What is common between coal, graphite, soot, petroleum, human remains and diamonds? All of them consist of the same element - carbon, so easy to be found everywhere on the earth. Well, if carbon is not rare element, then why are diamonds so expensive and what makes them so special?
Ancient Greeks called diamond "adamas" which means unbreakable, even at that times they knew diamond is the most solid material ever occurring in the world. Diamond is very hard stone due to its unique atomic structure, that is why a greater part of all diamonds (more than 80%) is used for industrial needs. Diamonds are used in the manufacture of drills, saws, cutting tools, etc. This unique property of diamond makes it rather valuable gemstone on jewelry market. It considers to be the ideal gem for everyday wear that is why a diamond engagement ring is the perfect one as it contains the most beautiful and at the same time solid and unscratched gem in the world.
Another property of diamond like high thermal conductivity is applied in semiconductor manufacturing used to prevent semiconductors from overwarming. It makes diamond to be prospective material for wafer manufacturing. However, due to its high price and difficulty in treatment diamonds are not widely used in this field. Jewelers also use this property of diamond, they've found use of it in 'thermal testing'. Extremely high thermal conductivity helps to differentiate diamonds from fake stones, however in 1998 another material called moissanite with the similar characteristic has been synthesized, so don't mix it up with real diamonds.
If you have diamond jewelry you should not be afraid of its breakage: diamond is tough enough to resist breakage from either falling or impact. This property just proves the verity of a known slogan "Diamonds are forever" and again makes this stone exceptional and pricey.
In addition, diamond fans love diamonds for their unbelievable luster. Professional gem cutter is seems to be a real magician who is the only one to reveal unique diamond fire. Colorless from the first sight, gem could play all the colors of a rainbow. This optical property possesses the most appealing power to attract the attention of fair sex as well as the collectors. If you think diamonds could be boring and there is nothing special in colorless gems, you are wrong. Fancy colored diamonds won't let you remain indifferent. Blue, yellow, orange, green, cognac, red and pink diamonds - all of them are awesome. Though they possess unrivaled properties that could be successfully used for industrial needs, a greater part of fancy colored diamonds are set in jewelry rather than in cutting tools. By the way, diamonds are fadeless what means your children and the children of your children could still admire the beauty of the same diamond. It is the ideal choice for jewelry to be handed down from generation to generation as it never loses its beauty.
As you see, diamond is really unique material possessing a wide range of distinctive properties like wearproofness, toughness, solidity, longevity, thermal conductivity, fadelessness, amazing fire and color. All these traits distinguish diamond from any other material and determine its high price.
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