Question about cleaving diamond in two

[pyramid]

Okay. If a diamond is cleaved in two the old fashioned way would you be able to see through the new surfaces or would they be white as in a break? Just something I was wondering.

Also a diamond in its rough state can you see through it or is it opaque?

 

[DiamondExpert]

A cleavage can be quite transparent, clean and clear. As for rough diamonds, the surface characteristics can vary from frosty to clear (as in a "glassy"), and some crystals have a "skin". How much of a planar surface is present is to some extent determined by the crystal's structure - cube, octahedron, dodecahedron, and more complex.

I should also mention that a window is frequently polished on the surface of a rough diamond in order to get a better look and the internal, clarity characteristics.

 

[pyramid]

Thank you DiamondExpert. I was just curious. Interesting stuff.