Chemical Makeup: C

Nicknamed the "King of Gemstones", April's birthstone is the well known diamond. Although popular culture often shows diamonds as clear and dazzlingly cut, they can be found in a rainbow of color and every level of transparency in nature. Traditionally known for engagement rings, diamonds are commonly used for rings because diamond is the hardest natural material and will resist surface scratches. 

Diamonds are formed far below the earth's surface, where carbon atoms are slowly compressed into a crystal structure, through an intense amount of heat and pressure. This happens so low in the earth's mantle that it would be out of the reach of commercial mining technology, however, there are many instances of volcanic movement that have caused some diamond deposits to move closer to the surface, which is how we've been able to mine diamonds for thousands of years. 

April babies, shop your birthstone here!