Hiya! Some of you lucky H&A friends have April birthdays...which means you have DIAMONDS as your birthstone! Diamonds are a girl's best friend, but those you who have an April birthday might love diamonds even more. You get the best of the best for your birthday. Everyone loves diamonds but how did diamonds become the premier choice of gem symbolizing affluence, status and love? Let’s learn some background about this brilliant and irresistible creation from nature.

How are they formed?

Let’s go ahead and debunk a common myth. There is a belief that you can take a piece of coal and make it into a diamond (like Superman, in the comic books) but that is simply not true. Diamonds predate the growth of vegetation on earth, and vegetation is necessary for the making of coal. While diamonds and coal are made out of carbon, the makeup of the coal differs from the makeup of diamonds. Diamonds are essentially pure carbon formed into a crystalline structure under high pressure and high temperature. Coal is mostly carbon based but it is not pure. Coal includes many other substances, including hydrogen, nitrogen, oxygen, sulfur, arsenic, selenium and mercury. Depending on the type of coal and its source, it will also contain various levels of organic materials. Because the makeup is different you will not be able to turn a piece of coal into a diamond.

Diamonds have been around for billions and billions of years. All the diamonds on your jewelry have been around for a very LONG time. It can take a billion years for a diamond to form. Diamonds form under tremendous pressure and temperature deep, deep under earth.

The diamond’s specific formation conditions lend to the hardness and durability of this gem. They require a very specific environment to form. If there is even the slightest variation in temperature or pressure, graphite will form instead. Now, if all goes well during the formation they are then brought to the surface through cataclysmic eruptions such as violent volcanic eruptions or plate movements. These eruptions are very rare and incredibly violent and explosive. After the diamonds surface, mining will take place to excavate them.

Diamond meaning and symbolism

Diamonds are the hardest naturally forming substance on earth. The Greeks named this stone after the word “adamas” which means invincible. There are several myths associated with diamonds. For example, the Greeks believed that diamonds were tears of the gods, and the Romans believed that they were splinters of falling stars. Because of its hardness, diamonds symbolize strength and courage and is assumed to be a stone of winners. Diamonds were used in talismans for Julius Caesar as well as Napoleon. In short, it is a symbol of success, truth and perfection.

Nowadays, when we hear “diamonds” we automatically think of a diamond engagement ring. How has it become so universal? This symbolic gesture was first observed during the Renaissance period. Archduke Maximilian gave a diamond engagement ring to Mary of Burgundy in 1477, and started this trend among the wealthy and royals. It was then that diamonds were thought to be the ultimate gift of love.

(Mary of Burgundy’s diamond ring)

Diamonds are forever

Diamonds have never gone out of style and they last as long as it took to create them, which is why treating yourself to diamond jewelry will give you great value throughout your life! Pass down your pieces to your children/grandchildren as heirlooms and your legacy will live on. You can save your engagement stone and hand it down to your child to use in their engagement ring or hand down

your first pair of diamond stud earrings to your daughter for her high school graduation. The sentiment associated with diamonds can be priceless and oh so meaningful. Jewelry has a wonderful way of holding memories, and is often some of the most valued family treasures for this reason.

H & A International has one of the largest GIA-graded diamond selections in the Atlanta area. We also have a wide selection of other diamond jewelry pieces! So whether you are looking for an engagement ring or diamond earrings, bracelets, or necklaces, we have got you covered!