Diamond Jewelry: A Guide to April's Birthstone
Do you love wearing sparkling diamonds? Learn what makes April’s birthstone so special with these amazing facts.
They say diamonds are BFF material, and here at Jedora we have to agree! Known as “the king of gemstones,” April’s birthstone is THE ever-enduring diamond! Diamonds, no matter the color, are a timeless way to show your love and appreciation for yourself or others! Jedora has put together a quick overview of diamond and diamond jewelry to help you understand the meaning and history of this stone, as well as a few of our favorite diamond jewelry pieces!
With nicknames like “the king of gemstones” and “a girl’s best friend”, we all know diamond as one of the most desirable gemstones on the planet since it was originally found. In fact, diamond jewelry has been so highly prized, there were times in history only royalty was allowed to wear it. Here are more sparkling facts you should know about April’s birthstone:
History of Diamonds
First discovered in India around two-thousand years ago, diamonds have been cherished ever since! While diamonds and their connection with love comes from the ancient Roman belief that Cupid’s arrows were tipped with diamond; the first known engagement ring did not make an appearance until almost 500 years ago. In 1477, Archduke Maxmillian of Austria commissioned a gold ring with diamonds in the shape of an “M” for his fiancée, Mary of Burgundy.
Since 1477, diamond engagement rings have been the most popular of all gemstone-based engagement rings. Starting in the tenth century, diamonds became extremely popular in the Western world and became a symbol of love and marriage. In 1286, priest Guillaume Durand recorded, ‘... the diamond is unbreakable and like love is unquenchable and stronger than death, so it suits to be worn on the ring finger, the vein of which comes directly from the heart’.
The cutting and altering of diamonds is a relatively modern practice, as the Indian royalty kept them as talismans in their rough form. In the 14th century, a landmark diamond-cutting technique was discovered in Italy, allowing for new cuts to be developed, including faceted and fancy cuts. While Antwerp, Belgium is known as the “diamond capital of the world” for attracting buyers and sellers of rough diamonds from around the world, it is New York City that takes first place for selling cut diamonds. Almost 80% of the world’s cut diamonds are sold in New York City before making their way to the final customers.
Diamonds have dazzled royals and celebrities alike, but finally made their way to the masses in the early 20th century, due to new diamond veins being found in Africa and the United States.
Meaning and Composition of Diamonds
Their name comes from the ancient Greek word adamas meaning ‘unbreakable’. This was an early reference to the fact that diamonds are the hardest known gemstone, being a level 10 on the Mohs Hardness Scale. Additionally, diamond is so hard that it can only be scratched by another diamond.
Diamonds are said to signify love, commitment, strength, purity and eternal beauty. No wonder it’s such a popular choice for engagement rings!
Diamonds’ compositions are actually very similar to a common mineral — graphite! Despite diamonds being earth’s hardest natural substance and graphite being so soft you can write with it; both are made of 100% carbon. Furthermore, the creation of diamonds require Billions of years under extreme pressure and heat; these conditions are found 90-120 miles below the earth’s surface and cause carbon to take diamond’s unique chemical structure and properties.
Fun Facts About Diamonds
Diamonds aren't only colorless.
Colorless diamonds may be the most iconic, but diamonds actually come in almost every color. Some of the most popular hues are yellow, pink, blue and green. Most colored diamonds are only slightly tinted, but some contain all the bold color found in other gemstones while also maintaining the strength of diamond
Finding diamond is less than a one in a million chance.
Even in professional diamond mining operations, an average of one million pounds of host rock needs to be mined to find just one pound of diamond. Out of the over one million carats (~440lbs) of diamonds mined each year, only 20% are high enough quality for use in jewelry. The remaining 80% are used in a variety of industrial and medical tools.
You can dig for your own diamond in Arkansas.
If you are looking for a unique road trip, Murfreesboro, Arkansas is home to “The World’s Only Keep What You Find Diamond Site” where you can dig for your own diamonds and take home whatever you find. Crater of Diamonds State Park is home to white, brown and yellow diamonds, amethysts, garnets and other gemstones. Fun fact: the largest diamond ever found in the United States, named the Uncle Sam Diamond and weighing 40.23 carats, was found at this park in 1924.
There is a diamond literally the size of a star.
Better known by its nickname “Lucy” after the Beatles song “Lucy in the Sky With Diamonds”, the star BMP 37093 is one third pure diamond and would weigh 10 billion trillion trillion carats(10 followed by 33 zeros) or 5 million trillion trillion pounds(5 followed by 30 zeros). In contrast, the largest diamond ever found on earth -the Cullinan diamond- weighed only 3106 carats or 1.33 pounds and was later cut into 109 diamonds.
Jedora’s Picks
Not that you need any help choosing a diamond of your liking, but we just HAD to show off our favorites! From champagne diamonds to colorless diamonds to pink diamonds, Jedora has a variety of diamond jewelry and loose diamonds for all of your sparkly needs!
- See Jedora’s collection of loose diamond \Z
gemstones to make your own custom birthstone piece.
- Diamond earrings are an enduring classic for a reason! Go for a diamond solitaire stud, or a dazzling multicolor diamond statement earring.
- A diamond ring is simply perfect! Whether a diamond engagement ring or diamond anniversary ring, you cannot go wrong.
- Who would complain about a diamond tennis bracelet? Not us!
- Make like a glamorous actress and show off your black diamond necklace for special occasions (or the grocery store! We support casual diamonds!)
Conclusion
Whether you were born in April or simply appreciate the beauty of diamonds, these gemstones are truly a mesmerizing addition to any jewelry collection. Its radiant colors and loving energies make it a perfect choice for those seeking enduring love in their lives! Make it shine with diamonds!
