Birthstone April: The Sparkle of a Clear Diamond

The name diamond was derived from the Greek word "adamas" which means invincible. Diamonds are the hardest type of stones to be mined on the planet earth. They have for a long time been used as a symbol of eternal love. That may be one of the reasons why they are used in engagement and wedding rings around the world.

Diamonds are mined in several parts of the world. They initially came from India. Brazil, South Africa, Russia, Australia and Canada also have deposits.

One may think that diamonds are all clear and translucent. They actually come in a variety of colours ranging from black, brown, blue, green, pink, red purple and orange. A clear or white diamond does not have any impurities in it. A blue diamond means that the stone has traces of boron in it. A yellowish diamond has traces of nitrogen in it.

Ancient civilizations once believed that precious and semi precious stones imparted particular strengths or weaknesses to the wearer. Diamonds are alleged to have had the power to create better relationships, to increase inner strength, balance, clarity and abundance. In today's world, we all appreciate their beauty. However, as there is no scientific evidence of these qualities that are to be imparted by stones, we wear them for their class and elegance. When it comes to building good relationships, we all know it takes time, love, care and effort of two people.

A good quality diamond is more than 99.9% carbon making it one of the purest gem of all the precious stones. Diamonds have a Mohs hardness rating of 10. Diamonds are also given to celebrate 60th and 75th wedding anniversaries. As they are the hardest substances on the earth, diamonds can be cleaned with warm to hot soapy water. As they are expensive, we advice removing either bands and engagement rings when doing housework.

You may have been born in April or you just love the sparkle and feel of a diamond. Whatever the reason, make sure you purchase your stones from a renowned jewellry store in either your home town or visit the ones in Nairobi's Central Business Area.