April Birthstone: Diamond
Diamond
Meaning: The meanings of the diamond are clarity (is it any wonder given how beautifully clear the diamond stone is?) and strength. (Again, the diamond is one of the strongest gemstones out there, so no surprise.) Some call the diamond “the King of all birthstones.”
Name Origin: The diamond is so strong and durable, in fact, that its name comes from the Greek ‘adamas’ which means ‘invincible,’ and ‘unbreakable.’
History: We know that diamonds were coveted by traders as early as the 4th century BCE. The history of diamonds being associated with ‘love’ is multifaceted, and though most of this is due to the phrase ‘diamonds are forever,’ (see below), tradition goes back to the Romans, who believed that Cupid tipped his arrows with diamonds. Traders brought the diamond to Venice during the early Middle Ages and they became a jewel of the wealthy, but colored jewels like rubies and sapphires and amethysts were still the preferred gemstones. For several centuries diamonds fell into a mild disuse, and it wasn’t until the late 19th century when Mary Frances Gerety, copywriter for De Beers mining company, coined the phrase “diamonds are forever” that the diamond rose back into popularity and skyrocketed in sales, particularly as the featured jewel of engagement rings. (Part of why the diamond continued in popularity as the stone of engagement rings is because they are so durable – arguably THE most durable gemstone – and suitable for wearing day in and day out.) Rare diamonds are often pale pink or blue, and the stone called “The Blue Hope Diamond” (found in India) once was a treasure to several Kings of France, but is now housed in the Smithsonian.
Sources: The first mass discovery of the diamond source was in the rivers of India. But India was soon depleted of her abundance of diamonds, and in the 1700s, another source was discovered: the rivers of Brazil. (I don’t know much about why so many of the world’s sources of diamonds were discovered in rivers, but it’s very interesting!) However, Brazil didn’t have the abundance that India did and its resources were soon exhausted. In the mid 1860s, diamonds were discovered in South Africa, which marked the beginning of the modern diamond market we know today.
Fun Facts:
The earliest diamond engagement ring on record is that of Mary of Burgundy, gifted to her by the Archduke of Austria in 1477.
The biggest diamond ever found (that we know of) was discovered in 1905, and is called “The Great Star of Africa.” It was refined into a gorgeous pillow-cut shape and placed in the Royal Scepter of the English Monarchs.
Some once thought that the diamond protected against plagues.
The Diamond is the gift for the 60th and 75th wedding anniversaries!
Some cultures saw the diamond as a stone that was created by rock capturing lightning! (How creative an idea! Love it.)
Hindu mythology called the diamond ‘vraja,’ or ‘lighting,’ and was the choice weapon of the Indra, the king of their gods.
There is a diamond in space that is actually a crystallized white dwarf star, and is 2,500 miles long and weighs approximately 10 billion trillion trillion carats! Wow. That image in my mind is gorgeous!!! It’s called “Lucy,” after the Beatles song ‘Lucy in the sky with diamonds’
