Jewellery & Watch News
Those that share their birthday month with April, a month that marks the beginning of spring, filled with colourful tulips, baby lambs and Easter eggs, is also spoiled with one of the world’s most coveted gemstones: Diamond.
This rare, hard-wearing and sparkling white colourless stone is a girl’s best friend for a reason. It not only symbolises strength, victory, wealth, and elegance but it is known as the hardest substance on the globe, ranking 10 on the Mohs scale of hardness. This intense durability alongside its unmissable clarity and colour makes it the perfect accompaniment for jewellery and as diamond specialists, C W Sellors is no strangers to creating high quality diamond engagement rings, necklaces and earrings.
History of Diamond
When diamond was first discovered remains entirely unknown, but its name is believed to come from the Greek word “adamas” which means invisible or unbreakable. Some of the earliest records of diamond trading can be traced back as early as the fourth century BCE when diamonds were gathered from India’s streams and rivers and brought by the royalty. During the 1400’s especially, diamond was considered the most coveted gemstone in the world, yearned for by the wealthy who wanted to adorn their outfits with the fashion, sparkle stone.
For most of us, diamonds are largely associated with engagement rings and this tradition is believed to date back to 1477 when Archduke Maximillian of Austria proposed to his love Mary of Burgundy with a diamond ring. Although the first of its kind, however, diamond engagement rings didn’t become mainstream until around 194 when British company, De Beers, began mining their own diamonds in South Africa and launched an advertising campaign with the slogan “A diamond is forever”. Since then, the April birthstone has been long associated with commitment, love and devotion.
Where is Diamond found?
We have already mentioned that early examples of diamond were sourced from India but nowadays, the April birthstone is largely found in South Africa, the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Botswana. In 1960, the Soviet Union also opened up its first major diamond mine and since then, Russia has become one of the top sources for the gemstone, exceeding all other countries in both value and volume. Diamonds have also been found in Australia, northern Canada, the United States
Properties of Diamond
One of the reasons diamond is such a popular choice in jewellery, and especially engagement rings, is simply for the fact it is the hardest naturally occurring material known to man. Due to its place on the top end of Mohs scale of hardness, reaching the top score of 10, it is used not only in jewellery manufacture but in industrial applications purely for its incredibly durability and robustness.
Its strength comes from its unique structure which forms under high pressure that conditions that can only be found around 100 miles beneath the earth’s surface. The crystal structure is isometric which means carbon atoms are bonded in the same way in all directions. Diamond also has a stunning clarity, a crisp clear colour and can be cut in numerous ways. Some of the most popular diamond cuts are round solitaire, princess cut, emerald and cushion cut.
Powers of Diamond
The April birthstone, diamond, is believed to have a whole host of influences on its wearer, most commonly in the form of calmness, peace and bringing an overall positive mental outlook on life. Ancient cultures believed that diamond could prevent stress , stop emotional pain and fear as well as protect the wearer from almost all negative energies such as thievery, fire, water, poison and illnesses. Ancient Hindus believed that the vibrations of a diamond strengthened every organ of the body, the heart, and in particular, the brain.
Diamond Jewellery
Whether you’re simply in love with the endless sparkle of diamonds, celebrating an April birthday or buying for your partner something special to mark your commitment, the April birthstone is the perfect adornment to all fine jewellery. It’s crisp clarity pairs perfectly with every precious metal type including yellow gold, rose gold and white gold and is often widely used to off-set other coloured gemstones for an additional sparkle.
You can shop a huge range of Diamond jewellery and April birthstone jewellery on the C W Sellors website including Diamond necklaces, Diamond pendants, Diamond bracelets, Diamond earrings and Diamond rings. Get in touch with the team today on 01335 453453 or at sales@cwsellors.com for more information on the Diamond gemstone and the interest free finance and free next day delivery available.
