Diamond is the hardest element that has ever been discovered in nature. In the field of jewelry, it has been used as a gem since ancient times. Throughout the years, it has found use in a variety of industries, including the industrial sector (for drilling and polishing rocks and equipment) and the medical field (for surgical materials).
‘Diamond’ is derived from the Greek word adamas, which literally translates as invincible and unalterable. It is a unique natural mineral with a high hardness that is created by the carbon in the environment. One carbon atom is covalently connected to four other carbon atoms in these compounds. Its longevity and adaptability are enhanced by the fact that it is a straightforward, homogeneous, and sturdy structure.
Because of its composition, it is the hardest known material, as well as chemically resistant and having excellent thermal conductivity. As a result of its optical qualities, which include a high refractive index as well as great dispersion and brightness, diamond is often considered to be the most well-known gemstone on Earth.
Properties of Diamonds
1. Color
The majority of diamonds are either brown or yellow in hue. When it comes to diamonds, the jewelry industry has always preferred colorless diamonds or diamonds with a slight tint that is difficult to detect. Diamonds with vibrant colors such as red, orange, green, blue, pink, purple, violet, and yellow are highly uncommon and attract high prices.
Diamonds in these colors are extremely valuable. Some white, grey, and black diamonds are also cut and used as jewels, in addition to the colorless diamonds. Color and clarity are lacking in the majority of industrial grade diamonds. They are brown, yellow, grey, green, or black crystals that lack the color and clarity of a gem.
2. Hardness
Diamond is the most difficult mineral to work with (Mohs hardness of 10). Diamond hardness, on the other hand, is directional.
The direction of the degree of hardness is parallel to the octahedral planes of the crystal, and the degree of hardness increases as the crystal grows harder. After being cut and polished into a gem, it becomes tough to fracture with a diamond saw. It is for this reason that laser cutting is now being employed in place of traditional cutting processes.
When the facets of a diamond are parallel to the octahedral form of the diamond, polishing the diamond becomes harder. If, on the other hand, the hardness direction is parallel to the cubic planes, this does not occur. It is less difficult to polish, but it has an impact on the hardness of the jewel.
3. Types of diamonds
Despite the fact that diamonds have the same chemical makeup and physical qualities as one another, there are frequently several varieties based on their purpose and color, as follows:
- Blue diamonds
- Red diamonds
- Green diamonds
- Yellow diamonds
- Industrial
- Synthetics
Is a diamond a stone, a mineral, or a piece of rock?
It is very common to hear that the diamond is called a stone or even a rock, however, in reality it should be considered as a mineral, and if you study the terms in more depth, you will be able to tell the difference.
The diamond is commonly referred to as a stone due to its great monetary worth in the jewelry business, where minerals that are utilized as jewels are referred to as valuable stones, and the diamond fits into this category.
Diamond Gems and Industrial Diamonds
The color and clarity characteristics of gem diamonds make them particularly suitable for usage in jewelry. Due of their scarcity, they are produced in small quantities across the world and are thus expensive due to their exceptional quality and aesthetic appeal.
Industrial diamonds are employed in a variety of processes such as cutting, grinding, fretwork, and polishing. The qualities of hardness and heat conductivity that are excellent for its industrial application are described below.
To put it another way, depending on how the diamond is discovered, it will be utilized for a variety of various purposes. In the case of diamonds, not all of them are acceptable for use in jewelry, such as jewels or valuable stones.
The diamond is the most valuable gemstone in the world!
They are the most well-known gemstones in the world, owing to their visual features, durability, and extensive publicity generated by huge diamond manufacturers and retailers.
It is referred to as “adamantine” because of its remarkable brightness. Because of this feature, they are able to reflect a significant part of the incoming light that strikes their surface. Faceted angles are arranged in such a manner that they reflect the most amount of light from their interior faces in order to transform them into diamonds
The diamond’s multicolored incandescence is due to the high diffusion of its white light, which results from the diamond’s high diffusion. The graphic depicts the dispersion of a beam of light on a prism; in diamonds, the dispersion of light is at its greatest and most powerful level.
What is the method of determining the quality of a diamond gem?
Four criteria will influence the quality of the diamond: color, cut, clarity, and carat weight. Known as ” The 4Cs of Diamond Quality ” by the Gemological Institute of America, this system was developed to standardize the evaluation of diamond quality.
Color: Can range from colorless to mild yellows, browns, and greys, depending on the species. The colorless are more valuable than the colored. There is a resurgence in the popularity of colored diamonds, which include brown, red, yellow, blue, purple, and green.
Clarity: For anything to be flawless, it must not have any inclusions. These have the effect of diminishing the look of the diamond and interfering with the dispersion of light. Dark hues and huge sizes, on the other hand, may distract from the look of the gem and, in certain situations, will reduce the hardness of the element’s appearance.
Cut: When it comes to the cut of a diamond, its look will be determined by the efficiency with which the design and work employed for its fragmentation were executed. Facet angles, design symmetries, and polish quality are all considered in this category. This will be appreciated in the diamond and will have an impact on the brilliance and incandescence.
Carat: Refers to the unit of weight used in the selling of diamonds, which is equivalent to one-fifth of a gramme. Small stones have a cheaper cost per carat than bigger gems of the same grade!