Synthetic diamonds have been the dominant type of diamond in industrial applications since the end of the 20th century. Most of the diamonds used to make abrasives and cutting tools are now synthetic. Virtually all diamonds used to make windows, speaker domes, heat sinks, low-friction microbearings, wear-resistant parts, and other technology products are now synthetic.…

Diamond is a very valuable material, and people have been working for centuries to create them in laboratories and factories. Synthetic diamonds are man-made materials that have the same chemical composition, crystal structure, optical properties and physical behavior as natural diamonds. Other names used for synthetic diamonds include: “lab-grown,” “lab-created,” and “man-made”. These names properly indicate that…

Diamond simulants are materials that look like diamond, but they have different chemical compositions. Diamond simulants can be natural materials such as colorless zircon or sapphire. More often they are man-made materials such as cubic zirconia (ZrO2), moissanite (SiC), YAG (yttrium aluminum garnet Y3Al5O12), or strontium titanate (SrTiO3).

Although diamond is known as the world’s hardest natural material and has been assigned a hardness of 10 on the Mohs hardness scale, that information is an oversimplification. Diamond crystals vary in hardness by direction. Mineral Hardness Scales Mineral Mohs Vickers(kg/mm2) Talc 1 27 Gypsum 2 61 Calcite 3 157 Fluorite 4 315 Apatite 5 535…

Most industrial diamonds are used as abrasives. However, diamonds are used in many other applications. Diamond windows   are made from thin diamond membranes. They are used to cover openings in lasers, x-ray machines, and vacuum chambers. They are transparent, very durable, and resistant to heat and abrasion. Diamond speaker domes   enhance the performance…

The quality of a diamond that has been faceted into a gem is primarily determined by four factors: color, cut, clarity, and carat weight. A standardized method of assessing diamond quality was developed in the 1950s by the Gemological Institute of America and is known as “The 4Cs of Diamond Quality” [5]. Color: Most gem-quality diamonds…

Diamonds are the world’s most popular gemstones. Many times 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 its durability, fashion, custom, and aggressive marketing by diamond producers. Diamond…

Gem diamonds are diamonds with color and clarity that make them suitable for jewelry or investment use. These diamonds are rare and make up a minor portion of worldwide diamond production. Gemstone diamonds are sold for their beauty and quality. Natural diamond crystals have a specific gravity that ranges between approximately 3.4 to 3.6. This range…

Chemical Classification Native element – Carbon Color Most diamonds are brown or yellow in color. The jewelry industry has favored colorless diamonds or those that have a color so subtle that it is difficult to notice. Diamonds in vivid hues of red, orange, green, blue, pink, purple, violet, and yellow are extremely rare and sell…

Diamonds are not native to Earth’s surface. Instead they form at high temperatures and pressures that occur in Earth’s mantle about 100 miles below Earth’s surface. How do diamonds form?A detailed article that explains the four sources of diamonds found at Earth’s surface. Most of the diamonds that have been discovered were delivered to Earth’s…