DIMONDS Diamond is the best known gem. It is known as the “king of gems” for its brilliance and for being the hardest mineral on earth. (Foa, p.50) Its characteristics enable it to be used for many different purposes. Since diamonds are the hardest gems on Mohs’ scale, they make useful tools for industrial purposes, such as drilling hard materials. However, they are quite rare, which makes them very valuable. Their beauty and brilliance make …showed first 75 words of 1307 total…

…showed last 75 words of 1307 total…cut a diamond crystal, the powder will always contain some particles that are oriented in a “hard” direction in relation to the crystal being cut. (Arem, p.38) . BIBLIOGRAPHY: Arem, Joel E. All-Color Guide: Gems and Jewelry. 2nd edition. Geoscience Press, Inc. 1992. Fisher, P. J. The Science of Gems. Charles Scribner’s Sons. New York, 1966. Foa, Emma. Pockets Gemstones. DK Publishing. New York, 1997.Pough, Frederick H. Peterson Guide to Rocks and Minerals. Houghton Mifflin Company. Boston, 1991.