Updated April 20th, 2020
The April birthstone is a girl’s best friend.
April is here. Those random, lucky people that are born in April are blessed with the king of gemstones – the diamond. Like all birthstones, diamonds have their interesting history that, in this case, dates back to 4th century BC. Legend has it that religious men wore breastplates containing twelve gems. Each of the gemstones was connected to the Zodiac signs and each is associated with a specific month. It became custom for people to wear the gem associated with their own birth month all year long. The diamond is Aries Zodiac Gemstone for birth dates between March 21 – April 19.
The origin and beliefs surrounding the Diamond
“Diamond is adopted from the Greek word Adamas, meaning “invincible”. Diamonds come in a wide range of colors such as black, blue, green, pink, red, purple, orange and yellow. The color is dependent upon the type of impurities that are present in the stone. For instance, yellow stones have minuscule traces of nitrogen while blue ones contain boron.
As told through the Encarta, Sanskrit texts dating back before 400 B.C. found that people associated significant value and wonderment with crystals. There is also significant research dating back to 1330 showing diamond cutting in Venice. The diamond trading business flourished towards the 15th century with the opening of Eastern trade routes. Ancient theories touting the magical powers of diamonds were prevalent: some thought lightning bolts formed diamonds, while other theories asserted that diamonds were the tears of god.
During the Middle Ages, diamonds were thought to hold healing powers and to cure ailments stemming from the pituitary gland and brain. By heating the crystal and taking it to bed, it was thought to draw out the harmful toxins that were crippling the body. It was also believed that diamonds could have an effect on an individual’s balance and clarity and could boost their energy when combined with other crystals like amethyst.
The diamond as the April birthstone has garnered the hearts of many and is the most coveted crystal to date.”
Source:
American Gem Society
Fun Facts about Diamonds.
Diamonds form under very high pressure and temperature conditions that exist deep below the earth’s surface – about 100 miles to be exact. Diamonds consist of carbon atoms and are bonded the same way in all directions. Another similar mineral, graphite, also contains only carbon, however, its formation process and structure are very different.
58X Harder
Diamonds are 58 times harder than any naturally occurring substance on earth. In fact, the only thing that can scratch a diamond is another diamond. Diamonds rank a “10” on the Mohs hardness scale.
1 In 1 Milion
The average yield in most diamond mines is 1 in 1,000,000. That means 1 part diamond to 1,000,000 parts host rock. Just one of the many reasons, diamonds carry such great value.
“LUCY” In The Sky
The largest diamond ever found is not actually of this earth. In fact, it’s the burned out remains of a star named BPM 37093 – 50 lightyears away from Earth in the region of the sky, we refer to as the constellation Centaurus. This white dwarf star is a chunk of crystallized carbon that weighs 5 million, trillion, trillion pounds. If you slipped this guy on your finger, you’d be “rocking” a 10 billion, trillion, trillion “pulsating” carat ring. Hoo Ahh!
What makes a diamond brilliant, is the added human touch of shaping and polishing the gemstone. No other specimen on earth can quite compare to this amazing natural wonder.
The Gittelson Commitment
At Gittelson Jewelers, we specialize in diamonds. We recognize that life’s most precious moments are those that are shared with love and with gifts from the heart. And in April… those moments are shared with diamonds. Explore the possibilities of an April birthstone for someone you love.
Check out our birthstone jewelry guide, for more information.
Schedule an appointment
Getting engaged? Trust the investment in your family, with our family. We’re here to help you pick out or custom design, a diamond engagement ring that will sparkle with memories for generations to come. Schedule an appointment with Gittelson Jewelers below – today.