Life springs from April's diamonds
by Bethany Waldrop Keiper

She who from April dates her years, Diamonds shall wear, lest bitter tears, For vain repentance flow." Gregorian Birthstone Poems

They shimmer with delicate light and bright reflection, but are made from the toughest stuff on Earth. They can be difficult to obtain, but even more heartbreaking to lose. People have tried to duplicate them for decades, but can only come up with cheap imitations. They are alive with sparkles of all the colors, but at their most compelling they are contradictorily colorless. Diamonds are as complicated as women themselves. No wonder they are a girl's best friend.

The Greek word "adamas" is the origin of the word diamond. The original word's definition is to be unconquerable or invincible. The Aryan root "dam" means to tame or subdue -- and it is also the base for the word "madam". The ancient Hindus gave diamonds an even more volatile name -- "Vajra"-- which means lightening. They gave the diamond this name for its strength and its sparks of light.

Diamonds are made of carbon; they are carbon in its most concentrated form. Carbon forms the basis for all living tissue. So it is no wonder that diamonds have long been considered special.

Plato might have been on to something when he wrote that diamonds were living beings, embodying celestial spirits. In ancient India, diamonds were not cut for fear that they would lose their magical properties. Diamonds were used for judging during the Middle Ages, when it was believed that they would darken in the face of guilt and glow brightly for innocence. Legend tells of the Greeks believing that diamonds were tears of the gods. Romans believed they were splinters of fallen stars. All very powerful, lovely things.

In the current age, diamonds are found primarily in Australia, the Soviet Union, and Africa. For toughness, they are the tops, with a Mohs Hardness of 10 with a cubic crystal structure.  Diamonds are graded by the four C's: cut, color, clarity and carat (weight). Diamonds are one of the most well-known birthstones, because they are, of course, the standard that has been set for showing romantic love. In 2006, diamond engagement ring sales in the U.S. were $6.2 billion, with 84 percent of all brides-to-be opting for a diamond.

Since the price of a diamond can have a decidedly unpleasant effect on a bank account, it is nice to know that it is supposed to have a very harmonizing influence on all of the chakras. Even though it can influence them all, diamond is primarily associated with the seventh, or Crown Chakra. When it is placed on the "Third Eye" (the brow, or forehead), a diamond is said to activate this area and help fight mental illness.

It may be surprising to learn that some diamonds, especially rough-cut diamonds, are drilled and used like beads as charms or pendants.

It might also be surprising to know that rough diamonds were worn in long-ago times as talismans against poisoning. But diamond powder, if taken internally, was considered a horrible poison. The Turkish Sultan Bajazet was said to have been murdered this way by his son, and Pope Clement VII was said to have been murdered this way by his doctors. In the same century, Catherine de Medici was famous for dealing out death by diamond powder. So watch out for sparkly food. Benvenuto Cellini, the famous Italian goldsmith, did. He said he escaped death by not eating a salad his enemy had laced with diamond powder.

Most people have seen a few pink or yellow diamonds. But, though many are rare, all colors – 300 and counting -- can be found in nature.  Colors include peacock, champagne, chocolate, green, saffron, lavender, steel blue, raspberry, opal, lilac, black, and so many more. Only one in 10,000 is naturally colored, but this rarity is not always reflected in the price. The colored diamonds are different from other precious colored stones because of their scarcity and their structure and makeup.
 

So an April diamond birthstone ring might not always be a shiny clear stone!


Resources

The American Heritage® New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition.
http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/carbon?qsrc=2888

About Birthstones
http://www.aboutbirthstones.com/

The Natural Color Diamond Shop
http://www.color-diamond-encyclopedia.com

Gems Brokers
http://www.gemsbrokers.org/

International Diamond Exchange Magazine
http://www.idexonline.com/

 

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