April Birthstone - Diamond

Physical and Chemical Properties



Chemical composition
Diamond is composed of the element Carbon The hardness of diamond is 10 on the Mohs Scale---there is nothing harder. The figure 10 could be said represent the "average" hardness of a diamond.
Diamond has a fairly high refractive index: 2.417. The high refractive index is what causes the diamond to have its adamantine luster. Diamond has a very high dispersion (0.044). The dispersion is what causes a faceted diamond to show many colors when it is moved about in the light.
Colors
The most common diamonds are colorless, but this april birthstone also can be yellow or even a dusty black. Other colors include red, green, purple, blue, and pink. They are valued according to four qualities known as the four C's: color, cut, clarity, and carat.

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