Abstract
Diamond in its pure form is colorless, but natural diamonds commonly display a range of colors. Transparent colors that affect the entire diamond are usually caused by the presence of atomic or molecular impurities and imperfections (Fig. 3-01). Different body colors are linked to different impurities or imperfections, which form color centres. The body color of a diamond depends largely on the abundance of color centers and the size of the crystal. A large diamond will generally appear more intensely colored compared to a small diamond. Body colors are also influenced by the source of light. For example, diamonds in natural light may display a slightly different color than in artificial light.
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© 2011 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg
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Tappert, R., Tappert, M.C. (2011). The Colors of Diamonds. In: Diamonds in Nature. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-12572-0_3
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-12572-0_3
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