April birthstone: diamond fun facts by Sundrop Jewelry
News

April birthstone: diamond fun facts

by Tawny Reynolds on Mar 29, 2017

A new month, and time for some fun facts about the April birthstone - diamond!  We all know diamonds are a girl’s best friend, but you may not know some of these Diamond Fun Facts:





The largest gem-quality diamond ever discovered was the Cullinan diamond in 1905 in South Africa.  After cutting and polishing, the two largest pieces were 530 carats and 317 carats.  Both are part of the British crown jewels.


April birthstone: diamond fun facts - the Cullinan diamond
Cullinan diamond pieces in the rough


The first known diamond engagement ring was from 1477, when Archduke Maximillian of Austria gave a diamond ring to his fiancee.  However, diamond engagement rings didn’t become popular until after 1867, with a discovery in South Africa that started a huge increase in the diamond supply.


Diamonds form in the Earth’s molten mantle, and are brought up into the crust during small, violent volcanic eruptions.  They remain behind in the volcanic kimberlite pipe that brought the lava to the surface.  The ancient Hindus believed diamonds were created by lightning bolts that struck the Earth - although that would have been a huge lightning bolt, as kimberlite pipes are up to a kilometer wide!


Kimberlite pipe


It appears that diamonds have only formed three times in the Earth’s history - 3.3 billion, 2.9 billion, and 1.2 billion years ago - and that Earth no longer makes diamonds!  Diamonds do (very) occasionally arrive on meteorites, however.


As the hardest known material, diamonds can only be cut with other diamonds - such as diamond dust applied to a saw or polishing wheel - or, in more modern times, with a laser.





And if high-priced diamonds aren’t quite your thing, check out my glittering sun-melted glass jewelry made from Coca-Cola bottles!





April birthstone: diamond colored glass jewelry by Sundrop Jewelry

April birthstone: diamond-colored glass jewelry

It’s the symbol of enduring love, a girl’s best friend, and the symbol of eternity. While traditionally colorless or white, often diamonds do have a tinge of color about them.

These sun-melted glass droplets are made from recycled Coca-Cola bottles, nearly colorless with just a hint of green.  Green in more ways than one, your April birthday girl (or Earth Day loving eco-fashionista) will love these sparkling droplets of eco-friendly glass jewelry - and at a pocket-friendly price!

Shop Now >>

Related Articles

1 comment

  • Brenda
    Jun 05, 2023 at 10:18

    I have wanted to learn how to make the rain drop earrings. Thank you for the information.

    Reply

Leave a Comment

Your email address will not be published.