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The Formation Of Diamonds
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Published: September 27, 2006
Although exquisite in beauty and luster, the intricacy of the diamond's stunning appearance is surprisingly not matched with its composition. The simplest of all gemstones, diamonds are made of the common element known as carbon.
Chemical Properties
Although sharing similar chemical characteristics with both charcoal or graphite, which are also made of carbon, the unique properties of diamonds are caused when different types of bonding between adjacent atoms forms a crystalline structure. The carbon atoms in a diamond are bonded to four other carbon atoms in a tetrahedral structure, much like a pyramid. The strength and uniformity of this bonding is what makes the diamond an extremely hard substance, permeable only to itself, and resistant to chemical attack. However, in the form of graphite, which is typically used in pencil lead, the presence of carbon gives it differing physical characteristics. While carbon is what gives graphite its dark gray or black color and very soft, pliable nature, this element is also responsible for giving diamonds their clear, colorless appearance and unmatchable strength.
Formation of Diamonds
Known as the hardest known naturally occurring substance, diamonds have a melting point of 4,000 degrees Celsius, which is 2 ½ times the melting point of steel. They were formed billions of years ago when extreme degrees of heat and pressure transformed boiling magma into diamond deep below the earth's surface. Under the continental crust, diamonds typically formed at starting depths of about 90 miles underground, where it was not unusual for the temperature to exceed 2,200 degrees Fahrenheit (or 1,200 degrees Celsius.) The formation of diamonds underneath the oceanic crust took place at greater depths because of the lower surface temperature that occurred there. However diamonds that formed in these locations usually grew greater in size than those formed under the continental crust due to longer periods of exposure to extreme pressure and temperature. The pressure released from these diamond formations then quickly traveled up to the earth's surface and cooled in kimberlite or lamproite pipes, where we still discover them today.
Characteristics
The color and clarity of diamonds are characteristics that result from their composition, which can be measured but never altered. Color, in respects to the grading of diamonds, refers to the degree to which a stone is colorless. The clarity of a diamond refers to the number of flaws, or inclusions, that disrupt the flow of light through the stone. The only characteristic of a diamond that can ever be altered is the cut, which refers to the angles and proportions created in transforming its rough form into a gemstone-quality, polished product.
Chemical Properties
Although sharing similar chemical characteristics with both charcoal or graphite, which are also made of carbon, the unique properties of diamonds are caused when different types of bonding between adjacent atoms forms a crystalline structure. The carbon atoms in a diamond are bonded to four other carbon atoms in a tetrahedral structure, much like a pyramid. The strength and uniformity of this bonding is what makes the diamond an extremely hard substance, permeable only to itself, and resistant to chemical attack. However, in the form of graphite, which is typically used in pencil lead, the presence of carbon gives it differing physical characteristics. While carbon is what gives graphite its dark gray or black color and very soft, pliable nature, this element is also responsible for giving diamonds their clear, colorless appearance and unmatchable strength.
Formation of Diamonds
Known as the hardest known naturally occurring substance, diamonds have a melting point of 4,000 degrees Celsius, which is 2 ½ times the melting point of steel. They were formed billions of years ago when extreme degrees of heat and pressure transformed boiling magma into diamond deep below the earth's surface. Under the continental crust, diamonds typically formed at starting depths of about 90 miles underground, where it was not unusual for the temperature to exceed 2,200 degrees Fahrenheit (or 1,200 degrees Celsius.) The formation of diamonds underneath the oceanic crust took place at greater depths because of the lower surface temperature that occurred there. However diamonds that formed in these locations usually grew greater in size than those formed under the continental crust due to longer periods of exposure to extreme pressure and temperature. The pressure released from these diamond formations then quickly traveled up to the earth's surface and cooled in kimberlite or lamproite pipes, where we still discover them today.
Characteristics
The color and clarity of diamonds are characteristics that result from their composition, which can be measured but never altered. Color, in respects to the grading of diamonds, refers to the degree to which a stone is colorless. The clarity of a diamond refers to the number of flaws, or inclusions, that disrupt the flow of light through the stone. The only characteristic of a diamond that can ever be altered is the cut, which refers to the angles and proportions created in transforming its rough form into a gemstone-quality, polished product.
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