Jewelers in Denver All Agree: April is For Diamonds

If your birthday is in April, you are one lucky duck! Why? Well, because diamonds are the April birthstone. April is also a popular month for weddings, and of course, diamond wedding rings are the tried-and-true wedding gemstone. Jewelers in Denver and worldwide know that diamonds are beautiful and durable; they are the hardest substance in nature. While clear diamonds are by far the most popular, these stones are available in nearly any color. Shades of yellow are most common, but there are gray, white, and brown (chocolate) diamonds and colorless, blue, and black diamonds. Diamonds come from a rock called kimberlite, found in volcano cores and thick sections of the Earth’s crust.

Diamonds have always been exceptional. Different cultures have revered them for various reasons. Many cultures have associated the diamond’s hardness with strength or even magic since many of the stones glow in the dark. The Greeks were the first to associate the stone’s brilliant sparkle with everlasting love—they called it the “inextinguishable flame of love.”

As you might imagine, many of the largest diamonds go to royal families. In 1477, Archduke Maximilian of Austria gave his French fiancée Mary of Burgundy a sizable diamond engagement ring. The Archduke was a trendsetter and helped start the custom of giving diamond engagement rings. Have you ever wondered why people wear rings on the third finger of the left hand? It is a custom the ancient Egyptians started, and it continues to this day. That finger contains a vein that leads straight to the heart. How romantic!

Even with the duke’s romantic gesture, diamonds are still a relatively new custom for weddings and engagements. There was no world market for diamonds, so they were not popular for rings. People like the duke acquired the largest and rarest stones. It wasn’t until the late 1800s when miners discovered the vast South African diamond deposits. At that time, diamonds began flooding the market. Stones that were once high-priced and rare were now prevalent.

Diamonds cut by a master jeweler exhibit an inner fire and beauty unmatched by any other gemstone, which is why people prize them above all other gems. People around the world treasure diamonds for their beauty. Diamonds are unique—no two are alike, and that is why many grooms give a diamond to match their bride’s unique personality and character.

Diamonds formed on the Earth billions of years ago, and they invoke a primal nature in humans because they are one of the oldest stones on the planet. Some of the earliest diamonds were discovered in India. Those ancient peoples thought diamonds possessed magical properties and that a human would gain great strength just by gazing at the stones. Many geologists say that diamonds tell us about an otherwise hidden time on the Earth.

Diamonds Today

Today, only about thirty diamond mines are in operation, making diamonds rare and treasured. Jewelers in Denver, like Mark’s Diamonds, only purchase “conflict-free” diamonds to ensure they’re not purchasing diamonds mined in war zones or sold to finance weapons, violence, and wars. Our customers can rest assured that when they purchase a diamond from Mark, it was mined and procured from legitimate sources. In the last several years, the industry has done all it could to stamp out the practice of mining conflict diamonds. The industry has become fair-trade, providing consumers with the assurance of ethically-sourced diamonds.

All of Mark’s Diamonds are KP (Kimberley Process) certified, meaning they have been purchased from ethical sources not involved in funding conflict. In other words, all Mark’s Diamonds are certified as conflict-free. The Kimberley Process Certification Scheme (KPCS) was established in 2003 by governments and the diamond industry to prevent criminal elements from inserting conflict diamonds into the legitimate diamond supply pipeline. In today’s diamond market, the vast majority (99.8%) of the global diamond producers in over 80 countries are KP-certified diamonds. Mark’s Diamonds goes one step further, only doing business with diamond suppliers who comply with the KP process.

At Mark’s Diamonds, we believe that jewelers in Denver and worldwide should care for their customers. And for us, it is more than a sale. We will help you put your heart and soul into your purchase. Purchasing an engagement or wedding ring is one of your life’s most emotional, romantic, and essential purchases, and you need a jeweler you can trust. We want to be your jeweler and want to be there for you.

You are making a significant purchase, and we understand its importance.

We will listen to what you want and present options for you to choose from. We can answer all your questions and make suggestions. This big step in your life, and we can’t wait to be a part of it. Come on in. We can’t wait to meet you! Book your appointment with Mark today.