Diamond

super hard · carbon · gemstones · science

Hardest material. Diamond is the hardest natural material known to humans. This makes it perfect for cutting, polishing, and grinding other tough materials in factories and workshops.

Carbon's twin. Diamond and graphite are both made of pure carbon, but their atoms are arranged differently. Graphite is softer and is what's in pencil lead, while diamond is incredibly hard.

Best heat conductor. Diamond conducts heat better than almost anything else in nature. This special power, combined with its hardness, makes it super useful in industry for high-tech tools.

Clear and strong. Pure diamonds are colorless and won't dissolve in water. They're also brittle, meaning they can shatter if hit the wrong way, even though they're the hardest material.

Slowly transforms. Diamond is actually not the most stable form of carbon, graphite is. But diamond converts to graphite so incredibly slowly that diamonds can last for billions of years without changing.