Diamond-The gemstone.

Diamond-The  gemstone.

Diamond is a hardest known natural mineral on the earth and is known for his fascinating appearence,look. It is chemically resistant mineral.These properties make it suitable for use as a cutting tool and for other uses where durability is required. Diamond also has special optical properties such as a high index of refraction, high dispersion and high luster. These properties help make diamond the world's most popular gemstone. 

Definition of Diamond?

Diamond is a rare, naturally occurring mineral composed of carbon. Each carbon atom in a diamond is surrounded by four other carbon atoms and connected to them by strong covalent bonds. This simple, uniform, tightly bonded arrangement yields one of the most durable substances known. 

Where Do Diamonds Form? 

The diamonds are carried to the surface in large pieces of mantle rock known as xenoliths.Diamonds are not native to Earth's surface. Diamonds are formed at high temperatures and pressures that occur in Earth's mantle about 100 miles down. Diamonds are brought to Earth's surface by volcanic eruptions.  The diamonds are produced either by mining the rock which contains the xenoliths or by mining the soils and sediments that formed as the diamond-bearing rock weathered away. 

Gem Diamonds vs. Industrial Diamonds

 Gemstone diamonds are stones with color and clarity that make them suitable for jewelry or investment use. These stones are especially rare and make up a minor portion of worldwide diamond production. Gemstone diamonds are sold for their beauty and quality. 

Industrial diamonds are mostly used in cutting, grinding, drilling and polishing procedures. Here, hardness and heat conductivity characteristics are the qualities being purchased. Size and other measures of quality relevant to gemstones are not important. Industrial diamonds are often crushed to produce micron-sized abrasive powders. Large amounts of diamonds that are gemstone quality but too small to cut are sold into the industrial diamond trade. 

Diamond as a Gemstone 

Diamonds are the world's most popular gemstones. More money is spent on diamonds than on all other gemstones combined. Part of the reason for diamond's popularity is a result of its optical properties - or how it reacts with light. Other factors include fashion, custom and marketing.

Diamonds have a very high luster. The high luster is a result of a diamond reflecting a high percentage of the light that strikes its surface. This high luster is what gives diamonds their pleasing "sparkle". 

Diamond also has a high dispersion. As white light passes through a diamond this high dispersion causes that light to separate into its component colors. Dispersion is what enables a prism to separate white light into the colors of the spectrum. This property of dispersion is what gives diamonds their colorful "fire". 

Diamond Gemstone Quality 

The quality of a diamond gemstone is primarily determined by four factors: color, cut, clarity and carats. 

Color: Most gem quality diamonds range from colorless to yellow. The most highly regarded stones are those that are completely colorless. These are the ones sold for the highest prices. However, another category of diamond gemstone is increasing in popularity. These are the "fancy" diamonds, which occur in a variety of colors including, red, pink, yellow, purple, blue and green. The value of these stones is based upon their color intensity, rarity and popularity. 

Cut: The quality of workmanship in a diamond has a large impact upon its quality. This influences not only the geometric appearance of the stone but also the stone's luster and fire. Ideal stones are perfectly polished to be highly reflective and emit a maximum amount of fire. The faceted faces are equal in size and identical in shape. And, the edges of each faceted face meets perfectly with each of its neighbors. 

Clarity: The ideal diamond is free from internal flaws and inclusions (particles of foreign material within the stone). These detract from the appearance of the stone and interfere with the passage of light through the stone. When present in large numbers or sizes they can also reduce the strength of the stone. 

Carat: Diamonds are sold by the carat (a unit of weight equal to 1/5th of a gram or 1/142nd of an ounce). Small diamonds cost less per carat than larger stones of equal quality. This is because very small stones are very common and large stones are especially rare.