A diamond is made up of 99.95 percent carbon. The other 0.05 percent consists of trace elements, atoms that are not part of the diamond’s essential chemistry. These trace elements can affect the shape and color of the diamond. For example, if boron were present during formation, the diamond would be blue.

Diamonds are formed under an immense amount of heat and pressure. These high temperatures and forceful amounts of compression cause the diamond’s atoms to form in an isometric pattern, meaning they are bonded the same way in all directions. Because of this crystal structure, diamonds are the hardest natural substance known to man. They are 58 times harder than anything else in nature!

Graphite is another mineral that is composed completely of carbon, but because of its vastly different formation process and crystal structure, it’s soft and can be used as a writing utensil, while a diamond is so hard it only can be scratched by another diamond.

After the formation is complete, the diamond is propelled upward through the Earth’s crust until it arrives on or near the surface. Once the phenomenal beauty is found, it begins its journey to be cut and polished to bring out all of its natural splendor.