The magic begins at a depth of about 160 kilometers below the ground, in high temperature and pressure conditions where the diamond forms. This sophisticated mineral is composed of carbon whose atoms are bonded in diamonds in the same way in all directions. Beside him, there is a graphite, which is also a mineral composed exclusively of carbon, but comparing with the diamond, the process of its formation and crystal structure are quite different.
The graphite is so soft that it can be used for writing, unlike to a diamond that is so tough it can be scratched only using other diamonds.
History and traditions associated with diamonds
As the strongest material on Earth, the diamond is 58 times harder than any other material in nature.
A star in the sky which is fifty light years away from Earth is actually a giant diamond of 10 billion trillion trillion carats.
In the average diamond mine, in a million pieces of rock there is only one diamond.
Mineral:
Diamond
Double refraction of light:
None
Chemical composition:
C (Carbon)
Specific weight:
3,52 (+/-0,01)
Color:
Colorless
Hardness on the Mohs scale:
10
One of the common misconceptions is related to the term brilliant, which many think is another type of gemstone; in fact, it is about a specially processed broken diamond.
Clarity, Color, Cut and Carat (4C) are characteristics of diamond that are used for its classification
Diamond is the only gemstone that is created of only one element-carbon.
In the average diamond mine, in a million pieces of rock there is only one diamond.
In the realm of minerals, diamonds are distinguished as unique thanks to their characteristic chemical composition and crystalline structure.
Determining the degree of diamond clarity is the number, size, relief and position of inclusions and stains.
The more diamond is less shaded, the greater is its value. The colors of the diamonds go from D to the letter Z. If it is colorless than it is Dand so on. Even the slightest color indication can drastically affect the value of the diamond.
The cut (proportions, symmetry and shine) is a measure of the interaction of the diamond and light facade.
The value of a diamond is calculated in the unit called carat, according to which one carat is 0.2 grams. The rarity of the diamond implies that larger diamonds of the same quality have a higher value per carat of smaller diamonds.
