The Birthstone for April
Have always been one of the most prized gemstones since ancient times, Diamond with its clear or white color symbolizes everlasting love and strength! Associated with royalty, strength, and beauty, the April birthstone with its enduring shimmer and clarity provides clear-headedness and emotional balance to April born.
Being the hardest of all gemstones, diamonds can help increase your inner strength and perseverance. This gemstone is formed deep inside the earth where carbon is exposed to temperatures higher than 1,482 degrees Celsius and pressure of over 65,000 times greater than on the surface.
Under such extreme compression and heat, the carbon is then transformed over billon of years into what becomes the sparkling and extremely hard gemstone, most prized by us humans.
Other characteristics of this April birthstone is the ability to split white light into the 7 colors of the rainbow, called diffraction. And this is what gives a diamond its sparkle and why it is a much delightful gem.
What’s The Color Of the April Birthstone?
In general, diamonds are known to be “white” or colorless, however, there are other colors such as brown and yellow.
Brownish and golden hues are also available due to the traces of nitrogen impurities present in the gaseous environment during the diamond formation. Yellow and brown diamonds are often called “cognac” or “champagne” diamonds.
The traditional color grading system for low-saturation brown and yellow to colorless diamonds ranges in scale from “Z” which is light-yellow to “D” meaning completely colorless.
Thus, diamonds graded F, E, and D are at the top of the color grading scale and make up the colorless range. Next is the near-colorless range consisting of the letter grades J, I, H, and G. Meanwhile, diamonds graded with letters K – Z have a faint to light yellowish color.
Nevertheless, because of its rarity, the traditional color of a diamond is colorless or white.
Now, other diamond colors are also available. These include red, pink, blue, orange, gray, green and black which are referred to as the fancy diamonds. These colored diamonds tend to be expensive, depending on the intensity of their color, and can command a higher price than the traditional colorless diamond.
The blue diamonds, in particular, are colored by boron impurities. Meanwhile, the rest of the fancy colors are a result of irritation or crystal lattice defects.
Because fancy colored diamonds are in high demand but rare, these colors may be introduced in the lab, which produces color-treated diamonds.
April Birthstone: Diamond Etymology, History, and Folklore
The word diamond is derived from the Greek term “adamas”, meaning “unconquerable”, “proper”, or “invincible”. And clearly, it was the gemstone’s unparalleled hardness and invincibility— unmatched by any other material found on Earth— that makes the ancients named it that way.
Also known as the love stone, the Romans believed that the tips of Cupid’s arrows were actually made of diamond and could pierce even the most stubborn of hearts
The April birthstone is believed to be one of the twelve gemstones worn by Aaron. Each of these stones symbolizes one Israel tribes and were believed to have spiritual and magical energies.
Diamonds on the Indian subcontinent were highly valued due to Sanskrit texts from at least 400BC ago tells the value and significance of diamonds, especially for the kings and the wealthy.
Since their discovery in India, diamonds were used as decorative items, adorning the necks of kings and royalties. Indian diamonds eventually found their way to the markets of Venice and other countries in Europe where they were sought by the wealthy and the elite in the second millennium AD.
Diamonds, however, have been a highly prized jewel in Europe long before with the Roman naturalist, Pliny, speaking in the 1st century AD that diamonds are not only the most valuable of precious stone but of all things.
Even during the Middle Ages, diamonds were still believed to offer healing powers and can be used to treat anything. During Roman times, diamonds were associated with Mars and used by soldiers as an amulet for strength and protection when going to war.
Additional Info
Throughout its history, the April birthstones have been associated with wealth and prosperity. In addition, it was believed to be a mystical gem from which kings and queens could draw power.
In the Sanskrit texts, the April birthstone is associated with the weapon of the Vedic king of heaven, Indra. Thus, it takes the name Vajra which is the term for lightning in Hindu mythology.
Over time, the gemstone also took on the connotation of everlasting beauty and love when Archduke Maximilian of Austria offered a diamond engagement ring to his love Mary of Burgundy in the year 1477. Since then, the long tradition of a diamond as engagement rings begun!
Still, diamonds remained out of reach for the common people until the beginning of the 1800s. The 19th century becomes the time of diamond prosperity with the discovery of the largest diamond mine in South Africa.
This is when Hollywood entered a golden age and diamonds became the symbol setting apart the most glamorous celebrities like Marilyn Monroe who wore diamonds on the silver screen.
And in this modern era, the April birthstone becomes a common accessory for the upper and middle classes who use them more commonly as engagement rings.
The Spiritual Meaning of April Birthstone
Diamonds have been long associated with love, loyalty, relationships, commitments, and bonding, thus it is mostly used as the ultimate gift for loved ones as jewelry or engagement rings. It is believed to bestow health, happiness, abundance and wealth.
The hardness of diamond also represents strength and courage which helps ring victory. Thanks to their beauty, the April birthstone was also used as a symbol for eternal love. Meanwhile, ancient Hindu scriptures referred to the April birthstones as a “colorless stone” and believes that it was a representation of purity, innocence, loyalty, honesty, and faith, bestowing peace and a fulfilling relationship to its wearer.
The Health Benefits and Healing Properties of the April Birthstone
The diamond has long been believed to offer physical, emotional and psychological powers.
For one, it is believed to be an energy purifier as well as amplifying energy to impart strength, endurance and enough energy to the wearer. Diamonds are also believed to purify and detoxify the body.
It helps in treating allergies and chronic conditions, rebalancing metabolism, building up stamina and even claimed to help alleviate or cure dizziness, vertigo, and glaucoma and eyesight issues.
Diamonds are said to have a connection to the pituitary gland and the brain. Since the Middle Ages, it has been used to cure any issues with the brain and pituitary gland and believed to draw out harmful toxins from the body. This gives the wearer enhance individual balance, purpose, and clarity of thought.
Durability of the April Birthstone
Diamond Hardness
On the Mohs hardness scale, diamond is at 10, sitting alone as the hardest natural substance found on Earth and can only be scratched or damaged by another diamond.
Diamond Toughness
Diamond has perfect cleavage, meaning it is easily cut. However, this is only possible along cleavage planes where its atoms are farther apart and are more loosely-binded together.
Thus, any force directed perpendicularly to such planes won’t succeed in cracking, chipping or breaking the gemstone so easily.
All in all, the toughness of diamond is rated to be good which is in the middle of the toughness scale.
Diamond Stability
High temperatures usually don’t affect the clarity and color of diamonds. However, it is important that it stays away from thermal shock. Such conditions can cause some fractures in its crystalline structure. Diamonds also burn at least 850 degrees Celsius.
In addition, diamonds are unaffected by chemicals. This combines with its highly resistant to temperature gives this gemstone very high stability.
Caring and Cleaning April Birthstone
How To Clean Diamond?
For diamonds, the best way to clean them is to use a mild detergent or commercial cleaning solution, a soft brush, warm water, and lint-free cloths. Consider avoiding commercial abrasive.
Always dry it with a soft towel and never leave it to air-dry since it can leave spots. In addition, you can clean diamonds with ac commercial jewelry cleaner.
Never use ultrasonic cleaners or steam cleaner to clean this gemstone. Although it has high stability, the ultrasonic vibrations and high temperature can cause settings to become loose and the gemstone falling out.
Every few months, you can take your diamonds to a jeweler for cleaning and ensuring that both the gemstone and their settings are in great condition.
How To Store Diamond?
Storing pieces of diamond jewelry r loose diamonds means that you need to keep them separated from each other. This is because, diamond, as the hardest material on earth, only gets scratched by another diamond or can end up scratching softer gemstones.
You can place the diamonds in a separate area of your jewelry box or use acid-free paper envelopes to store them in an organizer box. If you wish to showcase your diamond collection, then you can place them in glass jars with fabric or foam bases.
The Cost of April Birthstone
Thanks to its durability, rarity, and beauty, the April birthstone is more expensive than other gemstones. However, you will get what you pay for.
A traditional gemstone for engagement rings, the most popular round, diamond cut at 0.2 carats can be purchased at $250 – $300.
From there, the price goes up significantly at the 1 carat and goes from $3,500 – $5,000 per carat.
A pair of 2.3-carat diamond earrings with princess cut ad deep brown color can fetch an amount of $9,500. Meanwhile, for necklaces and bracelets, a 23-piece set of 0.03 carat round cut white diamonds can be yours for $100.
Diamond Alternative: Secondary April Birthstones
Most birthstone calendar list diamond as the only birthstone for April. However, ancient traditions listed opal and sapphire as the standard April birthstone and used in certain cultures. Meanwhile, modern calendars listed 2 other gemstones as an alternative for diamond— white topaz and quartz. This is because of the similarities they have with diamond, thanks to their transparent colors and eye-catching colors.
Conclusion
Known as the “King of the Birthstones”, the diamond has been the favorite of celebrities, royalty, elites, and wealthy merchants for years. Its sophistication and sparkly elegance coupled with the fact that it can last for a really long time makes it one of the most precious gemstones you can buy.
More suitable for people born in April, this gemstone is associated with several virtues such as eternal love, strength, courage and wealth.
Source: https://gemstagram.com/a-complete-guide-to-april-birthstone/