Actions and Properties

The Almighty has created the diamond as a wondrous thing. Its sparkle and luster are pleasing to the heart, so much so that everyone is passionately fond of it. Nature has made it such a rare and priceless object that it is not within the reach of every human being. This is perhaps one reason for it being so highly cherished. Whatever ancient physicians have written regarding it is very brief and insufficient, such that full knowledge cannot be derived from it. Although it is mentioned in several places in the ancient books of the Greeks, in bygone eras, the people of Europe were unaware of this gem. It is only recently that they have gained complete acquaintance with it.

The natural form and state of a diamond when it is extracted from the mine is generally octagonal or resembles a dodecahedron. Therefore, it is described as belonging to the "Tesseral" (cubic) system. A unique characteristic of its natural shape is that the surface of each face is slightly curved or domed, whereas the surfaces of other crystal-structured stones are often flat. There is a natural cleavage parallel to its sides, which makes it very easy to remove any defective parts. The natural shape of the diamond is usually not maintained; instead, it is cut into various shapes as required. It is fashioned into Brilliant, Rose, and Table cuts, though the Brilliant cut is the most suitable for it. Diamonds are also frequently cut into Rose and Table styles. Because the diamond possesses a high degree of hardness, it can achieve an excellent polish. It is due to this property of hardness that the great diamonds of ancient times have survived for us; if it were not for this hardness, we would not be able to see diamonds like the Koh-i-Noor or the Great Mogul after thousands of centuries.