STONE
Diamond
Gem-quality diamond is crystalline carbon; colourless material is best known, but natural fancy colours also occur.
- Typical colour
- Colourless and fancy colours
- Also known as
- Алмаз · Алмос
- Birthstone
- April A modern tradition, not a property of the stone. GIA
WHAT IT IS MADE OF
Mineral science
Physical and optical properties belong to the mineral species; see the mineral page for the full sourced profile.
Look-alikes and how to tell them apart
Colourless sapphire was once a popular diamond imitation (see Sapphire).
Compare with its look-alikesHistory and names
Most diamonds formed more than a billion years ago, deep in the Earth's mantle.
COLLECTION
Study views
SOURCE
GIA Gem Encyclopedia — Diamond