The diamond is the birthstone for people born in the month of April, and is also used as the symbol of a sixty-year anniversary, such as a Diamond Jubilee.
Today diamond symbolizes wealth, durability, status, and peerless quality. Across time and cultures, diamond has also been associated with invulnerability, lightning, magic, healing, protection, and poisoning. Because of the eternal quality, it is often seen adorning engagement rings and sometimes wedding rings as well. The popularity of this tradition can be traced back to the first diamond engagement ring Maximiliam I, the Archduke of Austria , gave to Mary of Burgundy in 1477.
Diamonds have been used symbolically since the time of their first discovery due to their extraordinary physical properties. The earliest symbolic use of diamonds was as the eyes of Hindu devotional statues. Early records show that the Indians had used it back in 400BC. In Tibetan Buddhism, also known as Vajrayana (Diamond Vehicle), diamonds are an important symbol, and the Diamond Sutra is one of the most popular texts.
However, the symbolism of diamonds goes beyond romance. For centuries it had been used to celebrate other joyous occasions: the birth of a child, birthdays, and the achievement of personal goals.
On the birth of their son, Napoleon gave his wife Marie Louise an exquisite diamond necklace. After Gwyneth Paltrow won the Best Actress award at the 1999 Oscars, her father Bruce Paltrow demonstrated his pride by buying her the stunning 40 carat diamond necklace she had borrowed to wear at the ceremony.
Through centuries diamonds have been a symbol of fidelity, love, and excellence. For this reason, it is customary to give a diamond ring as a present in an engagement.
