Diamond

Diamond, the most well known of all gemstones, is very unique in many ways. Renowned for being the hardest substance on earth, its sparkling fire, durability, and rarity make Diamond the most prized of all gems. No gemstone contains as much allure and interest as does Diamond.Most Diamonds used as gemstones are colorless or very faintly colored. However, colored Diamonds, known as "fancies", can be extremely rare and valuable, and the most valuable gemstones ever known have been fancy Diamonds. In fact, fancy Diamonds are the most valuable substances known to man, with vivid colored Diamonds historically being sold for more than a million dollars per carat!

Chemical Formula	C
Color	Colorless, Blue, Red, Green, Yellow, Orange, Brown, Pink, Purple, Gray, Black
Hardness	10
Crystal System	Isometric
Refractive Index	2.417Â -Â 2.419
SG	3.1Â -Â 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