What is the most common twinned diamond crystal?

What is the most common twinned diamond crystal?

• A. The Macle
• B. The Twin
• C. The Pair
• D. The Lamé

Answer: (A)

Twinning in diamonds happens when two crystal halves share a lattice plane and grow together, forming a two-part crystal. The macle is the name given to this common twin form in natural diamonds—the two halves are joined along a seam and often mirror each other, producing a distinctive two-lobe appearance. This shape arises because diamond’s crystal lattice readily forms a twin on the planes chosen during growth, so two nearly equal halves end up fused side by side. Other terms aren’t standard descriptors for this common twin form, so they don’t capture the characteristic two-part structure as clearly as macle does.

Twinning in diamonds happens when two crystal halves share a lattice plane and grow together, forming a two-part crystal. The macle is the name given to this common twin form in natural diamonds—the two halves are joined along a seam and often mirror each other, producing a distinctive two-lobe appearance. This shape arises because diamond’s crystal lattice readily forms a twin on the planes chosen during growth, so two nearly equal halves end up fused side by side.

Other terms aren’t standard descriptors for this common twin form, so they don’t capture the characteristic two-part structure as clearly as macle does.