April: Diamond

Most women born in April feel that they’re lucky to have a birthstone that they can wear with everything (though, parents buying birthstone jewelry for their children don’t always feel so lucky!).  Diamonds are probably the most popular gemstone in any jewelry store, despite the expense.  They are used in engagement rings, wedding bands, pendants, bracelets, earrings, watches, men’s fashion rings, and cufflinks, to name a few.  Few things are as universally adored as the simple, sparkling beauty of a diamond.

 
Diamonds are the hardiest stones in the gem world.  They have the highest rating on the Mohs Hardness Scale (a 10 out of 10), meaning that they can only be scratched by other diamonds, or metal materials that are as hard as diamonds.  Diamonds that are unfit for decorative purposes are used in lasers, or as electric and thermal conductors.

As you might expect, diamonds have a long history throughout the world.  Historians have traced diamonds in India back to at least 3000 B.C., if not 6000 B.C.  The first evidence of diamond symbolism was found in Hindu devotional statues where diamonds were used as the eyes of the gods.  The oldest dated book in the world is called “Diamond Sutra,” and is from 868 A.D.  This book was found in a cave in northwestern China.  Sutras are used to relay the teachings of the Buddha.  Here, of course, “diamond” does not refer to the stone, but to 'diamond blade that will cut through worldly illusion to illuminate what is real and everlasting'.  As you can see, diamonds have always left an impression on human beings.

Today, nearly half of the world’s diamonds are mined throughout Africa.  However, there are other viable mining deposits in Russia, Australia, Canada, and Brazil.

 
 
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