The April birthstone is diamond, the hardest natural material at 10 on the Mohs scale. Most diamonds are colorless to near-colorless, and diamond is the traditional gift for the 60th and 75th wedding anniversaries.
Diamond is the hardest gem, but it is not unbreakable. The Gemological Institute of America (GIA) warns that “any stone, including a diamond, will break if it’s hit hard enough in the right place,” and that diamond ignites at about 850°C (1,562°F), so a jeweler’s torch or a house fire can damage it.
A lab-grown diamond is a real diamond under U.S. advertising rules, but the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) requires a clear qualifier such as “laboratory-grown” before the word “diamond.” In the UK, rock crystal (clear quartz) is an official alternative April birthstone.
Table of Contents
What is the April birthstone?
Diamond is the official April birthstone on the GIA list; the British list adds rock crystal as an alternative. The table summarizes diamond’s key properties.
| Property | Diamond (April birthstone) |
|---|---|
| Composition | Carbon, typically about 99.95 percent; “the only gem made of a single element” |
| Mohs hardness | 10 |
| Luster | Adamantine, the highest luster of any transparent gem |
| Where it forms | About 100 miles (160 km) beneath Earth’s surface |
| Main producing countries | Botswana, Russia, Canada, Australia, South Africa, Democratic Republic of Congo, Brazil |
| Wedding anniversaries | 60th and 75th |
| Zodiac signs for April birthdays | Aries (to about April 19) and Taurus (from about April 20) |
Is there more than one April birthstone?
On the U.S. list, diamond is April’s only birthstone; the UK list also includes rock crystal, a clear, colorless quartz that costs a fraction of a diamond.
April birthstone colors
Most April birthstones are colorless or near-colorless, but diamonds also occur in “fancy” colors, including yellow, brown, pink, blue, green and red.
The color comes from trace elements or structural features; GIA notes that the roughly 0.05 percent of non-carbon content “can influence its color or crystal shape.” The table outlines the main color groups.
| Color group | Description | Rarity |
|---|---|---|
| Colorless to near-colorless | Graded on GIA’s D (colorless) to Z (light yellow or brown) scale | Most diamonds sold in jewelry |
| Yellow and brown | The most common fancy colors | Relatively common among fancy colors |
| Pink, blue and green | Colored by structural distortion, boron or natural radiation | Rare |
| Red | Among the rarest diamond colors | Extremely rare |
Natural vs. lab-grown April birthstones
Lab-grown diamonds have essentially the same optical, physical and chemical properties as mined diamonds, and both count as April birthstones. What differs is how they may be described for sale.
The FTC’s jewelry advertising guidance requires “laboratory-grown,” “laboratory-created,” “[manufacturer name]-created” or similarly clear wording to immediately precede “diamond” with equal prominence.
The table compares the April options.
| Feature | Natural diamond | Lab-grown diamond | Rock crystal (UK alternative) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mineral | Carbon (diamond) | Carbon (diamond) | Quartz |
| Mohs hardness | 10 | 10 | 7 |
| Origin | Mined; formed about 100 miles underground | Grown in a laboratory | Mined |
| How it must be described in U.S. advertising | “Diamond” | “Laboratory-grown,” “laboratory-created” or “[manufacturer]-created” diamond | “Rock crystal” or “quartz” |
| Relative price | Highest | Lower than natural | Lowest |
How to check an April birthstone before buying
- Ask for an independent grading report, for example from GIA, which states whether a diamond is natural or laboratory-grown.
- Check the wording in the listing. A lab-grown diamond must carry a qualifier such as “laboratory-grown” directly before “diamond.”
- Compare the 4Cs (color, clarity, cut and carat weight) across stones of the same origin, because natural and lab-grown diamonds are priced differently.
April birthstone meaning and history
The name diamond comes from the Greek adamas, meaning “invincible” or “unbreakable.” GIA traces the stone’s history from ancient India to today’s major mines.
| Period | Diamond in history |
|---|---|
| 4th century BCE | Diamonds traded from the rivers and streams of India |
| 1477 | Archduke Maximilian of Austria gave Mary of Burgundy the first diamond engagement ring on record |
| 18th–19th centuries | Brazil dominated the diamond market for more than 150 years |
| Late 1860s | Diamonds discovered near Kimberley, South Africa |
| 1888 | De Beers Consolidated Mines founded; it controlled about 90 percent of rough production by 1900 |
| 1960 | First major Soviet diamond mine opened in Russia |
| 1983 | Argyle mine opened in Australia |
| 1990s | Diamond deposits discovered in Canada |
Caring for an April birthstone
Diamond resists scratching better than any gem, but hard knocks can chip or cleave it and extreme heat can burn it. Follow GIA’s care guidance:
- Clean with a lint-free cloth, or warm water, mild soap and a soft toothbrush. A commercial jewelry cleaner is also safe.
- Avoid home ultrasonic and steam cleaners. GIA warns they “can loosen gemstones in their settings.”
- Protect diamonds from hard blows. Diamonds have cleavage directions and can split if struck at the wrong angle.
- Keep diamonds away from extreme heat and sudden temperature changes. Thermal shock can cause new fractures, and diamond burns at about 850°C.
- Store diamonds separately. A diamond can scratch every other gem, including other diamonds.
What the April birthstone is not
The April birthstone is often misunderstood. The points below separate the facts.
- It is not unbreakable. Diamond is the hardest gem but can chip or cleave from a sharp blow.
- It is not always colorless. Fancy-color diamonds occur in yellow, pink, blue, green, red and other colors.
- A lab-grown diamond is not a simulant. It is real diamond; cubic zirconia and other look-alikes are different materials.
- It is not the only April stone in the UK. Rock crystal is a British alternative.
Frequently asked questions
What color is the April birthstone?
The April birthstone, diamond, is usually colorless or near-colorless, but fancy colors such as yellow, pink and blue also count as April birthstones.
Is a lab-grown diamond an April birthstone?
Yes. A lab-grown diamond has essentially the same properties as a mined diamond, but U.S. sellers must describe it with a qualifier such as “laboratory-grown” before “diamond.”
What is a cheaper April birthstone alternative?
Rock crystal, a clear quartz on the UK birthstone list, is an affordable alternative to diamond, though at 7 on the Mohs scale it scratches more easily.
