Global Gemstone Certification

Diamond

Diamond is known as being the hardest mineral that you can discover on Earth. Even the name of this mineral is derived from ‘adamas’ which in Greek means unbreakable. Its structure ensures that the gem is difficult to polish and highly durable. Due to this, it is by far the most expensive gemstone available to purchase on the market. Despite this, there are numerous processes that can be used to alter or change the durability of diamonds. Many diamonds are billions of years old.

Chemical Formula	C
Color	Colorless, Blue, Red, Green, Yellow, Orange, Brown, Pink, Purple, Gray, Black
Hardness	10
Crystal System	Isometric
Refractive Index	2.417 – 2.419
SG	3.1 – 3.5
Transparency	Transparent to opaque
Double Refraction	None
Luster	Adamantine
Cleavage	1, all sides – octahedral. Dodecahedral Diamonds and Borts exhibit poor cleavage or no cleavage at all.
Mineral Class	Diamond