Diamonds

A unique characteristic of a diamond is its exceptional hardness, being the hardest natural material on Earth. This property makes diamonds ideal for jewelry and industrial applications where durability is important.

Diamonds 'sparkle' based on the high refractive index of the mineral.

Then, add the cut of the stone and its polish which cause light to be reflected and refracted back to the observer's eye.

Note that a raw, uncut diamond will not demonstrate its high refractive index.

Industry enhances precision cutting and carving tools by adding diamond tips to them. This is the usefulness of about 80% of all diamonds mined.

Gem-quality diamonds may have an effect on humans, depending on who gives it and who receives it and under what circumstances. That said, the receiver is generally wealthier given the sheer value of a gem-quality diamond.

A 0.39 carat diamond is considered small to medium in size. It is most commonly used in small accent stones in jewelry pieces or as a center stone in delicate engagement rings. The actual physical size of the diamond would depend on its cut, with a well-cut diamond appearing larger than a poorly cut one.

The indicator E-F in diamond grading may indicate a colour range for a white diamond. It is in the most desirable range, also known as colourless.

You can review the colour range, below.

No, diamond is not a ceramic. Diamond is a naturally occurring crystal composed of carbon atoms arranged in a specific structure, making it a type of mineral known for its hardness and brilliance. Ceramics, on the other hand, are typically non-metallic materials made by shaping and then firing a clay-based mixture at high temperatures.

'Scarce resource' implies that the resource is uncommon, rare and hard to find, all of which is true for the mineral diamond.

As to why diamond is scarce, that's a Mother Nature question, and she's not answering questions here, sorry.

A raw diamond will have a rough, unpolished surface with a dull appearance. It may also appear cloudy or opaque due to impurities. If you are unsure, it is best to have the diamond evaluated by an expert gemologist.

Diamonds are valuable primarily due to their rarity, durability, and beauty. They hold significant cultural and symbolic meaning, often representing love, luxury, and commitment. They are used in various industries, such as jewelry, technology, and manufacturing.

Diamonds are classified based on the 4Cs: cut, color, clarity, and carat weight. Cut refers to the proportions, symmetry, and polish of the diamond. Color is graded based on the absence of color, with the highest grade being D (colorless) to Z (light yellow or brown). Clarity measures the presence of internal or external flaws, with the scale ranging from Flawless (no inclusions or blemishes) to Included (visible flaws). Carat weight measures the size of the diamond.

Diamonds are primarily cut and used as gemstones in jewelry, such as rings, necklaces, earrings, and bracelets. They are also used in industrial applications as cutting tools for drilling, grinding, and polishing due to their hardness and durability. Additionally, diamonds are used in scientific and medical equipment for their unique properties, such as in high-pressure experiments and laser technology.

The sparkling of a suitably cut diamond is caused by its ability to reflect and refract light through its facets. When light enters the diamond, it bounces off its facets and is dispersed in a way that creates a dazzling sparkle, known as brilliance and fire.

The cost of 10-carat diamond earrings can vary widely depending on the quality of the diamonds, the design of the earrings, and the retailer selling them. In general, you can expect to pay tens of thousands to hundreds of thousands of dollars for 10-carat diamond earrings. It is best to consult with a reputable jeweler to get an accurate estimate based on your specific preferences.

The phrase "diamond accents" in the description of a piece of jewelery generally refers to small diamonds. Often they're so small you'd need a magnifying glass to tell that they actually are there.

No: diamond does not itself burn nor does it support combustion.

The term "blood diamond" refers to diamonds that are mined in war zones and sold to finance armed conflict. The name reflects the violence and human suffering associated with these diamonds, as they are often extracted through forced labor and used to fund war and human rights abuses.

Natural green diamonds are extremely rare. You would call one a 'green diamond'.

According to the GIA Web site:

"Green diamonds get their color when radiation displaces carbon atoms from their normal positions in the crystal structure. This can happen naturally when diamond deposits lie near radioactive rocks, or artificially as a result of treatment by irradiation."

A diamond's mineral name is carbon. Diamonds are formed from crystallized carbon under high pressure and temperature deep within the Earth's mantle.

Diamond is composed of carbon atoms arranged in a tetrahedral structure, making it a covalent network solid. Most metals, on the other hand, have metallic bonding where electrons are free to move throughout the material. This difference in bonding accounts for the distinct properties of diamond, such as its hardness and transparency, compared to most metals.

Your answer depends on the quality of diamonds you want to purchase.

Gem-quality diamonds are weighed in carats. A top gem-quality, one-carat diamond today at Blue Nile will cost you US$23,672. One kilo equals 5,000 carats. Can you do the math?

If you want to purchase a kilo of industrial diamonds, and if you buy in bulk on a regular basis, you may be able to purchase a kilo for about the price of a latte grande.

Diamonds have an extremely high index of refraction, the property that makes a spoon in a cup of water look bent at the point where the water meets the air. It causes light that enters the diamond come back out at different angles, and some of the light reflects within the diamond for a while before coming back out (it's the same phenomenon as when you look at the surface of the water in a fish tank from a very shallow angle below the surface and it looks like a mirror, except to a greater angle).

Light traveling from a less dense medium, like air, into a more dense medium, like a diamond, is bent toward the normal, the imaginary line perpendicular to the surface where the two media meet at the point where the light enters. Light going from a more dense medium to a less dense medium is bent away from the normal.

Also, different colors (wavelengths) are bent different amounts, which is how a prism works and why sunlight reflecting off the insides of raindrops creates a rainbow.

The volume of a diamond cannot be determined solely by its weight. The volume would depend on the specific cut, dimensions, and density of the diamond.

According to metric conversion calculator on metrics conversions dot org: 42.52 ct weighs 0.299969 ounces.


(The carat weight you quote is the exact weight of the Hope Diamond.)

The 3,106 carat stone you reference is the rough diamond stone found in Africa, from which The Cullinan Diamonds were 'chipped'. That many carats weights about one and a third pounds.

You can see in the photo, link below, of the largest of these 'chips' what a 503+ carat, cut and polished stone looks like in the hands of the jeweler.

This means that the 3,000 plus carat stone -- the uncut, rough stone, was about six times the size of the stone in the top photo.

An archive photo of the raw stone is visible further down the page. The stone appears to fill a man's hand.


Some rough diamonds are shaped like two pyramids, joined at the base. This stone, however, appears to be shaped asymmetrically.

Take the stone to a reputable gemologist and ask for a description of its cut, colour, carat weight and clarity.

Then ask a jeweler how much s/he would charge you for a comparable stone. This may give you an indication of about how much the stone is worth.