Diamonds

Unless you pay a criminal for a diamond who is known as a terrorist, you probably won't be able to tell whether or not the un-certified diamond that you buy is a blood diamond.

You can, however, be reasonably assured that when you buy a diamond accompanied by a Kimberly Certificate, that you are **not** buying a blood diamond.

Sparlking Ice, Shimmering Rock, Brilliant Gem, Glittering Stone.

Carbon. Other trace minerals may give the diamond colour, such as boron, which gives a diamond a blue cast or nitrogen, which gives a diamond a yellow cast.

Glass can produce a sparkling effect when cut in a similar fashion to diamonds, although the sparkle may not be as intense due to differences in the material properties of glass compared to diamond. The dispersion of light in glass is not as high as in diamonds, so the sparkle may appear less vibrant.

The brilliance of a diamond is primarily due to its ability to refract and reflect light within its facets. This property is enhanced by the diamond's hardness, which allows it to be polished to a high degree of clarity and transparency, maximizing its sparkle. The cut of the diamond also plays a significant role in how light interacts with the stone, enhancing its brilliance.

Diamonds are typically identified by their hardness and brilliance. You can try scratching a piece of glass with the rock—if it scratches the glass, it may be a diamond due to its hardness. Additionally, diamonds sparkle and reflect light in a unique way, so if your rock shows these characteristics, it might be a diamond. To be certain, it's best to have the rock evaluated by a professional gemologist.

No.

Diamonds are an allotrope of carbon formed deep within the earth's mantle under extremes of high pressure and temperatures. This unique combination is what forms diamonds over millions of years.

You can determine if a gemstone is a diamond by looking for its distinct hardness, brilliance, and clarity. Diamonds are one of the hardest substances, so they should not scratch easily. They also have exceptional sparkle and brilliance due to their high refractive index. A professional jeweler can confirm if a stone is a diamond through testing using specialized equipment.

A real diamond will have natural imperfections known as inclusions, while a manmade diamond will likely have fewer of these imperfections or none at all. The authenticity of a diamond can also be confirmed by a certified gemologist using specialized equipment to assess its properties like hardness, refractivity, and thermal conductivity.

Some famous diamonds include the Hope Diamond, the Koh-i-Noor Diamond, the Cullinan Diamond, and the Regent Diamond. Each of these diamonds is notable for its size, color, clarity, and historical significance.

Diamond dust is the hardest natural material known, making it ideal for cutting other diamonds due to its abrasive properties. The dust particles create friction when used in cutting tools, allowing the diamond to be cut with precision and without damaging its structure.

If you dynamite a diamond -- a foolish experiment at all levels: diamonds are expensive! -- what you'll end up with is lots of smaller diamonds that will be hard to find.

You will not be able to 'destroy' a diamond with dynamite.

One carat weight of diamond weighs .20 grammes, so your diamond is about half that weight, or roughly half a carat.

Yellow diamonds get their color from the presence of nitrogen molecules within the carbon structure of the diamond. The more nitrogen present, the stronger and more vivid the yellow color will be. Natural yellow diamonds are rare and highly prized for their unique and vibrant hue.

diamonds are harder than glasses... diamonds were considered as the hardest substances in nature...seventy-five percent of diamonds found are employed in industry, for cutting tools, drill bits and so forth.

No. A diamond will never 'turn colours'.

A diamond usually contains traces of other elements, such as nitrogen, which gives diamond a yellow cast. Heating a diamond with traces of nitrogen will enhance or intensify the saturation of yellow in the stone, but will not change its basic colour from yellow.

As well, faceted diamonds are designed to reflect all colours of the rainbow. Heating a diamond will not alter this characteristic, even in a 'yellow' diamond.

Finally, be aware that heated or treated diamonds have less value than untreated stones. A certified gemologist will always be able to detect enhancements in a diamond and lower its value accordingly.

Coal is similar to diamonds in that both substances are made from the element carbon.

An SI quality diamond refers to a diamond that has inclusions that are slightly visible to the naked eye under close examination. SI stands for "slightly included" and is a clarity grade in the Gemological Institute of America's grading system. These diamonds offer a balance between quality and value.

Yes, high temperatures can cause a diamond to change its structure and color. The diamond may turn black due to graphite formation or other defects, but it can revert to its original state if the temperature is reduced slowly.

Diamond is the hardest known natural material, so it cannot be easily scratched by most substances. However, other diamonds can scratch each other due to the specific atomic arrangement in the crystal lattice.

Diamonds do not decompose under normal conditions as they are one of the hardest known natural materials. They are composed of carbon atoms arranged in a specific crystal structure that is not easily broken down by environmental factors.

If by age, you mean change over time, it is true that diamonds do age. However, the time period over which they change is millions of years, so any change would not be observable by a human in his/her life span.

Diamonds formed in laboratories are formed from carbon, which is an element.

By definition, a mineral occurs naturally.

So no, a lab-formed diamond is not a mineral.

To find flaws in a diamond, you can use a jeweler's loupe or a microscope to examine the stone closely. Look for inclusions (internal flaws) or blemishes (external flaws) that may affect the diamond's clarity and overall quality. A certified gemologist can also perform a thorough inspection to identify and assess any flaws present in the diamond.