April Birthstone Blog: Diamonds
If you are an April baby, you might feel one of two ways about your birthstone. You either consider yourself lucky to have the "king of all gems" as your birthstone or unlucky because they are the most expensive of all the birthstones.
Diamonds are essentially comprised of pure carbon, sometimes containing very minor traces of other mineral impurities. To create a natural diamond, we simply follow a recipe of intense pressure, the extreme heat of up to 5000 degrees, and bake away deep underground for a few BILLION years. Then, PRESTO! A beautiful sparkling treasure is born. Diamond is the hardest known natural substance and tops the chart at 10 on the Moh's scale. Being the hardest of all gemstones means that diamonds will easily scratch any other mineral. Because of this hardness, it has withstood the rough conditions of daily wear and tear for many hundreds of years, as seen in antique jewellery.
The word diamond comes from the Greek " adamas" which translates to unbreakable. However, it is a myth that diamonds are indestructible. They can be broken and damaged, like many other gemstones, if it is hit in just the right place, along one of their cleavage planes.
Diamonds are perhaps the most marketed gemstone of all time. It is known to symbolise purity, love, and faithfulness, which are features heavily leaned upon by the marketing departments of the major diamond merchants and the reason why the diamond is the traditional stone used for engagement rings. The rarity of diamonds is another way companies will sometimes market these stones for sales. While it is impressive how a boring old piece of black carbon can transform into something so beautiful, it is not a rare occurrence, and diamonds are most plentiful.
While white is the most commonly seen colour for diamonds available for commercial sale, they also come in a variety of colours, some natural and some with a bit of help from humans. Pink, yellow, blue, green, and even red diamonds have been found naturally. With the help of a little bit of science in a lab, more colours can be enhanced and created using high-pressure heat treatments. A naturally coloured diamond will always hold a much higher value than one artificially coloured.
There are many famous large diamonds throughout history, the largest being the notorious Cullinan diamond. The Cullinan was discovered in South Africa in 1905 and weighed in at a whopping 3106 carats. The Cullinan was eventually cut into 9 large faceted stones (pictured below, with a 1 carat stone at the bottom for scale) and 96 smaller specimens, many of which have been owned by royalty throughout history. Queen Elizabeth II boasted at least 7 in the collection of crown jewels.
Diamonds are essentially comprised of pure carbon, sometimes containing very minor traces of other mineral impurities. To create a natural diamond, we simply follow a recipe of intense pressure, the extreme heat of up to 5000 degrees, and bake away deep underground for a few BILLION years. Then, PRESTO! A beautiful sparkling treasure is born. Diamond is the hardest known natural substance and tops the chart at 10 on the Moh's scale. Being the hardest of all gemstones means that diamonds will easily scratch any other mineral. Because of this hardness, it has withstood the rough conditions of daily wear and tear for many hundreds of years, as seen in antique jewellery.
The word diamond comes from the Greek " adamas" which translates to unbreakable. However, it is a myth that diamonds are indestructible. They can be broken and damaged, like many other gemstones, if it is hit in just the right place, along one of their cleavage planes.
Diamonds are perhaps the most marketed gemstone of all time. It is known to symbolise purity, love, and faithfulness, which are features heavily leaned upon by the marketing departments of the major diamond merchants and the reason why the diamond is the traditional stone used for engagement rings. The rarity of diamonds is another way companies will sometimes market these stones for sales. While it is impressive how a boring old piece of black carbon can transform into something so beautiful, it is not a rare occurrence, and diamonds are most plentiful.
While white is the most commonly seen colour for diamonds available for commercial sale, they also come in a variety of colours, some natural and some with a bit of help from humans. Pink, yellow, blue, green, and even red diamonds have been found naturally. With the help of a little bit of science in a lab, more colours can be enhanced and created using high-pressure heat treatments. A naturally coloured diamond will always hold a much higher value than one artificially coloured.
There are many famous large diamonds throughout history, the largest being the notorious Cullinan diamond. The Cullinan was discovered in South Africa in 1905 and weighed in at a whopping 3106 carats. The Cullinan was eventually cut into 9 large faceted stones (pictured below, with a 1 carat stone at the bottom for scale) and 96 smaller specimens, many of which have been owned by royalty throughout history. Queen Elizabeth II boasted at least 7 in the collection of crown jewels.
Metaphysically, it is preferred to work with uncut diamond crystals as it is believed that the energy flow is much better when the stone is left in its natural state. Even of industrial quality, a rough uncut diamond will still be of high cost and likely leave a fair dent in the bank balance, although nowhere near as much as a gem grade, faceted stone.
It is said that diamonds are a stone of purity and light, attracting wealth and helping with the manifestation of abundance. They amplify your energy, so be sure to remain in a positive mind when working with diamonds. If you wish to attract prosperity and positive energy into your life and can afford to outlay for a diamond crystal, the diamond won't let you down. However, if a diamond is a little out of your reach financially, don't despair. There are a plethora of other fabulous gemstones that will attract wealth, abundance, and prosperity, such as citrine, pyrite, and moss agate, to name a few. Clear quartz is always a winner for amplification, and these beauties won't break the bank. As an alternative to diamond for a wearable birthstone, many choose Herkimer diamond as a more affordable option.
Stay tuned for next month's installment in the birthstone blog series and another beautiful stone ( and I'm not just saying that because it is my birthstone). Emerald blog is coming at you in a few short weeks.