Diamond is a transparent crystal of high refractive index consisting of tetrahedrally bonded carbon atoms. It is a good electrical insulator, but unlike most insulators, is a good conductor of heat due to the strong bonding within the molecule.
The Diamond derives its Name from the Greek Adamas, Uncorrupted. There is a Variety of Colours - Steel, white, blue, yellow, orange, red, green, pink and black.
In the late 18th century, diamonds were demonstrated to be made of carbon by the rather expensive experiment of igniting a diamond (by means of a burning-glass) in an oxygen atmosphere and showing that [carbonic acid]? gas (carbon dioxide) was the product of the combustion. The fact that diamonds are combustable bears further examination because it is related to an interesting fact about diamonds. Diamonds are carbon Crystals that form deep within the earth under high temperatures and extreme pressures. At air pressure diamonds are not stable and slowly decay in to graphite. So, despite [De Beers]?' ad campaign, diamonds are definitely not forever.
Due to their high refractive index, diamonds have been prized as a constituent of jewellery, and a large trade in gemstone-class diamonds exists, mostly controlled by the De Beers company who use their influence to artificially inflate the gemstones' value. Diamonds are valued according to the four C's of diamond grading, namely color, clarity, cut, and carat.
Poorer quality (discoloured, less transparent) diamonds are used as industrial diamonds, where their extreme hardness is useful in cutting and grinding otherwise intractable materials (including other diamonds). Lately, gas-phase deposition processes have been devised that allow thin diamond films to be grown on some surfaces, greatly increasing the durability of some machine tools.
Diamond typically has cubic symmetry. A second form called lonsdaleite with hexagonal symmetry is also found. The local environment of each atom is identical in the two structures.
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