April Birthstone

Perhaps the luckiest month of the year, April’s birthstone is no regular gem. A girl’s best friend, the frosty diamond is also primarily known as the April birthstone.

Each birthstone is recognized for having a unique spiritual and historical background, one that can date all the way back to the Book of Exodus. However, the diamond is considered the rarest of them all but at the same time, most popular in modern culture.

Traditionally, each month has one birthstone and diamond is April's birthstone. But, over the centuries different cultures had developed “alternative” calendars and with them (in some cases) alternative birthstones.

And if for example you’d examine April, you can sometimes find mentioning of Sapphires and Opals as well.

In a way, this is where it gets surprisingly interesting when it comes to April’s gem - while most people envision diamonds to be colorless or white, the fact is that diamonds come in all colors. Within the diamond family there are natural fancy color diamonds.

These are rarer diamonds that come in colors such as pink, blue, purple, yellow, orange, brown, green, gray, black and white.

Interestingly, the color options for diamonds don’t end there. On top of all of the above colors, there are combinations of colors. Meaning a diamond that is not pure yellow but rather a mix of orange and yellow which brings our a beautiful pumpkin color and so on. Just look below:

The good in finding the perfect gift for April’s birthstone is that while diamonds are rare, diamond jewelry is not that hard to find. The bad is that diamonds are… expensive.

With that in mind, I’ve gathered for you a few ideas, an inspiration gallery if you wish, that I feel would make excellent birthstones gift both in price and in the meaning behind them.

All of the above examples are from Blue Nile and range in price anywhere from $200-$500. These are my favorites but their gallery contains roughly 1,300 more pieces which you can see here.

Diamonds have been adored and desired for many centuries. In fact, in Ancient Egypt, during the time of the Pharaohs (3000BC) a diamond would be placed in the middle of the ankh symbol carved into the hieroglyphes - which symbolized strength and life.

The diamond was also an object of desire in Ancient India, Rome and Greece. It was the Romans who believed that Cupid’s arrows were dipped in diamonds, thus linking the gem with love and eternity. Yet, it was the Greeks who had given the stone its name. Deriving from the word ἀδάμας, which means “invincible”, “unconquerable” or “unbreakable”, the diamond has become known for its unyielding strength and thus, the epitome of adamance, prestige and poise.

On a more spiritual level, it was the Ancient Hindus who believed diamonds could assist people in reaching spiritual clarity and invincibility. While in our modern times diamonds have become the representation of fidelity and romance (as what engagement ring is complete without one), during the Middle Ages, diamonds were believed to have healing powers. People thought they could heal any disease as well as mend an ailing soul. Which is why diamonds were crushed up into dust and mixed to create lethal healing potions, a practice which was abandoned in the late 15th century.

Considering those stones’ rarity alone, it comes as no surprise that they are associated with oneness and perfection. But even their process of creation informs the attributes they are believed to possess. Compressed for billions of years, only to be mined and polished into the ultimate symbol of everlasting love.

When dealing with birthstones and astrology, one cannot wonder about the myths and legends behind the precious gem... and there are plenty. All of which have shaped cultural perceptions of them.

For instance, in biblical times, Jewish spiritual leaders would use diamonds to determine one’s innocence during trials. They would hold the gem up to the sun, and then in front of the accused. If the diamond would stay clear and bright, it would attest to that person’s innocence. However, if darkened, the leaders would assume their guilt.

Yet another example for their purity has to do with the Ancient Greeks who thought them to be drops from the gods or even fallen stars. It was actually Plato who was first to write about the brilliance of the gems as well as claim they were the embodiment of celestial spirits and had a life of their own.

Be they divine, otherworldly or sheer beads from heaven, diamonds are without a doubt, the ultimate gift to receive as well as give to a precious loved one (especially if he or she was born in April).