APRIL: DIAMOND

April Birthstone: Diamond

April’s birthstone, the dazzling Diamond, induces obsession and entirely unapologetically so!  With its white-hot brilliance and irresistible allure, few gemstones possess such magnetic power over collectors and rockhounds alike.  The word Diamond derives from the Greek “adamas”, meaning invincible, most befitting given this gemstone is celebrated for both its extraordinary strength and smouldering swagger.  Such brilliance!  Such fire!  Such scintillation!  One could almost be forgiven for developing a lifelong Diamond addiction – literally a serial stoner!

Now to add a little to your scientific repertoire, beyond the famous Four Cs - Cut, Colour, Carat and Clarity (jargon used for grading a Diamond) - Diamonds are also admired for three optical wonders that create their unmistakeable sparkle:

• Brilliance: the intense white light reflected from a Diamond’s precisely cut facets.
  
• Fire: flashes of spectral colour created as light disperses through the stone.
• Scintillation: the lively sparkle and dancing flashes of light produced by the interplay of Brilliance and Fire!

Together, these qualities give diamonds their legendary radiance.

 
Healing Properties:
The Diamond is traditionally associated as the gemstone of strength, happiness and longevity!!  And in tales of yore, Diamonds were thought to possess powerful protective qualities to ward off illness and even the plague!! Obviously, a complete medical necessity so ice yourselves ‘tis after all, for your protection!  But far more importantly Diamonds ignite the flame of love!  Choose love, choose Diamonds! 

 
Potted History & Magical Myths: 
Diamonds were traded as early as the fourth century BC and quickly became treasures revered by royalty and coveted across civilisations.  Early alluvial diamonds, discovered in Indian riverbeds, travelled the ancient trade routes to Venetian markets, and by the fifteenth century those “bobby dazzlers” had become the height of fashionable adornment. The dazzling Diamond zeitgeist!

In the eighteenth century, Indian deposits declined but Brazil samaba’d onto the scintillation scene, leading the Diamond world for over 150 years.  Fast forward to the late nineteenth century, the discovery of vast deposits in South Africa transformed the industry entirely, with De Beers controlling an estimated 90% of global production.

Among the most celebrated stones ever mined is the Cullinan I, or The Great Star of Africa, now set magnificently in the Sovereign’s Royal Sceptre within the British Crown Jewels — a dazzling reminder of the Diamond’s enduring association with power, prestige and spectacle.

Today, with its adamantine strength and extraordinary beauty, the Diamond stands as the universal symbol of love, adorning engagement rings and treasured heirlooms alike.  Diamond delectations for digit decadence!

 
Description: