Terminology

Jewelry & Diamond Industry Dictionary of Terminology

Carbon

The chemical element of atomic number 6, a nonmetal which has two main forms (diamond and graphite) and which also occurs in impure form in charcoal, soot, and coal. People outside of the jewelry industry often call imperfections within diamonds, "carbon," or "carbon spots." However, within the jewelry and diamond industries these imperfections are called, "inclusions," or "blemishes."

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Sources for these definitions are GIA.edu, Google.com, Meriam-Webster.com, and Wikipedia.org.