Can You Break A Diamond?

It’s hardly a shock if we are saying that the diamond is the toughest materials we all know. However we must always in all probability additionally say you could simply break a diamond with issues you have got mendacity round the home.

However how can that be? It really comes right down to the definition of hardness. See Beneath.

Can You Break a Diamond?

Technically talking a diamond could be damaged, however in precise observe, it is extremely tough to interrupt a diamond. It’s important to hit it within the precise proper spot after which additionally guarantee that you’re utilizing sufficient power.

Right here’s the science behind breaking a diamond. To say one thing is “exhausting” shouldn’t be the identical as saying it’s “robust”. For instance, you possibly can scratch metal with a diamond, however you possibly can simply shatter a diamond with a hammer. The diamond is difficult, the hammer is robust.

Whether or not one thing is difficult or robust will depend on its inner construction. A diamond is made fully of carbon atoms that are joined in a lattice-type construction. Every atom is a set distance from the subsequent, and shifting two of them nearer or additional away requires sudden and excessive power. This makes the diamond extremely exhausting and is why it is ready to scratch another materials.

Metal, alternatively, has an ionic construction. In easy phrases, it’s just like that of a handful of raisins in a jar of honey. You may transfer any of the ions about simply, and any power is definitely absorbed. Hit metal with a hammer of any materials and it simply absorbs the blow by shifting the ions sideways as an alternative of shattering.

This makes metal extremely robust and infinitely workable. Diamonds, due to their lack of flexibility within the construction, are usually not really very robust in any respect.

How do Diamond Cutters Break Diamonds?

You may be questioning how any diamond ever will get to its completed state if nothing else may even scratch it. The primary stage of processing a tough diamond is to separate it into the utmost obtainable variety of stones. That is carried out by profiting from cleave traces inside every tough diamond. A cleave line – a tetrahedral airplane, to provide it its technical identify – is the weak spot in a diamond. As a easy instance, wooden has a single grain. Drive a chisel into a chunk of wooden alongside the grain, and the piece will break up simply. Attempt it throughout the grain and it’ll merely make a minimize the size of the chisel blade.

With a pointy blow of a particular steel cleaving instrument, the tough diamond will break up alongside these predictable cleave traces. The downside right here is that, the place wooden has only a single cleave line within the grain, a tough diamond has 4 cleave traces, every of which may have an effect on what number of single polished stones the tough diamond can produce.

In some situations, examination of a tough diamond can take weeks or months earlier than selecting a specific cleave line. That is very true for distinctive diamonds, resembling these commissioned for a particular goal.

Are you able to Break a Diamond with a Hammer?

Sure, technically talking, you possibly can break a diamond with a hammer, however it is going to be very exhausting to truly do it. Typically, you possibly can smash a hammer over your diamond and it’ll do nothing to it.

Listed below are the issues that you just’ll must do in an effort to make it simpler to interrupt a diamond with a hammer:

• Discover a diamond that has inner inclusions and internal weaknesses.
• Intention the hammer blow to inflict most power in opposition to the weakest inner location of the diamond
• Don’t let the diamond soar when it’s hit. Typically, the hammer blow will weaken because the diamond strikes away from the hammer blow.

In conclusion, though it’s doable to interrupt a diamond with a hammer, it is extremely VERY tough to truly do it.

We put it to the Take a look at: We really despatched an actual diamond to the well-known YouTubers HowRediculous and challenged them to interrupt a diamond utilizing a bowling ball and an enormous hammer. These movies had been watched tens of millions of instances.

How Polished Diamonds Break

These weaknesses, while moderately simple to use in massive, tough stones, are nonetheless current in polished diamonds. Due to the construction of the diamond talked about above, there’s at all times a danger of affect chipping the stone. It doesn’t even must be an particularly excessive affect and even on an particularly exhausting floor. Simply clipping the diamond at precisely the fitting angle might spit it in two.

It’s not unusual for engagement rings to all of the sudden be lacking a chunk out of the crown or girdle of a diamond. The kind of minimize can expose some components of the stone greater than others, however all are probably in danger.

Holding Your Diamond Secure (and Complete)

If this sounds prefer it makes diamonds an excessive amount of to fret about, it isn’t actually. Luck – or unhealthy luck, a minimum of – and a little bit frequent sense are what’s going to decide whether or not your diamond survives for a lifetime or not. So long as you’re conscious of your ring, you don’t must be overly paranoid about it. In the event you do get that approach, the enjoyment of your ring will simply disappear.

In the identical approach, you wouldn’t always do issues that may harm an costly watch, simply take the identical precautions along with your engagement ring. You don’t must at all times take it off, simply as you wouldn’t your watch. Simply be conscious is all we’re advising.

Can Diamonds Chip?

The unhappy truth is that chipped or damaged diamonds can’t be repaired. You’ve gotten the selection of whether or not to reside with a broken stone or exchange it. It’s additionally unlikely that your chipped diamond could have a lot of a trade-in worth. Relying on the dimensions of the stone and the placement of the chip, it might be doable that the diamond could be re-cut. Nevertheless, except it’s a fairly massive diamond and fairly superficial harm, you’ll be fortunate to comprehend greater than $100 for any chipped diamond.

However you have got your ring insured, proper? And also you additionally made certain to incorporate loss and harm as a part of the coverage? In that case, you possibly can calm down a little bit extra. You’ll by no means exchange the sentimental worth, after all, however it is best to get a brand new diamond out of it. Simply know that an insurer will look intently at any declare to see in case you had been negligent or not. In the event you had been mountaineering whenever you chipped your ring, for instance, it is best to in all probability neglect about your declare. However, if it occurred in common on a regular basis life, try to be okay.

Your diamond is probably not as indestructible as you thought, however that doesn’t imply you shouldn’t take pleasure in all of it the identical.

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