Behind the Beauty of the Diamond

Source: magnific.com

What springs to mind when you hear that a breathtaking diamond is ‘twinning’ with graphite, which you usually find in a pencil? It may be startling, but their twinning is not based on having identical or similar appearance, they are made of the same element. In chemistry, it is commonly known as allotropes, where both are composed of the chemical element called carbon, but possess distinct physical or structural appearances. So, what makes a diamond more precious? There are some primary explanations for this.

The formation of diamonds takes a very long journey and an unseen process. Natural diamonds are formed around 150 to 200 kilometers beneath the Earth’s surface and under immense pressure and temperature. It is commonly found in selective regions like Botswana, Canada, Namibia, Angola, and Congo. The process requires millions to billions of years, where diamonds grow from carbon-bearing fluids in the Earth’s mantle under temperatures reaching more than 1000 Fahrenheit and at 240,000 times the atmospheric pressure at sea level. They migrate and flow through the cracks in rocks, and then volcanic eruption carries them to the surface, forming a rock known as kimberlites (blue-tinged in color and coarse-grained) and occasionally, lamproites (rich in potassium and also from deep in the mantle). When kimberlites reach the surface and cool, they create the primary deposits where natural diamonds are ultimately found. This formation makes natural diamonds one of the most priceless and timeless things found on Earth. Unlike diamond, graphite formation is near the Earth’s surface with relatively lower temperature and pressure. It shows how deep processes influence their value.

Source: magnific.com

The structure of diamonds is tetrahedral, in which every carbon is attached to four other carbon atoms, making a cage-like arrangement by a giant covalent bond. It causes the diamond’s hardness, incredible strength and durability, and gives the diamond a higher density compared to graphite. The hardness of diamond is measured on a Mohs scale that ranks a material’s scratch resistance. Diamond has 10 out of 10 on the Mohs scale, so it is known as the hardest natural material with an extraordinary resistance to compression. Meanwhile, in graphite, each carbon is bonded to three other carbons and arranged in layers with a hexagonal arrangement of atoms. The layers have weak forces between them so that they can slide over each other and make graphite slippery. The planar structure of graphite allows electron delocalize, which permits graphite to conduct electricity. Besides, the hardness of graphite is less than one on the Mohs scale, which means it can be easily scratched.

Source: phys.org

From the explanation above, to be a diamond, it requires long periods with countless obstacles, discomforts, and adversities. And so human beings are. Our resilience and character are shaped by the challenges and pressures we endure. No one knows or sees how hard the phase we pass through, how dark the path we walk on, or how much the desire to stop. Instead of breaking us, our life trials test our inner grit and transform us into stronger, less easily breakable, and more valuable humans.