Diamonds are some of the most interesting minerals out there and are the April birthstone color. Not only have they been found on earth, but also on asteroids. In South America scientists are finding diamonds (called carbonado) from an asteroid impact that happened over 3 billion years ago! The first discovery of the diamond can be traced back to India over 3-6 thousand years ago. Originally it was called Vajra which means lightning. They did this because of the diamonds superior strength and how it reflected sun light. Diamonds have been worn by kings for thousands of years as a symbol of strength and courage. Warriors have embedded diamonds in to their armor to protect them, kings in their crown, and women on their jewelry. Along with healing powers, diamonds were even thought to have been tear drops from gods. Coincidentally, diamonds are the hardest known mineral on earth and are currently used in many industrial settings. Not surprisingly, it’s used for saw blades and grinders as well as many other machines requiring a durable edge. Bort, a type of a diamond that is unusable for use in the jewelry industry is used to make these blades. In fact, around 80% of all diamonds minded are Bort and used for heavy machinery. Due to diamonds practical use and people’s desire to use this precious gem for jewelry, diamond mining is a 9 billion dollar a year industry.
What is the April birthstone color?
The April birthstone color is clear or white, it’s a diamond.
There is a lot of controversy in the diamond mining industry. The majority of our diamonds are minded in Africa and the native people are being forced to work for little or no wages. The money earned from the mines can go directly in to the pocket of a war lord to fund further conflicts in that part of the world. A number of countries including the United States have stepped in and set regulations on diamonds imported in to the country. Illegally minded diamonds are known as blood diamonds, while every legally minded diamond will be certified and exported through proper channels.
Funding wars and practically enslaving people isn’t the only controversy revolving around this precious gem. De Beers, the world’s leader in diamond selling controls 90% of today’s market. This diamond monopoly helps keep the price of this gem as high as the market will allow. When minded, all of the diamonds are not released to the market. Instead they are kept in a vault as to not flood the market. This keeps supply of the diamonds low and in turns raises the value of it. Diamonds are fairly rare, but not as rare as De Beers and other corporations would like you to believe.