Derived from the ancient Greek name "adamasi", diamond is popular as the hardest mineral on earth, Diamond combines exceptional luster and brilliant fire in its beauty. It is one of the most recognized and most useful of more than 3,000 known minerals. As the hardest known naturally occurring material, diamond can be used to polish, cut, or wear away any material, including other diamonds. Diamonds are graded by color, cut, clarity and carat (weight) - "4Cs" Pure diamond, which is considered to be the colorless one, is the most popular variety of all.

The other varieties include colors from yellow & brown to green, blue, pink, red, gray and black. Diamond's uniform arrangement of its constituent carbon atoms, their crystals is well formed. Diamond crystals are formed at high temperatures and pressures 50 miles or more underground.

Locations:

Historically diamonds were known to be found only in southern India and India led the world in diamond production from the time of their discovery in approximately the 9th century BCE to the mid-18th century CE, but the commercial potential of these sources has been exhausted.

The first non-Indian diamond source was found in Brazil in 1725. Today, most commercially usable diamond deposits are in Africa, mainly in South Africa, Namibia, Botswana, the Republic of the Congo, Angola and Sierra Leone. There are also commercial deposits being actively mined in the Northwest Territories of Canada, Siberia (mostly in Yakutia territory, for example Mir pipe and Udachnaya Pipe), Brazil, and in Northern and Western Australia.

Chemical Composition: Carbon
Crystal Structure: Cubic
Hardness: 10
Specific Gravity: 3.52
Refractive Index: 2.42
Colors: Colorless or white, yellow, brown, green, blue, pink, red, gray and black.
Luster: Adamantine

Astrological Relevance:

Diamond is considered to be one of the birthstones for the month of April, which covers two zodiac signs: Aries (March 21 To April 20) and Taurus (April 20 To May 21).