What is a diamond?

Diamond is a rare and precious stone obtained by processing diamond, which is the crystalline form of the carbon element. Diamond is known for its excellent brightness, high hardness and durability. It is often used in jewelry and is preferred as a gift at weddings, engagements and special events. Diamond is also considered a symbol of wealth, luxury and magnificence in many cultures.

Physical Properties of Diamond

Diamonds are distinguished from other natural stones by many physical properties. Some of the important physical properties are:

• Hardness : Diamonds have the highest hardness level on the Mohs hardness scale, out of 10. Therefore, diamonds are quite resistant to other stones.

• Density : Diamond is a highly dense stone and has a density of approximately 3.5 grams/cm³.

• Brilliance : Diamond has a high refractive index and reflects light perfectly. Therefore, diamond is a very bright stone.

• Color : In addition to being colorless or white, diamonds can also be found in different colors such as yellow, pink, blue, green and brown. Colorless diamonds are rarer and more valuable.

• Transparency : A diamond has a high level of transparency and can be crystal clear due to the small number of fine cracks and flaws within it.

These features are important for recognizing the diamond and determining its value.

Hardness of Diamond

Diamond is a stone with the highest hardness level on the Mohs hardness scale, out of 10. This means that diamond is much harder compared to other minerals. This high hardness of diamond makes it durable and resistant to wear. Therefore, diamond is an ideal stone to use in jewelry.

The hardness of a diamond can be determined by performing scratch and cut tests on other objects. For example, if a diamond is tested with other hard stones such as diamond and sapphire, these stones can scratch each other, while a diamond can only be scratched by another diamond. In addition, the hardness of a diamond is also important in determining the quality of a processed diamond. Because during the processing of a diamond, a diamond can easily be damaged by a wrong cut due to its hardness.

Density in Diamonds

The density of a diamond is approximately 3.5 g/cm³. This density means that a diamond is heavier than other stones. The density of a diamond is a characteristic that can be used to determine whether it is a real diamond.

The density of a diamond is not the same as the bulk density of a diamond. The bulk density of a diamond can change with temperature changes due to thermal expansion of its density. Therefore, the true density of a diamond is determined as the ratio of its mass to its volume.

The density of a diamond also depends on the size and cut of the stone. Larger diamonds may have slightly lower density than higher density diamonds. The cut of a diamond can also affect its density, as small amounts of material can be lost during the cutting of the diamond, which can affect the diamond's true density.

Sparkle in Diamonds

Diamond is a stone with a high refractive index and dispersion coefficient, so it exhibits a unique sparkle and brilliance. The high refractive index of a diamond is necessary for the refraction and reflection of light within the diamond. The light within the diamond is reflected and refracted on the facets of the stone, which is the reason for the brilliance and sparkle of the diamond.

Also, the dispersion coefficient of a diamond refers to the number of colors that a diamond separates into its spectrum of white light. This is the reason for the colored light reflections of a diamond, known as "fire." Since a diamond has a high dispersion coefficient, it reflects more colors in the white light spectrum, creating more shades of color.

The brilliance and brilliance of a diamond is also closely related to the quality of the cut of the stone. Properly cutting a diamond allows light to be refracted and reflected correctly within the stone, which increases the brilliance and sparkle of the stone. A well-cut diamond exhibits more brilliance and brilliance with less light loss.

Color in Diamonds

Color is an important factor in the quality and value of a diamond. Diamonds are often thought of as colorless, but they can actually be many different colors. Diamonds can have many hues, from colorless or white, which is the purest and most valuable, to light yellow, brown, pink, blue and green.

Worldwide, the color of diamonds is determined by the GIA (Gemological Institute of America), an internationally accepted color scale. The GIA color scale classifies the color tones of diamonds using a series of letters from D (colorless) to Z (yellowish). Grade D diamonds are the purest and most colorless, and grade Z diamonds have a slight yellow tint. As the stone becomes more yellow in color along the color scale, its value decreases.

Some diamonds are sought after for their rarity and value because they are colored. The colors of these diamonds can depend on certain elements in their chemical composition. For example, a diamond can be blue due to the presence of boron, pink due to natural radiation, or yellowish due to the presence of nitrogen. These colored diamonds are sold for a high price because they are rare and especially because they are naturally colored.

Transparency in Diamonds

A diamond is a natural stone with a high level of transparency. Transparency indicates how well a diamond transmits light and how few flaws or cloudiness it contains. In rare cases, diamonds are not completely transparent, but when cut correctly, the stone's natural transparency and sparkle are maximized.

Diamonds can have different levels of transparency depending on the amount of flaws and turbidity within them. These flaws can be naturally occurring small cracks, bubbles, or fine lines caused by the inclusion of minerals. These flaws can reduce the transparency of the diamond and affect its value.

The transparency level of diamonds is determined by the Gemological Institute of America (GIA). The GIA classifies the transparency levels of diamonds as clear (IF), very slightly flawed (VVS), slightly flawed (VS), h-flawed (SI) and flawed (I). Clear (IF) and very slightly flawed (VVS) diamonds have the highest levels of transparency, with flaws almost invisible. Slightly flawed (VS) and h-flawed (SI) diamonds have flaws so few they are not visible to the naked eye. Flawed (I) diamonds, on the other hand, have flaws that are clearly visible.

Chemical Properties of Diamond

Diamond is the crystallized form of chemically pure carbon. Therefore, it is a very chemically stable stone and hardly reacts with other substances. Diamond is resistant to oxidation or acids and is considered chemically inert.

However, it can burn by reacting with oxygen under high temperatures. Therefore, diamond cutting and grinding must be processed using special equipment with water cooling. In addition, diamond can only be melted in molten metal and used to produce synthetic diamonds under high pressure.

Diamond is widely used in jewelry making and industry because it is a chemically stable and durable stone.