Perhaps no gem delights the senses like the diamond. This most precious of stones seems to burn with a fire deep within. Crystallized carbon, formed under tremendous pressure over millennia, the diamond is famed for its everlasting hardness. In this capacity, the gem has come to symbolize eternal faithfulness and is the traditional focus of the engagement band. Because early cultures lacked the technology to facet the diamond, the gem has only become popular in the last two centuries. Diamonds are normally colorless, but they are also found in shades including yellow, pink, and blue. In eastern belief, the diamond is said to enhance the full spectrum of energies in the body, mind, and spirit. Within the circle of gems, the diamond defines the standards of beauty, rarity, and preciousness. According to oriental legend, the earth rested on a giant sapphire, whose blue color was reflected in the bowl of the sky. A variety of corundum colored with aluminum oxide, sapphire is one of the four gems called "precious" today. In hue, sapphires range from dark to pale blue, to black. Its rarity contributed to its reputation as a magic stone of immense and all-encompassing power. It is said to ward off infectious disease, to dispel confusion, and enhance clarity of mind. The sapphire has also been thought since antiquity to bring good fortune to those who wear it. Anyone adorned with this rich blue gem will feel very lucky indeed. - (FJ.4010)