Diamonds!

The birthstone for April is diamond, but why do we love them so much?

Sparkly - Diamonds are highly refractive, brilliant cut diamonds have the optimal amount of facets to make them super sparkly.

Hard - Diamonds are the hardest natural substance on earth, they are top of the Moh's scale of hardness at 10 (talc is at 1) this is a scale based upon which material can scratch another. As diamonds are so hard they stay looking beautiful for longer. This is especially important for stones that will be worn on a finger, it's crazy how much rings go through, if you see an aquamarine or opal ring that has been worn for years you will often see how much damage it has received. This hardness also means that they can withstand a variety of pressure setting techniques, we can rub diamonds into your wedding bands on the inside or the outside, who doesn't love a secret diamond?

Colour - Diamonds come in all colours of the rainbow, recently there has been a trend for champagne and cognac colour tones, pink, red and orange diamonds are very lovely, while blues and green are my personal favourites. All seems to work well in white or yellow metal tones, choosing your own personal favourite colours makes your ring completely unique.

Fun Facts 

• Diamonds were used to engrave gemstones in India by 300 BCE.
• The largest rough diamond, discovered in 1905, is the Cullinan 1 diamond, weighing in at 3,106 carats (ct.)! This is part of the crown jewels, is mounted in the head of the Sovereign's sceptre with cross. 
• Diamonds can be burned. To burn a diamond, it must be heated to between 1290-1650 degrees Fahrenheit. House fires and jewellers’ torches can sometimes reach that temperature.
• Diamonds were formed billions of years ago through a combination of tremendous pressure and temperatures of 1652–2372 degrees Fahrenheit at depths between 90 and 120 miles beneath Earth’s surface.
• Weight is measured in carats (not carrots or karats). The word carat is derived from keration, the Greek name for the carob tree whose seed was used for centuries as the standard of weighing precious stones. Because the seed could vary slightly in weight, in 1913, carat weight became metric; one metric carat is equivalent to 0.2 grams or 0.007 ounces.
• They can be found in shallow alluvial deposits where the crystals settle after being transported away from the kimberlite pipes by geologic activity and rivers.
• Only around 30 percent of the diamonds mined worldwide are of gem-quality.