Did you know that diamond is the traditional birthstone for people who are born in April? Since ancient times, this beautiful gemstone has been encompassed in romance, evoked feelings of love and also been surrounded in mystery.
Diamonds were first discovered in India during 800BC and were only available to the elite classes of society. Perhaps one of the quirkiest law ever laid down in diamond ownership occurred in the 13th century where a law was passed down that diamonds could only be owned by royalty. This law quickly changed as more sources were discovered and the supply of diamonds increased.
With technology, the mining process had also evolved over the years. When you first think of diamond mining, how do you envision it to be? I’m pretty sure that images of men in dark dirty tunnels holding shovels come to mind. However, today’s mining operations is far from that and is a high tech multi-million undertaking. Huge machines and giant earthmovers have replaced the traditional shovel and pick.
Interestingly, despite all our technological advancement and discovery of scientific breakthroughs, the exact origin and formation process of diamonds isn’t completely understood by geologists and scientists.
In the case of natural fancy pink diamonds, does it surprise you that scientists still cannot agree on how they are formed? Yet, natural pink diamonds command extraordinary prices and are highly sought after by both investors and collectors.
The ancients created various myths and beliefs about diamonds. In Rome, soldiers wore them on their left arm as they believed diamonds were able to offer them protection and courage. The ancient Hindus in India believed these gemstones held special powers and were crystallized forms of lightning.
Other folklore included beliefs that diamonds had medicinal properties which could boost mental health and be used as remedies for poisons. Strange as it seems, diamonds were actually ingested in the hope of curing illnesses. With a modern perspective, all I could think of when I imagine people eating diamonds is the fact that they are flushing money down the toilet (literally).
In modern times, diamonds have been marketed into sexy objects of desire and love all thanks to De Beers. From flashy celebrity rings to pledges of love, diamond rings are now an integral part of our culture.
The truth is that the majority of women expect an engagement ring to be presented during a proposal because of its association and symbolism with love. While this remains one of the main driving forces in the diamond jewelry market, it also places many men in predicaments about making the best purchase possible for their loved ones.
I had been there, done that and even created this website to help educate other people like me. If you are shopping for a birthstone for someone born in April, I encourage you to spend a little time and effort into researching them. The effort will pay off and Beyond4cs.com is a great place to start learning more.
I hope you enjoyed reading this article and I also want to make use of this opportunity to announce a new article about comparing diamonds with different colors side by side. This will help people visualize the differences between color grades critically. If you have always wondered what’s the visual difference between a D or a G colored diamond, you don’t want to miss this.