Can You Melt Diamonds?

When you buy that gorgeous diamond ring, you anticipate it will serve you for a long time and won't break easily. But what if you exposed it to fire. Will it melt?

Exposing your diamonds to a cigarette burn or a matchstick won't liquefy the mineral. Burring it requires a scorching flame and liquid oxygen. That said, here is why it's impossible to melt diamonds.

Diamonds Can Withstand Heat

Diamonds have plenty of uses outside of engagement rings and necklace ornaments. They are also used in the manufacture of various items. This alone is enough to explain why it's nearly impossible to liquefy a diamond.

However, all diamonds are not equal, meaning their durability may vary heavily depending on their quality and the amount of heat applied. Still, diamonds can't melt under ordinary conditions, so you can rest easy.

What Temperatures Are Enough to Liquefy Diamond?

Diamond starts burning at 700℃ or 1,292℉ and produces carbon dioxide, thus changing the diamond's structure. Diamonds are made of carbon, so if you burn them in the open air, they will revert to that form and lose mass due to carbon dioxide production.

Removing Oxygen Won't Help

If you eliminate oxygen from the equation, it will turn to graphite, which will become liquid. Graphite is a black form of carbon, and its liquid looks similar.

While there is almost no way to liquefy diamond, scientists found a way to work around the above conditions. They went to sea level and fired ultra-strong amounts of pressure equal to 10 million times the normal atmospheric pressure. The diamonds briefly melted but reverted to their state when the pressure dropped.

This discovery led scientists to believe that planets like Uranus and Neptune could have seas of liquid diamond due to their high levels of atmospheric pressures containing carbon.

Luvari has years of experience in diamonds. Contact us today to get valuable diamond advice and high-quality pieces.