Used as a stone for engagement ring, regarded as the ultimate gift and a symbol for eternal love since the 15th century, diamond appears as “royalty” in the world of gemstones.

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Antiquity people liked diamond mainly for its hardness, engravers had tools with diamond tips to carve metal and stones. The word comes from the Greek “adamás” meaning unbreakable or unalterable, as only a diamond can scratch another diamond. Some tales talk of bolts of lightning striking rocks and thus creating diamonds. It was also supposed to possess healing powers and ward off evil influences.

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Indeed diamonds are the hardest gems on earth, they are also the best at dispersing light with its high refractive index; whatever the light, a diamond will shimmer in endless ways. A popular belief explains its value because of its rarity: in fact diamonds are quite common as a gemstone, compared to extremely rare ones such as alexandrite. 26 tons of diamonds are extracted every year from mines situated mainly situated in Africa, India or Brazil. Nonetheless as it has become a symbol of luxury and status over the centuries, diamonds are certainly the most expensive stones on earth. Don’t forget that diamonds are girl’s best friends …

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Diamonds are solid forms of carbon, located deep in the ground of a few areas on earth, especially in Africa where the modern mining era in the 1860s. Nowadays India is the first provider of diamonds in the world: 92% of diamonds are cut and polished there; whereas Antwerp in the Netherlands remains the centre of the diamond market. Numerous ethics questions were raised with “blood diamonds” dug up by slaves and child labour in Africa.

Today perfect synthetic diamonds can be produced, 2% of which end up as gemstones and the rest goes to industry.

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 The quality of precious stones, diamonds included, is measured in carats (1 carat = 200 mg) but it’s also measured with the “4 Cs” – Colour, Cut, Clarity, and Carat. The finest quality diamond is one with no colour at all. The coloration is caused by structural imperfections and diamonds can be of all sorts of colours and hues - blue, steel grey, yellow, orange, red, green, pink to purple, brown, and black- although pink diamonds are extremely rare

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Over the centuries, some diamonds have reached fame and celebrity as they adorned the heads of royals and the fingers of the rich and the famous. The Hope, Koh-I-Noor, Star of Africa, Regent, Idol’s Eye, Sancy, Taylor-Burton or Hortensia are the big names on a long list. Diamonds are used to celebrate the 60th anniversary of a reign … or just your 60th wedding anniversary for common mortals. It also celebrates 10 years of marriage.

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As diamonds are no longer the exclusivity of an elite group of society, but still quite expensive, one can turn to other white transparent stones such as moissanite, white sapphire or topaz, cubic zirconia, zircon, rutile or quartz, goshenite or danburite. However none of them can match the light-dispersing quality of diamonds, the royal gemstone, worn by the people born in April. Did you know that Elizabeth II was born on the 21st of April? A coincidence? Maybe not!

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