Diamond

Deep, deep down under the ground, where it is warm and dark, I was born. It was like getting a big, strong hug from the whole world all at once. Squeeeeeze. I stayed there for a long, long, long time, waiting and sleeping. I waited for billions of years. Then one day, a big volcano deep in the Earth gave a mighty ROAR and a burp. WHOOSH. It pushed me up, up, up to the top of the world where the sun could make me shine. I am super strong and oh, so sparkly. Can you guess what I am?

I am a Diamond. Hello. A very long time ago, people in a faraway place called India found me. This was around the 4th century BCE. They were walking by a river when they saw something glittering in the water. It was me. They picked me up and thought I was a tiny star that had fallen from the night sky. They soon learned I was the hardest, strongest thing they had ever seen. I was so strong I could scratch other rocks. Kings and queens loved how I glittered in the light. They wore me on their sparkly crowns and shiny necklaces. They thought I was a special charm that brought them good luck and kept them safe.

Today, I still love to sparkle on pretty jewelry. You might see me on a special ring that shows two people love each other very much. But I also have very important jobs because I am so strong. I help build tall buildings by cutting tough stuff. I help doctors with special tools that need a very, very strong tip. I can be beautiful and strong at the same time. And you know what? You can be strong and beautiful, too. You can shine bright in your own special way, just like me.