Jewelry is a very popular item for gift-giving and to express feelings toward another person. Giving the woman you love a diamond is one of the most amazing things you can do for her, regardless of the current design. When we decide to marry the one we love, we express this by giving her an engagement ring. It does not matter how large the diamond is or how much you paid for the ring, but the sentiment behind it and what it symbolizes. Because a ring is continuous, with no beginning or end, it symbolizes eternal, never-ending love.

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Diamonds are not just for getting engaged!

(dedicated to Marc from PDE who is expecting his first child with wife, Lauren - Congrats!)

Gentlemen: of course you should buy the love of your life a diamond engagement ring. Then you can invest in diamonds as gifts for various anniversaries; a lovely bracelet for the tenth anniversary, a special diamond pendant for the twenty-fifth anniversary, or a pair of earrings to mark any anniversary in between. Valentine’s Day, Christmas, and birthdays are prime diamond jewelry occasions, too.

If the two of you make it to your 60th wedding anniversary, that’s the Diamond Anniversary. That occasion deserves a huge celebration for so many reasons! The 25th anniversary is remembered with silver, the 50th with gold, and the 60th with diamonds. Truly, a gift of diamonds on the 60th anniversary symbolizes the indestructible power of love.

There’s a trend among Hollywood husbands to give diamond gifts to their wives upon the birth of their children. These gifts are termed “push gifts” for obvious reasons, and are more than the common bouquet of flowers and bunch of balloons.

Push gifts are actually an ancient tradition coming out of the time of sultans, who gifted their favorite wives extravagantly when they gave birth to sons. The idea has just started to catch on again in these modern times, and celebrities give push gifts with real style and extravagance, worthy of sultans.

Pierce Brosnan gave his wife Keely three lovely bracelets when their son Paris was born, all three gold and diamonds, to symbolize each member of the family.

This trend coming out of Hollywood husbands is catching on with regular people, as well. Many designers now offer a very nice “celebration” ring for new moms, with pink sapphires and white diamonds for celebrating a girl, and blue sapphires and white diamonds for celebrating a boy.

A sweet present from Dad to Mom is a diamond-studded baby bootie pendant. The diamond pendant can be worn on a fine chain around the neck, or used as a charm on a bracelet.

These diamond gifts don’t need to be extravagant or costly; the purpose is to mark those special occasions, and acknowledge how much you really appreciate your wife putting up with you for all those years.

The Most Popular Misconceptions of Diamonds - Part 6 of 6

6. It is virtually impossible to tell a fake diamond from a real diamond.

This is a definite misconception - most people who work with diamonds can easily tell a real from a fake. Giveaways as to fake diamonds might include inferior quality nuances found in the color, cut, carat and clarity of the stone, a low-quality setting, signs of minor damage to the stone (unlikely, if it’s the real thing), and the reflection color (which should be gray instead of rainbow-like). Other ways of detecting fakes include transparency testing, fog testing and facet examination with a loupe. It is probably true that people who don’t know much about diamonds will probably never know the difference between a genuine stone and a simulation. However, even common sense prevails in some cases. Perfectly shaped diamonds if genuine are very expensive, and someone who probably couldn’t afford a perfect diamond under normal circumstances probably wouldn’t be able to surprise a loved one with the real deal.

The Most Popular Misconceptions of Diamonds - Parts 4 and 5 of 6

4. The bigger the diamond the better.

Not necessarily. Large diamonds are initially impressive, and if the size of a diamond is what appeals to you or your loved one then you have made the right purchase. However, big diamonds do not always mean big price. Again, cut, clarity, color and carat must all be considered in deciding the diamond’s market worth.

5. The more facets the better.

The function of facets is to increase the refractive index of the diamond you hold. The number of facets is not the most important factor in determining brilliance. What really matters is how skillfully the creator cuts the facets.

The Most Popular Misconceptions of Diamonds - Part 3 of 6

3. Diamonds are the most expensive form of jewelry.

Not only have there been some famous cases of very expensive non-diamond jewels like emeralds and rubies, but even generally speaking, not all diamonds are insanely expensive. Diamonds are made expensive when they have a brilliant cut, a high carat weight, flawless color and clarity. A loose diamond can actually be purchased for as little as $250.

The Most Popular Misconceptions of Diamonds - Part 2 of 6

2. Diamonds are indestructible and last forever.

Not exactly true. The idea of a diamond lasting “forever” is the result of the same marketing campaign that sold the idea of a diamond ring as a marriage token. A diamond can certainly last for multiple generations–in fact, most diamonds found today are over one billion years old. However, to say that a diamond is forever would imply that it is an indestructible object. Diamonds are naturally hard substances and are able to withstand various forms of scratching. However, hardness is slightly different than toughness and a diamond is not the strongest form of material known to man. Furthermore, a diamond can still be chipped, broken or damaged if it is treated in a haphazard way.

The Most Popular Misconceptions of Diamonds - Part 1 of 6

There are many misconceptions about diamonds floating around. Most of the time, it’s harmless to have fun with the various diamond myths that everyone knows. However, if you’re looking to purchase a diamond, you may want to get your facts straight.

1. Diamonds have always been part of engagement proposals and wedding ceremonies.

Everyone tends to associate love and marriage with diamonds. However, the origins of diamonds as well as of engagement and marriage ceremonies are entirely different. The idea of the engagement ceremony is derived from the ancient Egyptian civilization. These people believed that a special “love vein” ran from the fourth finger directly to an individual’s heart. For wedding rings, it is believed that the original concept of the ring was to symbolize husbandly ownership as well as a debt owed to the family of the bride. This trend peaked in Roman times though there’s evidence of it even in the B.C. era. On the other hand, diamonds were never really associated with matrimony until modern times. The earliest diamonds were discovered in India and used for holy decoration and valued for their ability to refract light. In Medieval times they were also used as a medical aid. It wasn’t until the 20th century when a certain diamond industry giant ran a much publicized marketing campaign that the diamond truly became a marriage symbol.