What is All the Fuss About Diamonds?
For centuries, people considered diamonds as one of the most beautiful and valuable gems on earth. But most of them fail to understand the reasons behind why diamonds are so rare and special.
– The name “diamond” comes from the word “adamas” which in Greek means “Unbreakable”
– Diamonds like all substances are made out carbon. Although other substances like graphite are soft, diamonds are one of the hardest substances known on earth.
– Although the most popular diamonds are colorless, due to impurities some diamonds are formed in a number of shades, such as purple, yellow, red, pink, orange, and brown.
– Diamonds are formed in an area within the earth called mantle, which is 140 to 190 km within the earth. According to scientists, it takes over four billion years for diamonds to form, which is approximately 25% to 75% of the age of the earth. The earth’s mantle provided a diamond with high levels of pressure and temperatures that help create diamonds.
– Diamonds are brought to the earth’s surface by volcanic eruptions that push the diamonds towards the earth’s surface.
– Diamonds are scratch-proof and can only be scratched by rubbing one diamond against another.
– The surface of a diamond is waterproof but it adheres to wax and grease. This makes it easier for diamonds to be separated when being mined.
– Diamonds have a high reflective index, which means that they have the ability to reflect light and create rainbow like spectrums of color.