What is a Diamond?
We all know what a diamond is in the abstract sense; a pretty rock. But how much do you really know about that shiny little bauble you plan on purchasing or already love so much? In this blog entry, let’s try to uncover more information about this most precious of ‘stones’ and briefly examine diamonds from a scientific point of view.
The most common misconception regarding diamonds is that they are in fact stones. Though this term is commonly used both in the jewelry industry and on the street, nothing could be further from the truth. A diamond is actually a crystalline structure, or crystal for us laypeople, consisting of pure carbon atoms arranged in an isometric matrix. In ideal circumstances over the course of perhaps billions of years (or a few months if the diamond is man made), diamonds grow out equally in all directions resulting in a symmetrical octahedral shape, or looking like two pyramids connected at their bases. Most natural diamonds, and many man made as well, none-the-less experience multiple variations in temperature and pressure during their formation, and as such, imperfections are made manifest within the structure of the carbon matrix. Such variations occurring during the diamond’s creation are what determine their overall 4-C rating. Minor internal lines or cracks, odd shaping, small particles captured with the diamond that were never forced out by the constant pressure and the occasional ‘undiagnosable’ blemish are the most common flaws diamonds can suffer from. One odd and little known such blemish is the occasional ‘crystal within crystal’ flaw, wherein during the formation of one diamond, a smaller diamond was created with the host ‘stone’. Usually such imperfections occur toward the outer portions of the stone and can be cut away to reveal the more perfect, if not flawless, interior.
The unique qualities of the diamond you may be planning to purchase for your beloved’s engagement ring, or other piece of fine jewelry, go well beyond the mere naked eye. Beauty is skin deep they say, but a diamond’s artfulness is sub-atomic! As many people know, diamond is the hardest material known to exist by humanity, scoring a perfect 10 on the Mohs Hardness Scale. As such, diamond is extremely resistant to scratching and wear from friction. In fact diamond is several times harder than the next substance down on the Mohs Scale, corundum, which is the same substance emeralds and rubies are formed from. Diamonds, on top of being number one for hardness, are also extremely resistant to heat and acidic or base chemicals. It takes temperatures in excess of 700° Celsius (1,300°F) to even attempt to burn a diamond. As pure crystalline carbon a diamond has no melting point. Moreover, extremely powerful acids and base liquids have no effect on the structure of diamond, as the carbon matrix is so tight that the molecules of such liquids cannot penetrate the surface and begin to break down the diamonds they may come into contact with. In fact it is such chemicals that are used to clean the diamonds in your rings! Such qualities make diamond the substance for industrial cutting and grinding purposes.
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