This gives graphite its characteristic slippery feel. This is the molecular structure of graphite. Diamond, which is also made of carbon atoms, has properties that are quite different from graphite. Diamond has its carbon atoms arranged in a tetrahedral shape which causes it to be much harder than graphite. It is the hardest naturally-occurring mineral on earth and it has a hardness of 10 on the Mohs scale.
Diamonds come in many different forms and in many colors.
The color in a diamond comes from impurities which are present when the diamond is formed. This is the molecular structure of a diamond. At SUNY Stony Brook there are machines which can duplicate the pressures deep within the earth's interior. They can be used to study the effects of temperature and pressure on various substances and to turn graphite into diamond. To see what others have done let's take a journey.