Native-element minerals
Minerals composed of a single element or predominantly in the elemental state; diamond is a polymorph of carbon.
What this family is
Carbon in the elemental state is what qualifies, so the members are diamond, a polymorph of carbon, and carbonado, a black polycrystalline aggregate that is not simply a synonym for single-crystal diamond. Natural or synthetic origin and treatment status are established for any diamond by identification, and laboratory-grown diamond is classified with the synthetic products.
Scope of this family
Minerals composed of a single element or predominantly in the elemental state; diamond is a polymorph of carbon.
Representative members (3)
The standard materials in this family: mineral species, varieties, rocks and other materials whose name identifies what they are. Trade names are listed separately below.
Common confusions
Names in this family that do not by themselves say what the material is, and man-made or assembled products recorded against its materials. Each line says what the item actually is.
Trade names in this family
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| Name | Type of name | What it actually is |
|---|---|---|
| Black Diamond (treated) | Commercial / trade name | Diamond treated to look black: the Japanese JJA/AGL disclosure list attributes its black colour to carbonization by heating or to irradiation. It is not carbonado, a naturally black polycrystalline aggregate. |
Synthetic, assembled or treated counterparts
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| Name | Counterpart of | What it actually is |
|---|---|---|
| Synthetic Diamond | Diamond | Synthetic (laboratory-grown) diamond; GB/T 16552-2017 Annex A Table A.4 lists it as "synthetic diamond", and the qualifier must sit right next to the name and be equally prominent. |
Member entries (4)
Treatments recorded on member entries
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| Treatment | Member entries | Disclosure requirement |
|---|---|---|
| Heated / Heat-treated | Diamond | Heating is a common treatment, and acceptance varies by material. Whether heated ruby or sapphire must be declared separately depends on which code is followed (see the comparison on this page); unstable colour or foreign residues must be disclosed. |
| Filled / Fracture-filled | Diamond | Name the filler (resin, oil, polymer, glass or lead glass) and bear in mind that fillings can be unstable and may deteriorate or change colour over time. LMHC Information Sheet #3 treats corundum with glass in two ways: glass in fissures or cavities is still reported on natural corundum as a filling, and only a badly fractured single piece infused throughout, or small fragments bound together with glass, is reported as a manufactured product. |
| Irradiated | Diamond | Must be disclosed. Stability under irradiation varies by material: irradiated blue topaz keeps a stable colour and irradiated smoky quartz or coloured diamond can, but in some materials the irradiated colour fades in light or heat; colour stability must be pointed out. |
| Coated | Diamond | Must be disclosed. Coatings may be abraded, flake off or discolour, and coating is not a permanent enhancement; the coating material must be disclosed (e.g. Mystic Topaz is coated topaz), and the treated effect must not be implied to be natural. |
| HPHT treated | Diamond | Must be disclosed. Mainly applied to diamond (to improve brown to colourless or near-colourless) and may also apply to coloured stones; HPHT treatment is not HPHT synthesis: the former alters an existing natural diamond, the latter produces a new one, and both must be disclosed. |
| Laser-drilled | Diamond | Must be disclosed. Used mainly on diamond; after treatment the remaining channel may be filled with glass or resin, and if it is filled, the filling must be disclosed as well; the laser channel is irreversible. |
Where members are recorded
Some member entries record the localities where their materials are found; Recorded localities shows them on a sketch map and lists them by continent.
Names
- 简体中文
- 天然元素矿物
- 繁體中文
- 天然元素礦物
- English
- Native-element minerals
- 日本語
- 元素鉱物
Authority source
- Authority source
- Review status
- Reviewed against CIBJO, GB/T and IMA boundaries.
Distribution across the other axes
All 4 members share these values:
- Origin class
- Natural materials
- Material domain
- Natural inorganic gem materials
- Mineral chemical class
- Native elements
- Construction or treatment status
- Natural identity; treatment status unknown
Identity level
- Mineral / gemstone variety (2)
- Mineral species (1)
- Commercial / trade name (1)