The diamond is known for being the hardest stone type in the world. However, this does not mean that these precious stones are indestructible. Can you damage a diamond? The answer to this is clear. Yes, the diamond from your jewellery can always break or become damaged. In this article, we will tell you everything that you must know and we will give you a number of useful tips in order to prevent damage to your diamond.

 

 

 

What can damage a diamond?

A brilliant is held with tweezers - BAUNAT
The word diamond may mean 'unbeatable' in Ancient Greek, but this sparkling stone is not indestructible. Can diamonds crack? A diamond is the hardest stone in this world, but in some rare occasions, the diamond can break or get damaged if it’s hit with a hard object in a particular angle. But what can damage a diamond? It’s advised to take good care of your diamond jewellery and avoid manual work or aggressive cleaning agents.

Particular poisonous substances, such as chlorine or other aggressive chemicals, can also damage your diamond jewellery. It is therefore essential to clean diamond jewellery in the correct way. In the article about cleaning diamond jewellery, you can read step by step how to do this.
A third cause of damaging is one which occurs very frequently. When a diamond comes into contact with another diamond, it can scratch it. This is, for instance, the case when several pieces of diamond jewellery scrape against each other in a jewellery box.

Have your diamond jewellery examined by your BAUNAT expert

The hardness of the diamond

Professional produces a piece of diamond jewellery - BAUNAT
The hardness of a diamond is expressed with the aid of the Mohs scale. This scale was developed in 1812 by Friedrich Mohs and is used to compare the relative hardness of minerals. The Mohs scale has values from 1 to 10. The diamond has the highest value. A diamond can therefore only become scratched by another diamond. Other precious stones, such as sapphires and rubies, score a 9 on this scale.

Read more about jewellery with precious stones

The structure of the diamond

Diamond ring is placed in the sand - BAUNAT
Diamonds have a long route from the mine to the piece of jewellery that you are wearing. The precious stones have been made from nothing else but carbon which underwent the effect of extreme heat and pressure approximately 150 kilometers under the earth's crust. They originated 1 to 3.3 billion years ago. Volcanic eruptions drive the diamond upwards, where people mine the stones in diamond mines.

Just like graphite and soot, the diamond therefore consists of carbon. However, the difference lies in the structure of the precious stone. For the diamond has a completely unique crystal structure: cubical and isometric. All carbon atoms have been bound in all directions in exactly the same way. This pattern repeats itself every 8 atoms, and this explains the extreme resistance.

Protecting your diamonds from damage

A diamond can only crack if you touch the jewellery with a heavy object. What occurs more frequently is that your diamond can become damaged if it scrapes against other diamonds. This will result in scratches in your diamond ring or neck chain. Furthermore, your diamond can also become damaged if you clean the precious stone with agressive cleaning agents. We will list a few tips for protecting your diamonds from damage:

  • Take off your diamond ring if you are doing manual work. In this way, you will prevent your jewellery from accidentally hitting against a sharp object and causing the diamond to crack.

     

  • Always store your diamond jewellery separately so that the pieces cannot come into contact with each other. So always keep them in the original box or in a pouch with a soft lining.

     

  • In order to clean your diamond jewellery, some lukewarm water with a mild washing-up liquid - possibly with a small amount of ammonia - is sufficient for making the diamond sparkle again. In any case, never set to work with a random cleaning agent. These agents often contain chemicals which can damage your jewellery.


Has your diamond nevertheless become damaged? Then you can of course trust the BAUNAT experts to restore your beloved jewellery in a professional way.

Read more about jewellery collections

Although the diamond is the hardest material in the world, you now know that a diamond can indeed become damaged. You now know how best to protect your diamond jewellery and how to prevent damage. Do you wish to find out more about diamond jewellery? Or are you looking for diamonds to complete your bridal look? Discover all about diamonds on our blog:

Frequently asked Questions

Is brilliant the same as diamond?

It is often thought that a brilliant is a type of diamond that is rarer or more expensive. However, that is not correct. Brilliant is the cut of the diamond. In addition, other gemstones can also be cut into a brilliant cut. The difference between a diamond and a brilliant lies in the cut. The brilliant refers to the most common cut of the diamond which you can easily recognise it by its round shape. A brilliant has 58 facets placed in a specific way to reflect the invading light. This gives the diamond a unique sparkle and shine.

How to safely clean a diamond

When you know how to safely clean a diamond with a soft toothbrush, you quickly bring back its brilliance. The simplest method is scrubbing in hot water with ordinary dishwashing detergent. Then rinse and dry with a flannel cloth. Heavier dirt is scrubbed off with 50:50 solution of window cleaner and hydrogen peroxide. Naturally, you can always have a professional cleaning done by your jeweller. They know perfectly how to clean a diamond. 

 

How do I choose the perfect diamond?

The weight, cut, colour and purity determine the quality of a diamond. But even then, it seems not so obvious to know how to choose a diamond. For the most part, it obviously depends on your taste and budget. The material and shape of the jewel in which the diamond is to be set also play a role. As a layman, you can verify the authenticity by means of the certificate. The BAUNAT team will gladly advise you further with your personal choice.

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