Birthstone of the Month: April

One of the most prized and most traded gemstones, the incomparable diamond has exceptional lustre, brilliance and fire which gives diamonds the irresistible sparkle we all love. Diamonds are an excellent stone to be used in jewellery as they are the hardest known natural substance on earth. The word 'diamond' comes from the Greek 'adamas' meaning the unconquerable.

1.00ct GIA diamond and platinum ring, made by our Goldsmith at Buck & Co, Bodmin Cornwall

Diamonds have been used in jewellery since antiquity, when the natural crystals were polished rather than cut. Pictured below are some diamonds in their natural crystalline forms; a diamond twinned crystal known as a macle, a diamond in a cubic form, and another in octahedral form. Shown next to a pair of diamond studs crafted by our Goldsmith, it illustrates the difference that the cutting and polishing process makes to these beautiful gemstones.

Made from carbon, a pure diamond will be colourless, but trace elements can add colouring resulting in green, pink, blue and the very rare red and purple diamonds. The oldest diamonds formed 3.5 billion years ago, whilst younger stones have been dated to 660 million years ago. Formed deep within the earths mantle under conditions of intense heat and pressure, diamonds are driven to the surface of the earth by molten magma travelling through volcanic pipes, so each and every natural diamond has had an exciting journey through time and space to make it into a piece of jewellery!

For our new and bespoke jewellery Buck & Co will only supply clients with natural and conflict free diamonds, and are pleased to offer a range of diamonds which have been independently certified by the Gemmological Institute of America, so you can purchase with peace of mind. This diamond grading process reassures the client not only that their diamonds are natural, but also verifies the colour, cut and clarity of the stone all of which are important factors in the overall valuation of the piece. All this information is presented on an official GIA certificate for each stone. Pictured is a 1.00ct diamond ring, made by our in-house Goldsmith and featuring a GIA certified and laser inscribed diamond which was selected by our Gemmologist. Visit us at our shop in Bodmin for a viewing, or to to see other stones which are available.

Diamond studs, crafted by our Buck & Co Goldsmith, next to diamond crystals in their natural forms.