The birthstone for April is the diamond, which makes the commonly accepted April birthstone color white or clear. There are several types of diamonds including opaque, translucent, and transparent. Diamonds can be colorless, sooty black, or several other colors in between these two. For jewelry, tinted, colorless, and transparent diamonds are used the most. Industry uses other types of diamonds. The color of a diamond will depend on what has been embedded inside it. For example, a yellow diamond will have small amounts of nitrogen while a bluish hued diamond will have boron.

Diamonds also have a scientific value. Samples of this are time capsules that provide information about the conditions of the upper mantle of the earth, where a diamond is formed and clues about how old a diamond is and how it was formed.

History of Diamonds

Diamonds are typically found in alluvial deposits. These are deposits that have been made by the gravel that is swept by rivers, streams, ocean currents and glaciers. Some diamonds are found in sedimentary rock. This is where organic material and gravel deposits have been compressed to form rock. In some kimberlite samples diamonds can be found. Kimberlite is a volcanic rock that was first found in Kimberley, South Africa. Diamonds that are found in this volcanic rock are thought to be extremely old, as old as 3 billion years in some cases. There have been tiny flecks of diamond found in meteorites as well.

Ancient Hindus who found diamonds washed up on the ground after a storm believed the stone was created by lightning bolts. Diamonds are a symbol of enduring love, which is why they are the most common stone used for engagement rings.

There are some diamonds that almost seem to have a life of their own. The Koh-I-Noor diamond, which means Mountain of Light, is believed to be over 5000 years old. It was believed to be owned by Rajah of Maleah who was from India. The diamond is thought to have been a player in many defeats and victories throughout the years.

April Birth Flower

The Sweet Pea is the birth flower for the month of April. These pastel colored flowers have a fragrant scent and is a climbing plant, which makes it popular. The flower comes in several colors and will bloom in varieties that have 2 tones. It represents blissful pleasure, departure, and delicate pleasure.

The sweet pea is also called the Queen of Annuals. The flower was first recorded in the year 1695. During this time, Francisco Cupani, who was a member of St. Francis, noted the flower growing in Sicily. He sent seeds to Dr. Casper Commelin. Commelin was at a medical school in Amsterdam and is also a botanist. Two years after receiving the seeds he published an article about the flower.

The poet Keats used the name sweet pea for the flower. This led to the flower growing in popularity and it becoming the designated floral symbol for England at the time.