April Birthstone

April Gemstone: Diamond
April Birthstone Color: White, Clear 

Diamond is the hardest substance found in nature, everyone knows that.
Diamond is 4 times harder than the next hardest natural mineral, corundum more specifically sapphire and ruby.
If a diamond receives a sharp blow in one of it’s forth cleavage directions it will split. A skilled diamond setter should prevent exposing a diamond in any of these directions when mounted in a jewelry piece.
Diamonds have been revered throughout history.  Used to embellish such items as crowns, swords and emblems as well as jewelry, they've even been part of national holidays.   Queen Victoria declared the celebration of her 50th year of reign a "Diamond Jubilee."  Diamonds have also been credited for having certain medicinal properties.  During the middle ages, these gemstones were thought to heal illness, but only if the ailing person took the Diamond into bed to warm it up first!   
Diamond comes in a broad color range, high refraction, high dispersion (also known as fire), very low reactivity to chemicals and rarity.
Diamonds are in almost every color of the rainbow plus browns, grays, and white. Shades of yellow are most common, followed by colorless. Blue, black, reddish, and greenish are usually more valuable.
Diamonds are found in a type of rock called “Kimberlite”, which comprises the core of certain volcanoes over especially thick portions of the earth’s crust.
Diamonds are found in many areas including South Africa, Russia, and even in Arkansas in the USA.
Many diamonds are mined in the alluvial deposits across river beds in areas such as along the coast of South Africa.
The ancient Hindus called the Diamond “Vajra,” meaning lightening, mainly because of the sparks of light  as well as its invincible strength.
The ancient Greeks believed that diamonds were splinters of stars fallen to earth.
Diamond is the symbol of everlasting love.  There is nothing more convincing than a promise of an enduring relationship with the brilliant gemstone
A gift of a Diamond is symbolic of everlasting love.  There is no more convincing a promise of an enduring relationship than the brilliant gemstone that has endured in people's hearts throughout the ages.