Diamonds are a rare, naturally occurring, carbon-based mineral. The birthstone of April is also used to celebrate the 10th, 30th and 60th anniversaries. You probably already know a lot about the most famous and desired gem in the engagement ring and wedding band market. We’ll just tell you why they work so well for fine jewelry.

Hardness: Your engagement ring and wedding bands will be worn everyday—you use your hands for almost everything. The right gemstone needs to be are durable enough for a lifetime of wear. Diamond is the hardest known natural substance. It is rated at ten out of ten on the Mohs scale of hardness. Because of that exceptional hardness (resistance to scratching) and toughness (resistance to breaking), we mainly make wedding bands and the side stones of our engagement rings with diamonds only.

Brilliance: Brilliance is the life of the diamond. It describes that effect that occurs when a bright white light is reflected from the facets. As the light is reflected from its surface, the shiny luster comes alive. The more well-cut, the more that fire, brilliance, and scintillation is amplified.

Rarity: Natural diamonds are formed at high temperatures and high pressure at depths of 140 to 190 kilometers (87 to 118 mi) in the Earth's mantle. Deep volcanic eruptions send magma (and diamonds) up the surface, with those reaching us ranging from roughly 1 billion to 3.3 billion years old!

Most diamonds contain impurities and irregularities in their crystal structure, so natural diamonds must register a specific gravity between approximately 3.4 to 3.6. Gem-quality diamonds must have a specific gravity of around 3.52, meaning it has minimal impurities and defects. Only about 20 percent of diamonds found are fit for gem use, the other 80 percent are used industrially.

Value: Because of diamond’s exceptional hardness, stunning brilliance and desirable rarity, diamonds have been the most used gemstones in fine jewelry, especially for engagement rings and wedding bands for modern brides. Due to its excellent hardness, diamond jewelry is fairly easy to take care compared to other gemstones. With a proper care, your valuable diamond rings will last for a lifetime and beyond!