Which term refers to the plane along which a diamond can split cleanly?

Which term refers to the plane along which a diamond can split cleanly?

• A. Chip
• B. Cloud
• C. Cleaving
• D. Cleavage plane

Answer: (D)

Cleavage plane. A mineral’s cleavage is its tendency to break along flat, smooth surfaces where the crystal bonds are weakest. In diamond, the crystal structure creates specific planes of weakness, notably the octahedral faces corresponding to the {111} crystallographic planes, along which the diamond can split cleanly. The surface created by such a break is called a cleavage plane, and that term is used to describe the plane along which the diamond can be cleaved. The act of splitting along this plane is called cleaving. Terms like chip refer to a fragment from a break, and cloud denotes an inclusion within the diamond, not the plane of weakness itself.

Cleavage plane. A mineral’s cleavage is its tendency to break along flat, smooth surfaces where the crystal bonds are weakest. In diamond, the crystal structure creates specific planes of weakness, notably the octahedral faces corresponding to the {111} crystallographic planes, along which the diamond can split cleanly. The surface created by such a break is called a cleavage plane, and that term is used to describe the plane along which the diamond can be cleaved. The act of splitting along this plane is called cleaving. Terms like chip refer to a fragment from a break, and cloud denotes an inclusion within the diamond, not the plane of weakness itself.