How to clean it
Soapy water and a soft brush — diamond attracts grease and loses sparkle fast. Safe in ultrasonic.
Colourless, also yellow, brown, blue, pink
Diamond
The birthstone for April.
Properties
Composition
Pure carbon (C) in cubic crystal structure
Hardness (Mohs)
10
Crystal system
Cubic
Colour
Colourless, also yellow, brown, blue, pink
Mined in
Botswana, Russia, Canada, South Africa, Australia
Worth knowing
The hardest natural substance — but hardness is not toughness. A diamond will scratch anything, and still cleave if struck along its grain.
History
First mined in India before 400 BCE; the word comes from the Greek adamas, "unbreakable".
Practical
Caring for Diamond
How to tell it is real
The fog test is the quick one: breathe on it. Diamond clears almost instantly while cubic zirconia and moissanite stay fogged a second longer. Moissanite also shows doubled facet edges under magnification.
One general rule covers most mistakes: never store stones loose together. Diamond at 10 on the Mohs scale scratches everything else you own, and it does not need much contact to do it.
What that hardness means in practice
At the top of the Mohs scale. Household dust is largely quartz at hardness 7, which is why softer stones dull over time and this one does not. Safe in a ring worn every day.
Traditional associations
Diamond is traditionally associated with clarity, permanence and commitment. In chakra systems it is placed at the Crown, and in elemental correspondence it is assigned to Fire.
These are cultural associations recorded across various traditions, not claims about physical effects. The composition and hardness above are measurable; this paragraph is folklore, and worth reading as such.
Questions
What is Diamond made of?
Pure carbon (C) in cubic crystal structure, crystallising in the cubic system.
Which month is Diamond the birthstone for?
April.
Where does Diamond come from?
Botswana, Russia, Canada, South Africa, Australia.
How do I clean Diamond?
Soapy water and a soft brush — diamond attracts grease and loses sparkle fast. Safe in ultrasonic.
How can I tell if Diamond is real?
The fog test is the quick one: breathe on it. Diamond clears almost instantly while cubic zirconia and moissanite stay fogged a second longer. Moissanite also shows doubled facet edges under magnification.
Can I wear it every day?
At 10 on the Mohs scale, yes — it resists everyday scratching.