TOP 10 DIAMOND FACTS!

April’s birthstone month is Diamond. So, if your birthday falls in this month, all we have to say is “lucky you”! But, let’s face it, a diamond truly is a girl's best friend and is the most sought after gemstone. There is much to be said about Diamond facts - from the 4Cs to the  most popular cuts and engagement ring styles. Most of this you can find right here. What about some of the off-the-beaten-path information? The stuff you may not typically know? Well, here are some fun facts about diamonds and what makes them the most enduring symbol of love and romance!

1. Diamonds are really old, literally just about as old as the Earth! They take billions of years to form. If you think about it, dinosaurs were actually walking on the Earth as diamonds were formed. As part of this fun fact, it takes centuries for a diamond to travel from deep in the earth’s mantle where they’re formed to the surface. Volcanoes carry them to the eart’s crust where they’re mined.

2. There is a diamond in the sky named Lucy. The Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics announced in 2007 the discovery of a 10 billion trillion trillion carat diamond, 50 light years from Earth, in the sky. Scientists decided to actually name the star after the infamous Beatles song, “Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds.” 

3. If you go back in time to ancient Rome and Greece, they thought diamonds were the tears of the gods. Another thought was that they were perhaps a splinter from a falling star. Some felt Cupid put diamonds on the tips of his arrows. Could this be where the connection formed between love and diamonds? Maybe! 

4. Who came up with the name? The Greeks actually did and it comes from the word adamas which means indesctuctible or invincible. Which leads to the next fun fact…

5. Diamonds are the hardest natural substance every found. They rank 10 on the Mohs Scale of Hardness which is the absolute hardest. By comparison, an Emerald only scores a 7. 

6. Early Egyptians were the first to start a tradition of wearing an engagement ring on the fourth finger of the left hand. Why? They believed that the vein of love ran directly from the heart to the top of that finger! 

7. Can anything scratch a diamond? Yes! But only another diamond! 

8. Literally no 2 diamonds are alike. So when we say they are unique, they really are! Because it takes intense heat, pressure, and millions of years to form a diamond, each one is a different size and shape with unique color and inclusions.

9. Diamonds lose approximately 50% of their weight once they are cut and polished.

10. Historically, diamonds were used to heal. Throughout the Middle Ages, people believed a diamond could heal everything from a toothache to a headache. This led to the surge in diamond trade and hoarding by the wealthy and noble. In truth, they may not heal, but they surely make you feel good!