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Revision as of 20:38, 22 June 2007 by 76.28.20.27 (talk) (Undid revision 139976339 by DerHexer (talk))(diff) ← Previous revision | Latest revision (diff) | Newer revision → (diff)This article is about the gemstone. For other uses, including the shape ◊, see Diamond (disambiguation).
| Diamond | |
|---|---|
 A scattering of round-brilliant cut diamonds shows off the many reflecting facets. | |
| General | |
| Category | Native Minerals |
| Formula (repeating unit) | C |
| Crystal system | Isometric-Hexoctahedral (Cubic) |
| Identification | |
| Formula mass | 12.01 u |
| Color | Typically yellow, brown or gray to colorless. Less often in blue, green, black, translucent white, pink, violet, orange, purple and red. |
| Crystal habit | Octahedral |
| Cleavage | 111 (perfect in four directions) |
| Fracture | Conchoidal - step like |
| Mohs scale hardness | 10 |
| Luster | Adamantine |
| Streak | Colorless |
| Diaphaneity | Transparent to subtransparent to translucent |
| Specific gravity | 3.52 (+/- .01) |
| Density | 3.5-3.53 |
| Polish luster | Adamantine |
| Optical properties | Singly Refractive |
| Refractive index | 2.4175–2.4178 |
| Birefringence | none |
| Pleochroism | none |
| Dispersion | .044 |
| Ultraviolet fluorescence | colorless to yellowish stones - inert to strong in long wave, and typically blue. Weaker in short wave. |
| Absorption spectra | In pale yellow stones a 415.5 nm line is typical. Irradiated and annealed diamonds often show a line around 594 nm when cooled to low temperatures. |
Diamond is one of the hardest (if not THE hardest) metal know the man.
- ^ Gemological Institute of America, GIA Gem Reference Guide 1995, ISBN 0-87311-019-6