Diamond Structure

Diamond in it's pure form is composed on only one element, carbon. Under sustained periods of incredibly high pressure and high temperature the carbon atoms that make up a diamond bond covalently. This means that the atoms share electrons as opposed to the passing and receiving in ionic bonding.

In a diamond each carbon atom has four bonds (which is the maximum amount that carbon can have), and all four bonds are linked to other carbon atoms which in turn link to more carbon atoms. Because this structure negates free-electrons it is incredibly stable. The arrangement of the grid of carbon atoms (often called a lattice), is called a diamond lattice. This lattice is very rigid which is why diamonds are so hard and how their resistance to high temperatures and pressures can be explained.

These congenital characteristics make diamond useful for many applications such as for drilling or cutting impliments (scapels for example sometimes are coated in diamond powder), as well as use as semiconductors or transistors in circuits.