Diamond | |
---|---|
General | |
Category | minerals |
Formula (repeating unit) | C |
Strunz classification | 01.CB.10a |
Identification | |
Molecular mass | Lua error in Module:Convert at line 669: attempt to index field 'per_unit_fixups' (a nil value). |
Color | Typically yellow, brown or gray to colorless. Less often blue, green, black, translucent white, pink, violet, orange, purple and red. |
Crystal habit | Octahedral |
Crystal system | Isometric-Hexoctahedral (Cubic) |
Twinning | Spinel law common (yielding "macle") |
Cleavage | 111 (perfect in four directions) |
Fracture | Conchoidal (shell-like) |
Mohs scale hardness | 10 (defining mineral) |
Luster | Adamantine |
Streak | Colorless |
Specific gravity | 3.52±0.01 |
Density | 3.5–3.53 g/cm3 |
Polish luster | Adamantine |
Optical properties | Isotropic |
Refractive index | 2.418 (at 500 nm) |
Melting point | Pressure dependent |
A diamond (from the ancient Greek αδάμας – adámas "unbreakable") is a re-arrangement of carbon atoms (those are called allotropes).
Diamonds have the highest hardness of any bulk (all one type) material. Because of this, many important industries use diamonds as tools for cutting and polishing things. Many of them are clear, but some of them have colors, like yellow, red, blue, green and pink. Diamonds of a different color are called "fancies".