Diamonds: Mining, Colors, and Other Questions

You may be wearing one on your finger, in your ears, or even around your neck right now, but how much do you really know about that diamond that you love so much? If you are like a lot of people, you admire diamonds but you do not know a lot about them. There is a lot to get to know about this fascinating, eye-catching gemstone. Take a look at some of the more commonly asked questions people tend to have about diamonds. 

What Do Diamonds Look Like When They Are Found?​

Real diamonds will have an almost cubical shape when they are found because this is how they grow; kind of similar to how quartz has a hexagonal shape in its natural state. The diamond itself will likely not sparkle and shimmer unless it has been accidentally cut into during the mining process. It will usually have a dull sheen that makes the rock appear almost as if it has a thin coat of vaseline all over the surface. 

Is It True a Diamond Can Cut Glass?​

Diamonds are actually a really hard material, so yes, the edge of a diamond could potentially scrape a cut into a piece of glass without a lot of force or effort. If you take a trip to a hardware store, you will see all kinds of "diamond-blade" saws and things of that nature. These blades are not made of solid diamond, of course, but they are encrusted with tiny fragments to help cut through dense materials like concrete or metal. This is a good example of just how hard diamonds can be. 

What Colors Can Diamonds Be?​

Most diamonds found in the rough will have a color gradient from mostly clear to tinted in various shades of yellow. In some cases, you can find diamonds with a different hue, but only if they have been exposed to some other element during their growing process. For instance, the Hope Diamond has its telltale blue hue because of the presence of boron atoms. 

Where Are Diamonds Found in the World?​

Diamonds can be found in various different countries, including right here in the United States in certain places. However, the majority of the world's diamonds comes from countries like Africa and India where there are still several large mining operations. High concentrations have been found in specific geographic areas, so mining in those places continues. 


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