Typically known as a girl’s best friend, the diamond is the birthstone of April. It symbolises balance, clarity, abundance, and eternal love. The word “diamond” comes from the Greek word adamas, which means “invincible”, due to it being very durable as it is made of pure carbon.
The stone can come in a range of colours such as black, blue, green, pink, red, purple, orange, and yellow and the colour depends on the type of impurities that are present in the stone. But the majority of diamonds are white.
Diamonds have been around for centuries, and in the Middle Ages it was even thought that they held healing powers. They believed that diamonds could cure abnormalities in the brain, and this was done by heating up the stone and taking it to bed, holding the stone close overnight.
A diamond is known as the most coveted gemstone and is known as the “King of Birthstones” to many around the world. The 75th wedding anniversary was the original Diamond Anniversary and the 60th (which is now most common) was added to symbolise the 60th anniversary of Queen Victoria’s accession to the throne in 1897. A diamond also remains the most popular gemstone for engagement rings.
The rise of lab-grown diamonds
In recent years, lab-grown diamonds have gained in popularity for customers looking for more bang for their buck – larger stones at a much more affordable price point. While UK data is unsubstantiated, reports in the USA have predicted that lab-grown diamonds will account for as much as 40% of the US engagement market in 2024. Meanwhile diamond trading platform Novuna reports that its split of diamond sales is 50/50 lab-grown vs natural.
While the subject of lab-grown diamonds remains a contentious subject for many traditionalists in the jewellery industry, not even offering them as an option for customers who are becoming increasingly aware of their availability could quite simply result in lost sales. Many CMJ suppliers offer both and will agree that thorough staff training and transparency when selling them is absolutely key to getting it right.
Many diamond pieces are available from CMJ suppliers.
