Diamond
Diamond is a native element mineral valued for its hardness and gem potential, with known Chinese sources.
About Diamond
Diamond is a native element mineral in the diamond group (carbon polymorphs) and has the chemical formula C. It crystallizes in the isometric system and is one of the most visually varied minerals in the collector market. Its combination of structural character and global distribution make it a recognized species in both systematic and aesthetic collections.
Identification & care
Diamond typically forms octahedral (most common), dodecahedral, cubic; also rounded, curved surfaces (tetrahexahedral); twinned 'macles' (flat triangular twins). Its color range is broad, including colorless (most prized), yellow, brown, gray, blue (type iib, boron), pink/red, green, black (carbonado), and orange. The luster is adamantine, the streak is white/colorless, and specimens are typically transparent, translucent, opaque. The cleavage is perfect/octahedral on {111} — 4 perfect cleavage planes; extremely important for diamond cutting. The fracture is conchoidal, which aids identification.
Collector context
How it forms
Diamond forms in primarily in kimberlite pipes (ultrabasic igneous rock) and lamproite at mantle depths (>150 km); also in ultra-high-pressure metamorphic terranes (microdiamonds); placer deposits from eroded kimberlites. It is commonly found in association with olivine, pyrope garnet (g10 = diamond indicator), chromite, ilmenite, enstatite, kimberlite (host rock).
Classic Chinese localities
Diamond is widely represented across Chinese provinces, including Hunan, Inner Mongolia, Tibet, Henan.
Why collectors care
Diamond occupies a rare position: it matters equally to specimen collectors and to the gem trade. Crisp natural crystals with saturated color and good clarity command premium pricing and are among the highest-prestige targets in any systematic collection.
What affects value
Value in Diamond is assessed, in typical order of weight, against: (1) locality provenance; (2) crystal size; (3) transparency and internal clarity; (4) color intensity and saturation; (5) crystal form and termination sharpness; (6) matrix and associated-species aesthetics; (7) gem-cutting potential. Verified locality documentation and cutting potential further elevate collector demand.
Naming history
The name Diamond has a specific etymological and historical context — see Mindat's reference entry for provenance details. We have retained naming data at the record level; published prose is paraphrased from factual fields rather than copied from source.