The Kohinoor Diamond

According to some sources, the Koh-i-noor diamond was found in the Godavari river in central India 4,000 years ago. Tradition associated with it states that its owner will rule the world, but that to possess it is dangerous for any but a woman. This may have been a delicate piece of flattery to Queen Victoria, who once owned the gem.
The authentic history of this jewel begins in the 14 c. when it was reported to be in the possession of the rajas of Malwa. It later fell into the hands of Baber, who founded the Mogul dynasty in 1526. During the next two centuries the diamond was one of the most prized items in the treasure of the Mogul emperors.

In 1939, Nadir Shah of Persia invaded India and all of the treasures of the Moguls fell into his hands except the great diamond. Nadir Shah was told by one of the emperor's harem women that the stone was hidden in the emperor's turban. The conqueror then invited the conquered to a feast and offered to exchange turbans as a gesture of friendship. The emperor had no choice but to agree. Later, in the privacy of his tent, Nadir Shah unrolled the turban, the gem fell out, and Nadir is supposed to have exclaimed "Koh-i-noor", mountain of light.

The stone continued in the possession of the Persian dynasty, although many attempts were made to gain ownership of it. The Persian king was assassinated, and his son Shah Rukh, was deposed. In an effort to discover the whereabouts of the diamond Shah Rukh´s eyes were put out, and boiling pitch was poured on his head, but he refused steadfastly to reveal its hiding place. Later, a Persian king fled with it to the Sikh court, and Ranjit Singh, the Lion of the Punjab, took the stone and wore it as a decoration. It was later placed in the Lahore treasury. After the Sikh wars, it was taken by the East India Company as part of the indemnity levied in 1849, and was subsequently presented to Queen Victoria at a sparkling levee marking the company's 250th anniversary.
Weight: 108.93 carats
Cut: round brilliant cut diamond

The jewel was displayed at the Great Exhibition of 1851 where it was thought to display insufficient fire. It was decided to recut it from its original Indian form, and a member of the Amsterdam firm of Costar was called to London to cut the stone. A steam-driven cutting wheel was set up, and Prince Albert se the stone on the wheel, while the Duke of Wellington started it. The cutting took 38 days, but did not add much to the stone's brilliance. It was rather believed that the historical value of the diamond was diminished by the cutting. Queen Victoria continued to wear it as an ornament, then left it to Queen Alexandra, who wore it at Edward VII´s coronation. In 1911, the jewel was used in a crown made for Queen Mary, and in 1937, in another made to be worn by Queen Elizabeth at the coronation of her husband, King George VI in 1937. The Queen Mother's crown with the Koh-i-noor is in the Tower of London.

The Ideal-Scope

The Ideal-scope is based on a principle discovered by Mr Okuda in the 1970’s. A 10x lens with a hot red / pink reflector in front of the diamond has a central viewing hole, which allows you to see just how much of the red/pink light refracts back from the diamond.

The instrument is a simple brilliance gauge; white areas in a diamond show light transmitted from behind the diamond; often called leakage - the enemy! The blackness of the lens mimics an observer's head blocking out the light. The most brilliant diamonds look bright pink/red with a black star and minimal white or pale areas. Most ideal cuts have small ‘V’ shaped white leakage features at the girdle.

Invented originally for brilliance assessment, the ideal-scope shows a diamonds symmetry. Diamonds with perfect symmetry and good proportions show a black eight-pointed star. Hearts and Arrows (and H&A’s viewers) are a by-product of Mr Okuda’s discovery.

Sarin Technologies

Sarin Technologies is a worldwide leader in the development and manufacturing of advanced planning, evaluation, and measurement systems for diamond grading & gemstone production.

Sarin products include diamond cut grading tools (for round and fancy shapes), rough diamond optimization systems, gemology tools, diamond color grading, and laser marking machines.

Sarin systems have become an essential tool in every gemology laboratory and manufacturing plant, and a must for diamond dealers and retailers.

Branded Diamonds

There are different branded hearts and arrows diamonds on the market. All of them are excellent and you really couldn't go wrong purchasing any of them.

The AURIAS Select diamond consistently receive extremely high marks on the Brilliance Scope i.e they are rated on all 3 counts as VH and higher. They are cut to within very tight tolerances and they all have extremely well defined 'hearts and arrows' patterns.

Another excellent diamond is referred to as EightStar diamonds. These branded H&A diamonds have their very own unique style of cutting.

Another excellent brand of diamond is the SuperbCert Diamonds. I highly recommend these as well.

You can learn alot about the opinions of these brands from consumers within the Braded Diamonds Forum at DiamondChitChat.com

Jewelry Care Basics

* Store your jewelry in a clean, dry place.

* Keep your jewelry in a fabric-lined jewelry case, or in a box with compartments and dividers. If you prefer to use ordinary boxes, wrap each piece individually in soft tissue paper.

* Don't jumble your jewelry pieces in a drawer or jewelry case. Pieces can scratch each other.

* Be careful when removing your jewelry to wash your hands. Do not leave your diamond ring or jewelry on the rim of a sink where it can easily slip down the drain.

* See your jeweler at least once a year to have your diamond ring, earrings or other jewelry checked for loose prongs, worn mountings, and general wear and tear. Visit your jeweler every six months to have your jewelry professionally cleaned.

* There are many types of small machines on the market that will clean jewelry in a matter of minutes using high-frequency sound. These machines are called "ultrasonic cleaners" and are available in many different models and prices. They can be a convenient way to quickly clean your jewelry at home. However, ultrasonic cleaners can damage some jewelry. Your local jeweler can tell you if an ultrasonic cleaning machine is right for your jewelry wardrobe and, if it is, recommend an appropriate model.

Diamond Insurance

RE: Insurance..
Insurance companies are similar but yet different. There are three types of basic policies ( depending on your state and the company this also varies).

All policies covering diamonds are Marine type insurance policies. I know this sounds strange but this is how they work.

ACV ( Actual Cash Value)
in the event of a loss the item is replaced by the insurance company at the current cost to replace less depreciation. ( Not that common for jewelry, but there are some states that this type is written.)

REPLACEMENT

This is the most common type of insurance available. The appraisal amount represents two results.

1) It sets the LIMIT regardless of anything, that the company is obligated to pay.

2) It establishes the amount upon which your premiums are based. The rate varies from location to location. The more dangerous your area is, the higher the rate.

Most insurance companies can replace the stone for less than you paid for it, and at best at the same price.

If you insure the ring for $20,000. and they can replace it for $ 6,000.00 based on the description, then that would be what they would pay to replace the item. If you ask for a "cash out" - then they pay you the estimate given by their replacement source.

I have a huge disagreement with those who leave off this highly important value in insurance appraisals for THIS type of coverage.

Appraisals should state ALL the relevant information, but unfortunately very few appraisers seem to understand this concept.
They feel that reporting the insurance company's cost to replace would only anger consumers. However since the cost of the premiums paid by the consumer, are based on the valuation(s) most consumers would be outraged to learn that they overpaid their premiums for YEARS!

The amount that the item is insured for is NOT for anyone to decide but the insurance company and the client. The appraiser should have NO determination of deciding which value the item should be insured for.

Some companies base their rate on retail, and pay cost. Others will accept the lower value, and pay just that.

Using the insurance company cost to base the insurance coverage amount is very sensible and saves premium dollars, however, markets change and since these values are for close to what the item would cost, they have to be updated when there are changes in the marketplace.

You can't let an appraisal get too old that you're using for insurance if the value is sensible. Many argue that stones are always appreciating... BUNK! They vary and some do go up, but others also go down.

Your mentioning about getting paid for cost increases is untrue in most states for this type of insurance. MOST INSURANCE COMPANIES DO NOT OFFER "INFLATION GUARD" on replacement policies.

Also carefully check with your agent about the type of policy as they are very different. HO is the most common series.

What Makes A Diamond So Special

The word alone conjures up a thousand images: rare, precious, desirable, beautiful, sparkling tokens of love. Created deep within the core of the earth more than 100 million years ago and brought to the surface by volcanic eruption, most of the diamonds sparkling on fingers today are more than 100 million years old!

Even before these magnificent creations of nature were mined in profusion toward the end of the 19th century, they were a source of fascination and value to early man. The Romans thought diamonds were splinters from falling stars, while the Greeks regarded the sparkling gems as tears of the gods. It is a derivation of the Greek word "adamas," meaning unconquerable, that gave the diamond its name.

Rare and fascinating, mysterious and magical, the diamond has ignited romantic passion throughout history.

The diamond claimed its place as the primary token of love toward the end of the 15th century, when Austrian Archduke Maximilian gave the first diamond engagement ring to his betrothed. It was placed on the fourth finger of her left hand, because that finger was believed to course with the vein of love that passed directly to the heart. Five centuries later, the diamond remains one of the most luxurious and desirable gifts for any romantic and celebratory occasion, a gem whose purity and brilliance symbolizes lasting love.

What Makes a Diamond Special?

Beauty - The colorless beauty and inner fire of the diamond has made this precious gem prized for centuries. Each stone's complex characteristics cannot be duplicated, and no two diamonds can ever be the same. Each stone, like its owner, is endowed with a personality and character uniquely its own.

Durability - A diamond is the hardest substance known to man, making it resistant to deterioration. When cared for properly, diamond jewelry can be worn every day and passed on as an heirloom to the next generation.

Purity - Although new resources for diamonds are being explored and discovered, the supply of these gems remains limited. This is understandable once you learn that more than 250 tons of ore need to be blasted, crushed and processed to yield just one carat of rough diamond. Further, only 20 percent of all rough diamonds are suitable for gem cutting.

Enduring Value - Like many precious products, diamond prices fluctuate. But it is important to know that these sparkling gemstones still retain value after years of being worn and enjoyed.

Rough Diamonds

4000 years ago in the mines of India the first diamonds displayed their brilliance to the world. Diamonds that first come out of the mines and make to the trading tables are often is uncut and unpolished these diamonds are considered to be diamonds in the rough.

modern mining uncovering these rough diamonds. 80 percent of the world’s rough diamond supply thereafter came from South Africa, Russia, Botswana, Brazil, Sierra Leone, Namibia, Angola, Australia, Zaire, and Canada. Most of which is under the control of De Beers. There are fewer than 200 or so companies or people authorized to buy these rough diamonds from De Beers. These people are called “sightholders”. As of recently the climb of rough diamond sales has increased and although most of the diamonds in the market by De Beers and other Diamond Mining Companies of the world including Ekati Diamond Mines of Canada are distributing diamonds through their channels so do illegal diamonds make it into the market.
These diamonds are often mined out of South Africa and harvest wars within their regions. Governments and local authorities in the region are working hard to prevent “blood diamonds” from slipping into the distribution channels.

Loose Diamond, What Is

A loose diamond ( diamond seperated from a ring) or single diamond is a form of carbon that crystallizes in the crystal system of highest symmetry known as the cubic system born hundreds of miles underneath the surface of the earth. It possesses a hardness far surpassing that of any other substance known in nature with 100 years in the making of it�s formation. Diamonds were formed more than 100 million years ago when diamond-bearing ore was brought to the surface through volcanic eruption. After the magma cooled, it solidified into blue ground, or kimberlite, where the precious rough is still found today.


The durability of a gem depends on both its hardness and toughness. Diamond, although highest on the scale of hardness (rated 10 on the Mohs scale), is not as tough as some gems because of its good cleavage. (Cleavage is the tendency of a diamond to split in certain directions where the carbon atoms are furthest apart.) Diamonds have a very high degree of transparency, refractivity and dispersion or 'fire' which gives rise in cut diamonds to a high degree of brilliancy and a display of prismatic colors. A diamond's fiery brilliance makes it cherished above all other gemstones by the majority of people. Diamonds occupy a position of incomparable demand.

Diamond Grading | Color

The absence of color gives a diamond its great value. If any colour is detected, even slight, the diamonds value is depreciated. Some of the "fancy" diamonds can be valued for their color. For example a yellow diamond.

There are 2 categories of diamonds in respect to color:

1. White Diamonds - These are diamonds falling whithin GIA's D to Z color grading scale, traditionally used for engagement rings and fine jewelry.

2. Fancy Natural Colored Diamonds - These are diamonds with faint to vivid saturations of hues such as blue, yellow, or pink, frequently used for fashion jewelry.
White Diamonds graded D through F are naturally the most valuable and desirable because of their rarity. If there is a budget in place diamonds graded G through I, do not have any colour that can be detected by the untrained eye.
Diamonds graded J through M, have colour that can often be minimized or almost completely hidden by carefully selecting the right setting or mounting style and colour. For example, yellow metals will hide traces of color in a colorless diamond, while white metals will enhance it.

With fancy color diamonds, however, there is a large difference. The discussion turns to the purity and richness of the diamond's color. Yellow is the most commonly-occurring fancy color. Red and green diamonds are extremely rare to find. The price of fancy colored diamonds is dependent on several factors: the particular hue, or spectral color, of the diamond (the rarer the color, the greater the cost); the richness or saturation of the color (ranging from very light to light to intense to vivid); and the purity of the color (i.e. whether the color is bright and clear, or 'muddied' by the presence of other color-causing trace elements).

There are laboratory created diamonds. They are either heat/radiation treated or chemically created. They are of lesser value than authentic fancy diamonds.

How To Examine A Diamond

The traditional '4 C's' determine the value of the diamond. The '4 C's' are clarity, color, cut and carat weight. Cut will be subdivided into the 'finish' and 'proportions'. As far as carat weight is concerned diamonds logarithmically increase in value. This means that a half-carat diamond will have a higher value than two one-quarter carat diamonds.

Likewise, a 1 ct. diamond will have a significantly higher value than two one-half carat diamonds. The reason for this is due to the fact that the larger the diamond is, the harder and rarer it is to find the original crystal from which the diamond is cut.

How to properly view a diamond internally When contemplating purchasing a diamond you should ask the jeweler for a 10X corrected eye loupe in order to properly examine the diamond. A stereoscopic binocular microscope with dark field illumination set at 10X is better still but not essential.

Dark field illumination simply means that the diamond is held against a black background in the microscope and light enters the diamond from the sides and therefore all internal inclusions are easily visible. The circular well within the microscope is lit and the diamond is held at the top of the well. In this manner a great majority of the light enters the sides of the diamond and the clearest internal view of the diamond is obtained. Bring the eye loupe right up to your eye in one hand and hold the diamond ring or the loose diamond in a tweezer in the other hand. At this stage bring the diamond to a distance of approx. one inch away from the eye loupe and focus until the entire interior of the diamond is in clear view.

Try to locate any surface blemishes or internal inclusions within the diamond. You may have difficulty at the beginning so ask your jeweler to help you spot any inclusions present. Be sure that the loupe is 10X since clarity standards and grades are determined under 10X power.
If you view the diamond from the side you will most likely notice a somewhat thick whitish line midway from the girdle to the point of the diamond.

Precious Metals Definitions

Gold: A heavy, malleable metal element that is unalterable by heat, moisture and most corrosive agents. It is used in a wide variety of jewelry styles and processes. Too soft to be used alone, it is often combined with other metals.

Gold à Quatre Couleurs: Gold in four different shades used simultaneously in one piece of jewelry. In some cases it refers to three or five different shades of gold combined in one jewelry item.

Gold Alloy: Gold that is alloyed with a variety of other metals, including silver, palladium, copper, nickel, iron or others, all depending on the desired strength, color and intention of its final use.

Gold Filled: Gold bonded to a base metal by electroplating. It is usually done to a layer of specific fineness.

Gold Leaf: An extremely thin tissue of gold used for gilding.

Karat: The measurement for the fineness and purity of gold and gold alloy, as expressed by a number (e.g., 24 karat, 18 karat, 14 karat). In appraising gold jewelry, the higher the number of karats, the greater is the value of the piece.

Platinum: A metal element whose rarity and unusual tensile strength make it extremely valuable, with a price exceeding even that of gold. It is a heavy, silver-white element that is malleable and ductile and does not corrode. Nor does it tarnish. It needs great heat to fuse, and this durability -- coupled with its harmonious color -- make it ideal as a diamond setting. When employed for jewelry, it is used in the form of a platinum alloy.

Purity: A measurement of the amount of pure gold in a jewelry item. 24 karat represents 100 percent gold; 18 karat has 75 percent gold, and 14 karat has 58 percent gold.

Quality Mark: By United States law, a "k" mark representing karat must appear on the back of an authentic gold piece, along with the manufacturer's trademark and country of origin to guarantee the authenticity of the gold.

Rose Gold: A gold alloy with additional copper added to it to give it a blushing hue.

Sterling Silver: An alloy of silver with a fineness of 0.925 parts silver (in Great Britain) and 0.075 parts copper. In the U.S.A. the measurement is 0.921 parts silver.

White Gold: An alloy of gold with a large percentage of silver or other white metals.

Yellow Gold: An alloy of gold mixed with silver and copper.

Introduction To Famous Diamonds

Every now and then under the earths hot surfaces, whether through an eruption or excavation some lucky excavator finds his way to becoming a renowned explorer.

Soon their discovery will pack the museum floors with great audiences from around the world to see yet another wonderfully polished diamond in it's highest carat form mother nature created millions of years ago, with the wonderfully master cut and polishing of Gabi Tolkowsky to which no ones surprise will become another monumental and famous diamond.

Very rarely do diamonds of these great sizes reveal themselves to the surface of the earth. When they do, their beauty and majesty hypnotically entertain even those commissioned to polish them. Some of these famous diamonds are incredibly large, after being cut and polished they achieve sizes of two hundred plus carats with the greatest possible fire or brilliance any master cutter can possibly achieve. Read about the different famous diamonds and and their history in the next couple tutorials.

Diamond Jewellery Gifting

Diamond jewellery as a gift is emerging in the market and not only in the corporate sector but with so many brand ambassadors advertising the brands, it is growing at an individual gifting platform too. The most recent, 'Swaranjali' from Adora, to hit the marquee is the signature collection of noted playback singer Lata Mangeshkar, which is said to open a new spectrum in the premium branded jewellery segment in India. Further the retail scenario which is on an upswing in India is said to be supporting the growth of diamond jewellery. There are exclusive jewellery malls opening up in the cities where some of the best brands in the country are deciding to set up shops. Such malls are guaranteed to bring about a revolution in the highly fragmented jewellery industry where the retailers could provide which consumers deserved and desired. This will redefine jewellery-retailing standards, which will encourage Indian consumers, NRIs and foreign tourists to spend more on jewellery thus boosting the Indian industry.

The diamond boom in corporate world

Recently small, branded diamond Jewellery products are seen exchanged in the corporate gifting industry. Brands are playing a major role in propelling growth in the diamond jewellery industry. Branded products are bolstering consumer confidence with their assurance of quality. Brands cater to vary segments at different price points and new collections of the season are seen with the very coming festival - diwali, giving the customers the power of choice. Particularly remarkable is the huge boom in the demand for diamond studded jewellery in the corporate segment. Within overall jewellery sales the diamond segment accounts for around 20 - 25% of the total sales in which it obtains 75% of it's sales from metros. In which around 5-7% of the market sales is seen in corporate gifting. Though constituting in a small manner the corporate market is showing fast growth. It is seen to grow approximately 20% more per year.

The products seen to be most saleable as corporate gifts include small heart shaped diamond pendants, spiritual pendants, coloured diamond jewellery, small bud earrings, balis good for casual wear, minakari, kundan and polki work diamond jewellery products etc. Rings are also considered while gifting but they face the problem of size however delicate rings of standard size are also seen to be a part in the corporate gifting product range.

Some of the well known brands ruling diamond market, who have put their foot in corporate gifting are D'damas, Ciemme of C.Mahendra, Adora brand of Concept Jewellery (India) Pvt.Ltd., DTC's Asmi and Nakshatra to name a few.Festivals play an important role in a person's life and diamonds have successfully managed to merge itself as a part of their gifting traditions. The sales for diamond jewellery in the corporate gifting sector is said to further spike up in the coming diwali festival.This year it's seen that though Department stores, specialty stores and malls are the major channel partners of all branded diamond jewellery companies, diamond product manufacturers are also coming out with their own stores and marketing strategies targeting many corporate bulk orders at very exciting competitive low prices, for example C.Mahendra, under it's Ciemme brand are now providing 10Kt. diamond pendants and rings at just Rs.999/- & Rs.1999/-. When asked about the market of diamond jewellery in corporate gifting to Mr. Mahendra, - Director of C. Mahendra and Ciemme Jewels Pvt. Ltd. he was of the opinion that " The market for corporate gifting has become a vast emporium and diamond jewellery is slowly gaining importance in this field too as people are now looking for innovative gifts with a touch of reliability and value. The market demand for diamond jewellery has definitely improved than last year and the growth seems to be fast moving."

Gemstone Types

There are three types of gemstones:

• Natural
• Synthetic
• Simulant

Natural gemstones include minerals and organic materials such as amber, sapphires, coral, fossil, ivory, emeralds, rubies, cultured freshwater pearls and natural salt water pearls.

Synthetic and Simulant are terms used by the USBM for laboratory grown gemstones. Other terms are sometimes used to refer to laboratory grown gemstones. Synthetic gemstones have the same appearance, physical, and chemical composition, crystal structure as the natural material that they represent, however they have no effect when used for gem therapy. The synthetic process attempts to simulate the conditions that occur when natural gemstones are formed within the Earth.

Not all synthetics are simulants, and not all simulants are synthetic. A gem simulant is a stone, which appears similar or identical to another stone, so that cubic zirconia and natural colorless sapphire can both be used to simulate a diamond. A synthetically produced diamond is a real diamond.

A gemstone must possess a certain number of attributes for it to be desirable. Those attributes are Beauty, Durability, Rarity, Color, Fashion, and Special Properties. However, a gemstone's desirability is ultimately decided by the individual's taste.

Majority of gemstones are minerals, however there is a small group of gems that are organic, meaning they are formed as either a product or a part of a living organism, e.g., pearls are formed within a mollusk, such as an oyster, that deposits a substance called nacre around an irritant that entered the organism.

Arisia Diamond Pendant

All Solitaire Diamond Jewellery designs can be made to order with diamond sizes from 0.15cts to 2.00cts.

All JDP Diamond Jewellery is manufactured from IGI Certified Diamonds of Clarity VVS1 & Colour D-H.

A collection of diamond jewelry and various gemstones.

Collection of diamond jewelry and various gemstones, fine jewelries, gem stone, loose diamonds, diamond cut, clarity, color, carat, diamond education. Gives information and history about diamonds and gemstones.

Diamond design competition

Diamonds have a life of their own. This was proved true at the Rio Tinto Champagne Diamond Design Competition, where four competitors succeeded in bringing champagne diamonds to life by combining the warm range of light champagne to deep cognac colors in their expressive and inspired designs.

Evelyn Huang of evelynH Jewelry Inc. was named the "Champagne Visionary" as the 1st place winner of Rio Tinto Diamond’s Champagne Diamond Contest! In her piece, "Bulles de Champagne Collier", she wanted to create a champagne diamond necklace that conveyed elation, joy, and spirit. Rio Tinto is honored to award Evelyn Huang with the title of Champagne Visionary for her beautiful necklace that best highlighted the range of light champagne diamonds to the deeper tones.

Joana Miranda was awarded the second place "Champagne Wishes" title for her "Champagne Tango Earrings". Her love for the tango comes across in the movement of these graduated color champagne diamond earrings which appear to twist magically through the ear.

The third place, "Champagne Evenings", was awarded to Graham Edney. He brought butterflies into his gorgeous design: a delicate yet bold pair of butterfly drop earrings. These gorgeous babbles made of marquis diamond back cut peridot were topped with a Tsavorite stem. This unusual design stems from his couture design studio work in Santa Barbara.

Vincent Bisazza, on behalf of Charles Koll Jewellers in San Diego, was awarded the fourth place prize entitled "Champagne Days." He designed a gorgeous brooch called "Flute", composed of a stunning range of champagne diamond colors. These colors made the brooch seem to move whimsically in the light as does bubbly Champagne in a crystal flute.

THE MINERAL DIAMOND

Diamond is the ultimate gemstone, having few weaknesses and many strengths. It is well known that Diamond is the hardest substance found in nature, but few people realize that Diamond is four times harder than the next hardest natural mineral, corundum (sapphire and ruby). But even as hard as it is, it is not impervious. Diamond has four directions of cleavage, meaning that if it receives a sharp blow in one of these directions it will cleave, or split. A skilled diamond setter and/or jeweler will prevent any of these directions from being in a position to be struck while mounted in a jewelry piece. As a gemstone, Diamond's single flaw (perfect cleavage) is far outdistanced by the sum of its positive qualities. It has a broad color range, high refraction, high dispersion or fire, very low reactivity to chemicals, rarity, and of course, extreme hardness and durability.

In terms of it's physical properties, diamond is the ultimate mineral in several ways:

• Hardness: Diamond is a perfect "10", defining the top of the hardness scale, and by absolute measures four times harder than sapphire (which is #9 on that scale).
• Clarity: Diamond is transparent over a larger range of wavelengths (from the ultraviolet into the far infrared) than is any other solid or liquid substance - nothing else even comes close.
• Thermal Conductivity: Diamond conducts heat better than anything - five times better than the second best element, Silver!
• Melting Point: Diamond has the highest melting point (3820 degrees Kelvin)
• Lattice Density: The atoms of Diamond are packed closer together than are the atoms of any other substance
• Tensile Strength: Diamond has the highest tensile strength of any material, at 2.8 gigapascals. However, that does not quite translate into the strongest rope or cable, as diamond has cleavage planes which support crack propagation. The strongest ropes can likely be made from another material, carbon nanotubes, as they should not suffer from the effects of cracks and break. Still, if a long, thin, perfect crystal of diamond could be manufactured, it would offer the highest possible pulling strength (in a straight line - don't try to tie it in a knot!)
• Compressive Strength: Diamond was once thought to be the material most resistant to compression (the least compressible). It is the material that scientists use to create the greatest pressures when testing matter. However, the rare metal Osmium has recently been shown to be even less compressible (although it is not as hard as diamond). Diamond has a bulk modulus (reciprocal of compressibility) of 443 GigaPascals (GPa). The bulk modulus of the metal osmium has recently been found to be 476 GPa, about 7% greater than diamond.