A Diamond is forever and is supposedly a girl’s best friend. One of the recent survey said many of the girls/ladies expected Diamond as their Valentine Day gift. While doing so they would have considered the four factors famously known as 4 C’s that contribute most to the value and look of a diamond. I couldn’t help but relate this aspect of valuing a diamond to an individual. The 4C’s are Cut; Clarity; Carat; Color

1. CUT refers to the proportions, symmetry and finish of a polished diamond. The diamond that surrenders itself to the artist and allows itself to be cut becomes better in trapping the light to create the sparkle. Many a times we fail to see the reason why something is happening to us and learn from it.

2. Color - A Diamond’s color ranges from a faint yellow to a very rare blue, pink etc. But the most valuable is one which is completely colorless as it allows light to pass through it with ease - dispersing it again as rainbows of color. No wonder a person with a clear & simple heart is a perpetual joy to know. An attitude that is not tainted by colors of egoism.

3. Clarity - A majority of the raw diamonds are born with blemishes. These blemishes obstruct the light to pass through the diamond, minimizing its brilliance and thereby subtracting its beauty. A diamond which is free of any surface blemishes is very rare and therefore very precious. A person with clarity of thoughts and purpose makes all the difference.

4. Carat - Diamonds are valued in terms of its carat value. A diamond or gemstone’s “Carat” designation is a measurement of both the size and weight of the stone. A sterling character is carat value of an individual.
Character is to the intrinsic worth of a man as carbon is to steel.

Each of us is born brilliant. But then many a times this brilliance is buried by circumstances, experiences and largely due to our indifference to life. Eventually, we forget that we ever had genius and special talents, and our brilliance gets concealed by layers of dust.

So we settle for who we are, instead of striving for who we were meant to be. Its then that life comes and gives a ‘rub’. Difficult though as it may seem, it’s the nature’s way of stepping in to cut and polish the gem that is us - to reawaken our genius, reignite our internal light, and release our potential.

Let’s welcome these ‘rubs’ and March ahead in all splendor and shine.
After all a diamond is just a piece of coal that did well under pressure.