April - Diamonds and Cubic Zirconia

Diamond is the traditional birthstone for the month of April

and is heralded as the stone of purity and constancy. But like the Diamond, Cubic Zirconia's most popular and common use is as a diamond simulant or substitute.

(Cubic Zirconia description is listed on the Gemstones History and Properties page)

​

​ANNIVERSARY

Diamond is traditionally the gemstone used to celebrate the 60th and 75th anniversaries. In modern times, it has been used to mark the 10th and 30th anniversaries. 

​

​ATTRIBUTES

Fortitude, Fearlessness, Empowerment, Abundant Beginnings

​

​HISTORY

The word "diamond" comes from the ancient Greek word "adamas," meaning unbreakable, unchangeable, or invincible. Diamonds are believed to be used as a gemstone in India for more than 3,000 years--possibly even 6,000 years! Craftsmen in Stone Age China used diamonds to polish ceremonial axes left in graves. These days, low-quality diamonds are still used in industrial companies for cutting and polishing, but the most common and recognized use for the diamond is in jewelry. The origins of rough diamonds can be certified via the Kimberley Process Certification, to help ensure conflict-free material. Rough diamonds cannot be imported into Kimberley Process nations without that certification. Learn more about the Kimberley Process Certification Scheme (KPCS). Diamonds may be everything from a girl's best friend or coal that stuck to its job--either way it's a gemstone with a mystique all its own. As a gemstone, diamond has remained a symbol of stability and dependability in an ever-changing world. Made of carbon, the most common material on the planet, diamond is a stone with a range of colors that is most often valued for its colorlessness. From its use in religious icons in ancient India to the glittering Hope diamond necklace in the Smithsonian, this gemstone has captured the human imagination for millennia.

​

​GEOLOGICAL PROPERTIES

Diamonds are found in kimberlite pipes, which are the roots of ancient volcanos in the continental plate. Diamonds are often found with other kimberlite-based gemstones such as garnet, serpentine, diopside, peridot, calcite and spinel. Diamonds are also seen in alluvial deposits, which are usually the eroded remains of kimberlite pipes. Diamonds are found in many areas around the world, including South Africa, India, Russia, Brazil, Australia, Canada, and the state of Arkansas in the USA. Compressed and heated by immense forces, diamonds are formed deep in the mantle of the planet before being brought to the surface by powerful volcanic and geological activity. There are also types of diamond (called carbonado, lonsdaleite or hexagonal diamond) found in meteorites, though these are usually very small and can have a different atomical structure than planet-formed diamond. Diamond tops many mineral property lists, making it an ideal industrial material. Diamond is the only ten on the Mohs Hardness Scale, making it the ultimate cutting and polishing tool.  It is inert to chemicals, meaning it does not react to acids or other materials. It has the greatest thermal conductivity known, so that a sizeable stone held in the hand feels cold--which is why one of the slang words for diamonds is "ice." Diamond has the highest melting point and highest refractive ability of any natural mineral, as well as the most dense atomical structure. It is also transparent over the greatest number of wavelengths (from infrared to ultraviolet). Diamonds are graded according to the quality of cut, clarity, color, and carat. Known as the Four Cs, these four points determine the value of a particular stone:

​

• ​Cut: the shape of the cut stone and how well that cut showcases the stone.

• Clarity: the clearness of the cut stone and how the absence of impurities adds to the reflective ability of the diamond.

• Color: refers to the colorlessness of a standard diamond. A fancy (or colored) diamond tends to be graded on the quality of its color, rather than its colorlessness or carat weight. Stones with intense, even colors will often be cut to emphasize the color of the stone, rather than its sparkle. Extremely rare colors such as blue, pink, orange or red add high value to a naturally formed diamond.

• Carat: refers to the weight of the cut stone, not the size. Larger diamonds are rarer, so larger diamonds are more valuable per carat than smaller stones of the same quality.

​

METAPHYSICAL PROPERTIES 

Beyond their modern representations as the stone of marriage and commitment, diamonds have also represented faithfulness, purity and innocence. It is thought to be the gemstone of the intellect, preventing misunderstandings (romantic and otherwise). Diamonds are also believed to provide clarity of thought, encouraging the resolution of problems which comes with clear understanding.  It is believed that diamonds can help activate the crown chakra, enhancing the connection between mind and body while detaching the mind from unwanted patterns. Fancy (or colored) diamonds are believed to have additional attributes related to their colors:

​

​Yellow diamond: Increase thoughtfulness and consideration of others.

Blue diamond: Increase willpower and inspire greater care for personal health.

Pink diamond: Increase creativity.

Black diamond: Decrease self-delusion.

​

Note: All properties listed have been collected from various sources. This information is not meant to treat medical conditions. You should always follow the advice of medical professionals per their diagnoses. Tracey’s Treasures LLC does not guarantee the validity of any of the information collected.