Birthstone For April: Diamond
"When the God of Mines called his courtiers to bring him all known gems,
he found them to be of every color and tint. He took one of each, crushed
them together, and said: 'Let this be something that will combine the
beauty of all.' He spoke, and lo, the diamond was born, pure as the
dewdrops and invincible in hardness; and when its rays shine in the light,
it displays the colors of all the gems from which it was made."
-- (Page 33, "The Romance of Your Birthstone", by Hope Swengel.)
The diamond is the most widely known gemstone, being primarily used for
engagement rings and in other jewelry as will as for a birthstone. It has
the desirable qualities of hardness, brilliance and transparency of color
which may vary from a clear white colorless gem to shades of blue,
greenish yellow, yellow, or green, all colors to be seen in many of the
most famous diamonds. Other colors may be brown, even black, or the more
rare colors of rose, pink, and light purple.
The most important diamonds come from Africa and Brazil. Occasionally, some
are found in our own country, principally in Arkansas. The diamond is
practically pure carbon in a crystalline form. It is one of the two found
in nature; the other being graphite, which is one of the softest of
minerals. The diamond is 10 in the Mohs scale of hardness, being the
hardest substance known. Only one diamond can scratch another.
Because of its hardness and durability, the diamond is very important to
modern industry, whose wheels would slow down appreciably were the
industrial diamonds to disappear from the market. It is truly the king
of gems.