What Breaks Diamonds

What Breaks Diamonds

It was a summer afternoon, and I found myself in a small gemology class held at a quaint, little institute in the heart of the city. Our instructor, a gray-haired gentleman with a voice as smooth as the polished stones he handled, held up a brilliant-cut diamond. “Can anyone tell me what can break this?” he asked, a twinkle in his eye. The anticipation in the room was palpable as we pondered the idea of something so seemingly invincible meeting its match.

Diamonds, contrary to their reputation as nature’s hardest material, aren't indestructible. While they rank a perfect ten on the Mohs scale of hardness — meaning they can scratch nearly every other material — this does not equate to being unbreakable. The key lies in their elegant crystalline structure. Diamonds are essentially carbon atoms bonded in a repetitive three-dimensional lattice. This unique formation gives them their incredible hardness but also makes them susceptible to cleaving, or breaking along these structural lines if struck just right.

The concept fascinated me. Imagine something so breathtakingly beautiful yet delicate in its own way, like a ballet dancer poised in mid-air. An accidental drop on a tile floor or the surprise impact from a side angle could fracture it irreparably. It makes one reflect on how many relationships, outwardly perfect and strong, might also have their fault lines hidden beneath the surface.

Another surprising factor that could compromise a diamond’s durability is the rise in popularity of certain jewelry settings. In the quest for innovative designs, some settings expose larger surface areas of the diamond, unwittingly increasing the risk of catching on something and chipping. This vulnerability is akin to someone parading a classic car without a protective cover — risky, but oh, the appeal.

Culturally, diamonds have long been symbols of eternal commitment and love. “A diamond is forever,” they say, making no mention of these little known weaknesses. My grandma’s engagement ring, a modest solitaire, tells a tale beyond its carat weight. She once shared how, during a rough patch, she’d accidentally banged it against a kitchen counter, creating a tiny flaw visible only under very close inspection. To her, this imperfection became a cherished reminder that even the most valued things can survive a bump in the road if you’re tender in their care.

In recent years, science has given us the marvel of synthetic diamonds, created in controlled environments. These gems are molecularly identical to natural ones, though some purists argue they lack the “soul” of a stone formed over billions of years. Yet, they too share the same vulnerabilities, a testament to the intrinsic qualities of this captivating gemstone.

So there you have it. Diamonds, as formidable as they are, are not invincible. Their allure lies not just in their brilliance but in their paradoxical frailty. If nothing else, it’s a gentle reminder that perfection doesn’t exist, and perhaps, it shouldn’t. As I walked out of the gemology class that day, the city glowing under a setting sun, I held onto that thought as a little gem of its own.