Diamonds are used in jewelry because when expertly cut, they shine and reflect light in a pleasing manner. Diamond is a hard material with a high melting point. Diamond is a particularly useful cutting tool because of these qualities, as shown by diamond-tipped discs used to cut bricks and concrete. Diamonds are used to make heavy-duty drill bits for drilling through rocks in the oil exploration business. This keeps the drill sharper for a longer period of time.
Besides the hardness, diamond provides an impressive combination of chemical, physical and mechanical properties:
It has a carbon allotrope structure. The term "allotrope" refers to the many structures in which an element can exist. Graphite, a near relative of diamond, is similarly comprised entirely of carbon. Graphite, on the other hand, contains loosely packed carbon atoms, making it softer and brittle.
The crystal structure of a diamond. A diamond's atomic arrangement is termed a crystal structure, and it consists of densely packed and aligned atoms in a repeating pattern. Diamond is a highly hard metal that is difficult to shatter because of this sort of alignment.
Bonding and the structure of diamonds. The molecular structure of diamond is massive. Covalent bonds exist between each carbon atom and four other carbon atoms. Because covalent bonds are so strong, it takes a lot of energy to separate the atoms in diamond. The structure of diamond is made up of many covalent connections, giving it a high melting and boiling point. Diamonds do not carry electricity because they contain no electrons or ions.
Diamonds have an inherent shine that makes them appear gleaming. Diamonds have atoms that are structurally homogeneous, allowing them to distribute light of all colors. This is what gives the diamond its flashing and gleaming appearance.
The hardest naturally occurring substance is diamond. Diamonds are utilized in over 70% of industrial applications, and demand for the commodity is always increasing. Natural diamond is made up of carbon crystals that grow at extreme temperatures and pressures only around 100 miles below the earth's surface. It usually contains 99.95 percent carbon. One or more trace elements, which are atoms that aren't part of the diamond's fundamental chemistry, can make up the remaining 0.05 percent. Diamond has an isometric crystal structure, which means the carbon atoms are linked in the same way in all orientations. Graphite, another mineral that includes solely carbon, has a fundamentally distinct creation mechanism and crystal structure. As a result, graphite is so soft that it can be used to write with, but diamond is so hard that it can only be scratched by another diamond. Diamond might be just another mineral if none of these characteristics are present. Diamonds, on the other hand, benefit from a unique mix of chemical composition, crystal structure, and creation process that gives them their unique characteristics.
