Diamond: April's Birthstone

A Diamond’s signature is real love. It’s the birthstone for April and a classic gem used in engagement rings. It has a history of romance, luxury, and glamour, worn all over the world for hundreds of years.

Marilyn Monroe had iconic moments under the spotlight singing about diamonds which added va va voom to the stone. In the 1950s she sang ‘Diamonds Are A Girl’s Best Friend’ with the lyrics ‘Tiffany’s, Cartier, Black, Starr, Frost, Gorham’. The message was clear as crystal; buy a diamond from one of these guys, and you’ll live happily ever after.

There was even a James Bond film in 1971 called Diamonds are Forever. Shirley Bassey sang the theme tune, singing ‘diamonds never lie to me’, building the April birthstone’s persona up as undeniably perfect. The stars made the gem eternally famous.

Naturally, it’s tempting to want the biggest, baddest rock of them all. You want to let the world know you’ve got a small planet on your hand. Ever searched and listed engagement rings from highest price just to daydream? We have. Just for fun, take a look at this comet.

3.27 carats, weighing 3.1 grams. All things come in threes, so the final one is the price tag. £30,000.00. Diamond engagement rings are a huge part of wedding culture in the West. The first recorded proposal with a diamond was in 1477 by the Archduke of Austria. April’s birthstone is not just for your wedding finger though. Without sounding like every other retailer, we really do have something for everyone, especially when it comes to diamonds.

Natural diamonds are formed 100 miles below the Earth’s surface from pure carbon. When the right amount of pressure and heat is present, the carbon transforms into diamonds which are carried to the surface via molten lava. This process takes over millions or billions of years to happen, adding to the luxury diamonds exude. The April stone is made of one element, carbon.

Synthetic diamonds are man-made in a laboratory. This process is much faster than natural formation, with timescales as low as 1 day. There are two options when making the April birthstone in a lab:

1. HPHT, which stands for high pressure, high temperature. It involves heating granite, which is a form of carbon, to create a diamond. Out of the two, this method is the closest to matching the natural process which creates a diamond.

2. Chemical Vapour Disposition uses a hydrocarbon gas mixture inside a chamber to make large sheets of diamonds. It’s possible to do this within one day. Compared to the billions of years it takes for natural diamonds to form, this is preferred by some gem suppliers.

The Mohs scale is a strength test based on a mineral’s ability to scratch another. Each mineral receives a score out of ten, with one being the least hard. Of course, the diamond ranks at ten, making it the top of the mineral food chain. The only thing that can scratch a diamond, is another diamond. This is another reason why they make such popular engagement ring gems, they are practical as well as glamourous.

The meaning behind the gem is innocence. The wearer has a pure heart, faithful to themselves and others. Often this is why birthstones are gifted, their metaphysical character adds sentiment to the gesture.

Cut, Clarity, Colour, and Carat Weight are part of a global language used to grade the brilliance of a diamond. You can read all about it on our Diamond Guide on the four Cs. Alternatively, there’s always a friendly face in-store if you want to pop in and see our jewellery selection, unique to each store.