20 Brutally Honest Ads About Diamonds (GALLERY)

Apparently ancient Romans and Greeks believed that diamonds were tears cried by the gods or splinters from falling stars, and Romans believed that Cupid’s arrows were tipped with diamonds. Ancient Romans and Greeks also believed that cats were Gods, so it’s hard to know what to believe these days.

Diamonds have been a girl’s best friend for centuries because… well, because they’re super pretty and shiny. It also doesn’t hurt that they’re a billion years old, making them the ultimate vintage item to own. Most diamonds come from volcanic eruptions and they ultimately lead to human volcanic eruptions of emotion.

The first known use of a diamond engagement ring took place in 1477, when Archduke Maxmillian of Austria gave Mary of Burgundy a gold ring featuring an M spelled out in diamonds. Since then, old Archduke Maxmillian’s little stunt has cost the rest of the world a small fortune but at the same time he really did the world of men a favor if you think about it. I mean, can you imagine the horrific gifts men would buy women if diamonds didn’t exist.

Diamonds have been valued and coveted for thousands of years. There is evidence that diamonds were being collected and traded in India as early as the fourth century BC. In the first century AD, the Roman naturalist Pliny is quoted as having said, “Diamond is the most valuable, not only of precious stones, but of all things in this world.”

The largest diamond ever discovered was called the Cullinan diamond, and weighed in at an amazing 3106 carats, or 1.33 pounds. Discovered in 1905 in South Africa, the mine’s owner and the South African leaders gave the diamond to King Edward. The Cullinan was eventually cut into nine large diamonds and 100 smaller ones, and the three largest of these are on display in the Tower of London as part of the crown jewels.

Diamonds are the birthstone for the month of April, meaning that women born in April have extra motivation to ask for gifts of sparkling diamond jewelry. You know, no pressure to any man dating a currently in a relationship with a woman born in April. Seriously, there’s no pressure at all. Why do you have that strange look on your face? You know what you need to do.