iron and fire" that Opal had waited for.

Forests of Silence
Like the other gems of Deltora, the Diamond was removed from the Belt by the seven Ak-Baba and hidden in a dark and terrible place. The Diamond was placed in the Valley of the Lost and given to Fardeep, a man from the Mere tribe who had succumb to the Shadow Lord's temptation and became The Guardian. He used the Diamond as a lure to bring more people into the valley, where they would become trapped after failing to complete his game.

Jarred, having lost his memory and going under the identity of Doom, eventually made his way to the valley and became the first person to defeat the Guardian. However, he left without claiming the Diamond, as the Guardian tricked Jarred into believing he was King Endon, which caused Jarred to believe the former king had betrayed his people.

The Valley of the Lost
The Diamond was the last gem that Lief, Barda, and Jasmine recovered on their quest to restore the Belt of Deltora. The Guardian showed the Diamond to the companions and Neridah the Swift, who had followed them to the valley in the hopes of stealing the Diamond for herself. She declined the Guardian's game, but later returned to his palace to steal the Diamond while Lief, Barda, and Jasmine were completing his riddle. Barda also suggested that they steal the Diamond, but Lief shot him down, since stealing the Diamond brings bad luck to the thief.

The companions were able to complete the Guardian's game, but the Guardian offered them a lesser Diamond in place of the real one. After Lief destroyed his pets, he revealed where Neridah had taken the real Diamond, and the companions found her drowned in a river. They buried her body and Lief added the Diamond to the Belt.

The Sister of the South
Lief attempted to use the Diamond to heal his mother when she succumbed to the Toran Plague. He later realised that the plague was caused by poison, and the Diamond was not used to heal anyone else.

Powers
It has the power to give physical strength and courage to the user, as well as the ability to remove pestilence. When the Diamond is stolen, then the thief will meet an unfortunate, and painful, end. The Diamond also helps the cause of true love.

Anime
The Diamond's role and powers function the same as in the books. However, the Diamond itself is shown to be very strong, as Barda was able to use it to carve a hole large enough for the companions to escape through when they were chased by the sorcerer Oacus.

Trivia

 * The Diamond is the last gem to be collected by Lief, yet it is the first gem to be collected by Adin.