Birthstones

April: Diamond

April is the luckiest month of all, since diamonds are its birthstone. More and more women are dressing in these brilliant, dazzling gemstones as effortlessly as they throw on their favorite sweater. Actresses Gwyneth Paltrow and Halle Berry and super models Cindy Crawford and Stella Tennant, among others, are seen everywhere wearing their diamond solitaire necklaces.

Most diamonds are more than 100 million years old, and many are over three billion years old, making diamonds the oldest of all gemstones. They are also the hardest substance known to man, made of carbon that is crystallized deep within the earth.

First discovered over 3,000 years ago in India, diamonds are found today in remote parts of the world, such as Australia, Russia, Botswana, and South Africa. Their unique hardness and high refractive index have inspired legends. To the Greeks, they were teardrops from the gods. To the Romans, they came from the falling stars that tipped the arrow of Eros, the god of love. For Hindus, diamonds were the lightning that armed the hand of the god Indra.
Women are now buying diamonds for themselves. What's new is that customers are more educated, and as more and more women gain professional ranks, they want quality stones.

When it comes to wearing diamonds, there's no wrong way. Diamond brooches adorn business suits. Diamond studs are worn to the gym. This ground swell of wearing diamonds every day started a few years back when designers like John Galliano and Donna Karan popularized them on their runways. Most recently, Galliano and other major European designers showed elaborate Belle Époque settings, and Oscar de la Renta showed diamonds exclusively in his collections. A lot of upwardly mobile professional women took note. They are today's diamond customers who want diamonds, can afford them, and don't have to wait for an engagement or 25th wedding anniversary to own them.
Nor is there one style or trend that customers want. Never before have so many American designers marketed diamond jewelry under their own names. Noteworthy are Henry Dunay, Whitney Boin, Jose Hess and Michael Bondanza. And at Tiffany's, their classic six-prong setting is always popular, but the store's Diamonds By the Yard necklaces of round diamonds set in platinum or 18 karat gold typify the diamonds-for-day trend.

When purchasing diamonds, customers are adhering to the 4 C's -- cut, color, clarity, and carat weight -- but increasingly, they seek finer cut stones. Customers should understand that it is the cutting that releases the true brilliance of a stone.

With something so precious, remember to rely on a well-established jeweler, with a wide selection of merchandise, who is qualified to determine a diamond's value and quality. Little wonder the Greeks named diamonds "adamas." It means unconquerable.