How are Diamonds Cut if They are the Hardest Substance?
A diamond measures a 10 on the Mohs Scale of Hardness, making it the hardest natural substance known to occur on Earth, and many consumers are curious about how diamonds are cut if they are so hard. There are a number of techniques used in diamond cutting including basic cleaving and the use of a grinding wheel called a scaif. These techniques have been developed over centuries of jeweling, and most diamond cutters use techniques that were originally developed hundreds of years ago, because they are still the best way to handle diamonds. Diamond cutters usually combine several processes to create a sparkling, faceted gem from a rough diamond, in a painstaking job where the stone may lose as much as 60% of its weight. The most ancient diamond cutting process is cleaving. To cleave diamonds, the diamond cutter places a chisel at a point of weakness in the stone and taps it with a mallet, causing the diamond to split. If the weakness was misjudged, this can destroy the diamond. If the dia
