Diamonds

Diamonds are the hardest objects on earth. They are more precious and more valuable than any other gemstone. The first of these was found in India. Because of its hardness, it was found to be useful for cutting.

Today, these stones are usually used in jewelry. A high-quality diamond will be clear in color, have a good round cut, and will weigh at least one and a half carats.

Most diamonds (about eighty percent), are not clear enough to be used as gemstones. These are used for industrial purposes, such as cutting. Diamonds have to be worked on before they get a radiant glow. They must be carefully cleaned and then cut, as the outside of an uncut diamond is not what people like to wear for jewelry.

Keeping a diamond clean can be difficult to do, but it is important as a dirty diamond does not glow as much as a clean one. Oil and dirt can often stick to the surface of the stone. Steam cleaning is one of the ways to keep it clean.

There are three ways one of these stones will reflect light. Brilliance is the white light reflections from the facet. Fire is the variety of colors resulting from the diamond scattering the white light. Scintillation is the flashes of white light that are emitted when the diamond is moved.

The diamond is the birthstone for people born in April, and it is also used to represent a marriage that has been going on strong for sixty years. Although the diamond may seem like any other stone, it is not; it has been part of earth's history for many, many years.