Diamonds don’t shine!

yetunde oyeleke

March 25, 2014 3:03 PM

If you’re one of those who think diamonds shine, then you’re wrong because those precious stones actually don’t shine. You don’t believe? Dig in.

Many girls will weaken at the knees if a guy presents one of those ‘shiny’ diamonds, especially one set in a precious metal...and presented with the "Will You Marry Me" line.

But here comes the question: Do diamonds shine?

If you said yes, give yourself a knock on the head or ask the person closest to you to do it for you. But don’t be too sad. Even Rihana didn’t know when she wrote the hit song "Shine Bright Like A Diamond".

For those what said no, thumbs up to you because diamonds don’t shine. They only reflect light – not shine – because there is no energy source in them to produce their own light.

If you doubt this, buy a large diamond, toss it into a very dark room and see if it will be visible.

Actually, the secret behind the diamond’s ‘shining’ is refraction, total internal reflection, which is different from mere reflection, and dispersion. Its refractive index is pretty high (2.417) and so is its dispersive coefficient (0.044) – hence its application in optics.

The shape of a diamond also determines the ‘shiny-ness’ – an uncut diamond wouldn’t look as bright.

So next time you see a diamond, don’t say "It’s shining". Just slip it into your finger and say "Yes I Will!”

yetunde oyeleke