Do you wanna discover the beauty and mystery of diamonds? Let’s start from the beginning – What is a Diamond? Here is your ultimate guide to understand these beauties. You will an expert in no time!
Definition of a Diamond
A “diamond” is a precious stone that has been regarded as being of great value since antiquity. It is a crystalline form of carbon, which is highly prized for its hardness and its optical properties, with brilliant sparkle and diamond-cut facets that refract light.
The term “diamond” can refer to both natural diamonds (sometimes called “real diamonds”) and diamonds created in laboratories (sometimes called “synthetic diamonds”). Natural diamonds are typically found deep underground in locations around the world, such as India, South Africa, Australia and Russia. They also form in other planets and meteorites. Synthetic diamonds are created using advanced technology which mimics the same formation process occurring in nature to produce gem grade crystals at a fraction of the cost.
In terms of composition, diamond is considered the hardest naturally occurring substance on earth and has an exceptionally high refractive index. To determine its quality, a diamond’s clarity or purity is judged based on minute scratches or stains visible under magnification. The four C’s – cut, clarity, color and carat – are used to measure intrinsic value of each diamond by assessing these attributes separately and then rating them together according to standard guidelines set forth by professional jewelers or graders.
Diamond Crystals
Understanding of what a diamond is requires an understanding of how it forms. Diamonds are exceptionally hard crystals that form from the element carbon with an intricate crystal structure. All diamonds consist of atoms made up of a single element – carbon – with each carbon atom bonded in a tetrahedral formation with four different carbon atoms. Each tetrahedron is connected to other tetrahedrons, creating a lattice-like structure known as a diamond crystal.
The unique characteristics and incredible strength of diamond crystals make them one of the most sought after materials on Earth. This remarkable material is incredibly durable and holds its properties even when cut and polished, making it the perfect choice for jewelry, industrial tools, or anything in between.
The strength and resilience of diamonds make them highly valued for many applications, including engagement rings and high-end tools. The intense pressures necessary to form diamond crystals cannot be replicated in nature, so all diamonds are extremely rare and valuable commodities, making them desired by all who appreciate beauty and strength alike!
Formation of Diamonds
Diamonds form deep inside the Earth at depths that reach hundreds of miles beneath the Earth’s surface. In order for a diamond to make its way from the mantle to the earth’s surface, high pressure and temperature must have been present for it to form. This pressure can cause diamonds to form as carbon atoms rearrange themselves into a unique crystalline structure.
Primitive diamonds have been found in ancient rock formations that are up to 3 billion years old, these stones formed at depths of about 90 miles beneath the Earth’s surface.
When coal, oil and other hydrocarbons mix with oxygen in the presence of great heat and pressure, diamonds are created from pure carbon in these underground reserves. Geologists must investigate rocks on a miniscule level to identify locations containing diamond deposits because of their rarity among other elements on earth’s surface. When these sites are identified, deep pits are dug by machines which enable miners to access valuable deposits of diamonds in their natural state before they can be processed and traded worldwide.
Characteristics of Diamond Crystals
A diamond is a mineral made of pure carbon, with the chemical formula C. It is the hardest known natural material, rating 10 on the Mohs scale of hardness. Diamond crystals can range anywhere from colorless to pale yellow or greenish colors, and many diamonds also exhibit what is known as “fancy coloring” – colors that are rarer than colorless diamonds.
Diamond crystals are usually hexagonal in shape and crystallize in the isometric crystal system which means that each side of the crystal structure has a different length and width. This makes it possible for them to take a variety of shapes depending on how they grow in the Earth’s mantle. Diamonds have a distinct crystal habit which consists of well-shaped cubes and octahedrons, along with less symmetrical forms when viewed under magnification.
The hardness of diamond makes it an ideal choice for use in jewelry or industry since it is able to cut or drill through substances while also maintaining its brilliance and sheen. Because of this unique attribute, diamonds have been highly sought-after since ancient times and remain popular today as an object of beauty as well as strength.
Gem Diamonds
A diamond is a precious stone formed from carbon and widely used for jewelry and other adornments. The term “diamond” is derived from the Greek word “adamas”, which means indestructible or unbreakable.
Gem diamonds are those of gem quality, which are precious and deemed worthy of being cut into faceted stones; they are typically around 20 carats in weight or larger. Diamonds in a smaller size may be worth less than their larger counterparts due to the expense of the cutting process.
When diamonds are mined out of a rock formation, they can be found in many different shapes and sizes with varying degrees of clarity which affect its value. Diamonds can come in many different colors, ranging from colorless to light yellow, blue or pink-colored hues. The clarity and color of diamonds can be graded on an international scale by certified professionals using accepted lab standards.
Gem diamonds have a wide variety of uses such as:
- Luxury jewelry pieces
- Engagement rings for couples expressing their love for each other
- Celebratory rings for anniversaries or birthdays
- Decorative furnishings around the house such as beautiful chandeliers, figurines or vases that draw attention wherever placed
- Industrial purposes like diamond-tipped drill bits for drilling into hard surfaces like granite countertops for example
Each use requires its own specific grade and quality level since various grades will determine strength and durability requirements depending on specific end goals needed to effectively accomplish certain tasks. Therefore all uses should only be allocated to suitable grade diamonds with purpose-driven intentions laid down prior being pursued endeavoring authentic results long desired by owners ensuring contentment achieved every single time applied!
Natural Diamonds
Natural diamonds are diamonds that are mined from the Earth’s underground diamond deposits. Natural diamonds have been around for billions of years, but their formation process was largely a mystery until modern science and technology.
Natural diamonds have a distinct crystal structure that can be found and recognized in most gemological laboratories, giving them immense value and rarity for collectors.
These mined diamonds come in several varieties, including colorless or colored diamonds (depending on trace elements in their formation), conflict diamonds (illegally sourced), fancy diamonds (fancy cuts or diamond shapes such as the Princess Cut or Heart Cut) and valuable diamonds (largely based on carat weight). The rarest types of natural diamond tend to fetch higher prices due to their greater sought-after status amongst collectors around the world.
No matter the type of diamond you’re looking for, natural diamonds have always been and continue to remain one of the most precious gems on earth – celebrated for their beauty, rarity and value for centuries. When purchasing natural diamonds, it is important to do your research to ensure you know what you are investing in is truly authentic and as valuable as advertised!
Synthetic Diamonds
Synthetic diamonds are man-made in laboratories and have become increasingly more common, with technological advancements making them more accessible for a range of uses. Synthetic diamonds tend to be flatter in shape and lighter in color than natural diamonds. While this is attributed to the manufacturing process, some natural diamonds are also irregularly cut or shallower.
By contrast, many synthetic diamonds have a very high clarity and consistent symmmetrical cuts.
Creating synthetic diamonds requires the use of high temperature and pressure to imitate their natural formation process deep within the Earth’s surface. Over the last several decades, there have been several methods developed for producing synthetic diamonds such as chemical vapor deposition (CPD). All methods employ the use of carbon, which is heated to extremely high temperatures before being placed under intense pressure to form a diamond. Once created synthetically, these lab-created gems are indistinguishable from naturally formed stones when viewed by untrained eyes without specialized equipment.
When compared side by side with natural stones, synthetic diamonds tend to sparkle less but still maintain their structural integrity and durability throughout time. Despite their similar characteristic traits, synthetic stones are not technically categorized as “diamonds,” so people should be aware of this distinction if considering them for purchase or using them as jewelry replacement items like cubic zirconia.
Therefore it’s important that consumers do research when purchasing jewelery items to make sure they’re buying genuine diamond pieces and not just cheaper alternatives created from artificial materials.
Conclusion
A diamond is a highly coveted gemstone that has been treasured by people around the world for centuries. It remains the only gemstone known to man and has consistently been one of the most valuable minerals in the world’s diamond markets. The value of diamonds depends on their cut, color, clarity, and carat weight, as well as their rarity.
Diamonds can be found in various colors including pink, blue, black and yellow. In order to achieve maximum brilliance, diamonds may be cut in a variety of shapes such as heart-shaped, emerald cut and round cut. The most popular shape is always round cut because it provides optimal light reflection that creates spectacular character sparkles when viewed from different angles.
In conclusion diamonds are a rare and beautiful stone that will always remain highly coveted luxury items around the world due to their natural beauty and high value. Despite advances in artificial gemstones, it seems unlikely they will ever match the quality or allure of real diamonds which are considered by many to be among nature’s greatest masterpieces.
No products in the cart.