Diamond vs. Ice — What's the Difference?
By Fiza Rafique & Urooj Arif — Updated on March 8, 2024
Diamond is a hard, crystalline form of carbon known for its brilliance and used in jewelry, while ice is a solid form of water, transparent and cold, commonly seen in nature and used for cooling.
Difference Between Diamond and Ice
Table of Contents
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Key Differences
Diamond is one of the hardest natural materials known, making it valuable for industrial applications and jewelry for its unmatched durability and sparkle. On the other hand, ice is water in its solid state, important for its role in natural ecosystems and its everyday use in cooling and preserving food.
Diamonds are formed deep within the Earth under extreme heat and pressure conditions, resulting in their unique crystal structure. Whereas ice forms at or below the freezing point of water, showcasing a crystalline structure that depends on the temperature and formation conditions, leading to its varied natural expressions such as snowflakes and glaciers.
While diamonds are prized for their rarity and often carry a high economic value, ice is abundant and accessible, playing a critical role in climate regulation and freshwater supply but lacking the monetary value associated with diamonds.
The optical properties of diamonds, including their ability to refract light, give them their characteristic brilliance and fire. In contrast, ice's optical properties are defined by its transparency and the unique phenomenon of forming a rainbow-like halo around light sources under certain conditions.
On the cutting edge of technology, diamonds are used in high-precision cutting tools and as semiconductors in electronics due to their thermal conductivity and electrical properties. Ice, however, finds its innovative use in cryogenics and as a renewable energy storage medium, demonstrating its versatility beyond its natural occurrence.
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Comparison Chart
Composition
Pure carbon arranged in a crystal lattice.
Solid form of H2O (water).
Formation
Under high temperature and pressure deep in the Earth.
Freezes from liquid water at or below 0°C (32°F).
Uses
Jewelry, industrial cutting tools, semiconductors.
Cooling, water storage, recreational (ice skating).
Value
High economic value due to rarity.
Generally low economic value, except in scarcity.
Optical Properties
High refraction leading to brilliance and fire.
Transparent, forms rainbows around light sources.
Compare with Definitions
Diamond
A precious gemstone made of crystalline carbon, known for its hardness.
The diamond ring sparkled brilliantly under the store's lights.
Ice
Slang for diamonds or expensive jewelry.
His watch was covered in ice.
Diamond
A shape resembling a diamond, often used in patterns.
The quilt had a beautiful diamond pattern.
Ice
Water frozen into a solid state, used to cool drinks.
He added ice to his lemonade to keep it cold.
Diamond
In playing cards, one of the four suits.
He drew the ace of diamonds.
Ice
A metaphor for a cold demeanor.
Her ice-cold stare silenced the room.
Diamond
Used metaphorically to describe something incredibly durable or valuable.
Her resolve was as unbreakable as a diamond.
Ice
A slippery surface for ice skating or hockey.
The ice on the lake was thick enough for skating.
Diamond
A term in baseball for the infield.
The pitcher dominated the game from the diamond.
Ice
An injury treatment method using frozen water.
She used ice on her sprained ankle to reduce swelling.
Diamond
Diamond is a form of the element carbon with its atoms arranged in a crystal structure called diamond cubic. At room temperature and pressure, another solid form of carbon known as graphite is the chemically stable form of carbon, but diamond almost never converts to it.
Ice
Ice is water frozen into a solid state. Depending on the presence of impurities such as particles of soil or bubbles of air, it can appear transparent or a more or less opaque bluish-white color.
Diamond
A precious stone consisting of a clear and colourless crystalline form of pure carbon, the hardest naturally occurring substance
A diamond ring
Ice
An entry stored in a person's mobile phone that provides emergency contact information
All mobile phone users should have an ICE contact in their phones
Diamond
A figure with four straight sides of equal length forming two opposite acute angles and two opposite obtuse angles; a rhombus
A sweater with a pale-blue diamond pattern
Ice
Decorate (a cake or biscuit) with icing.
Diamond
An extremely hard, highly refractive crystalline form of carbon that is usually colorless and is used as a gemstone and in abrasives, cutting tools, and other applications.
Ice
Clinch (something such as a victory or deal).
Diamond
A piece of jewelry containing such a gemstone.
Ice
Kill
She was saved from being iced by the mafia
Diamond
A rhombus, particularly when oriented so that one diagonal extends from left to right and the other diagonal extends from top to bottom.
Ice
Water frozen solid.
Diamond
A red, lozenge-shaped figure on certain playing cards.
Ice
A surface, layer, or mass of frozen water.
Diamond
A playing card with this figure.
Ice
Something resembling frozen water
Ammonia ice.
Diamond
Diamonds (used with a sing. or pl. verb) The suit of cards represented by this figure.
Ice
A frozen dessert consisting of water, sugar, and a liquid flavoring, often fruit juice.
Diamond
The infield.
Ice
Cake frosting; icing.
Diamond
The whole playing field.
Ice
(Slang) Diamonds.
Diamond
Of or relating to a 60th or 75th anniversary.
Ice
(Sports) The playing field in ice hockey; the rink.
Diamond
To adorn with diamonds.
Ice
Extreme unfriendliness or reserve.
Diamond
(uncountable) A glimmering glass-like mineral that is an allotrope of carbon in which each atom is surrounded by four others in the form of a tetrahedron. Category:en:Carbon
The saw is coated with diamond.
Ice
(Slang) A payment over the listed price of a ticket for a public event.
Diamond
A gemstone made from this mineral.
The dozen loose diamonds sparkled in the light.
Ice
(Slang) Methamphetamine.
Diamond
A ring containing a diamond.
What a beautiful engagement diamond.
Ice
To coat or slick with solidly frozen water.
Diamond
A very pale blue color.
Ice
To cause to become ice; freeze.
Diamond
Something that resembles a diamond.
Ice
To chill by setting in or as if in ice.
Diamond
(geometry) A rhombus, especially when oriented so that its longer axis is vertical.
Ice
To cover or decorate (a cake, for example) with a sugar coating.
Diamond
(geometry) The polyiamond made up of two triangles.
Ice
(Slang) To ensure of victory, as in a game; clinch.
Diamond
(baseball) The entire field of play used in the game.
Ice
(Sports) To shoot (the puck) from one's defensive half of an ice hockey rink across the opponent's goal line outside of the goal.
Diamond
(baseball) The infield of a baseball field.
The teams met on the diamond.
Ice
(Slang) To kill; murder.
Diamond
(card games) A card of the diamonds suit.
I have only one diamond in my hand.
Ice
To turn into or become coated with ice; freeze
The pond iced over.
Diamond
A size of type, standardised as 2 point.
Ice
(uncountable) Water in frozen (solid) form.
Diamond
The size of type between brilliant and pearl, standardized as 2-point.
Ice
Any frozen volatile chemical, such as ammonia or carbon dioxide.
Diamond
Made of, or containing diamond, a diamond or diamonds.
He gave her diamond earrings.
Ice
Any volatile chemical, such as water, ammonia, or carbon dioxide, not necessarily in solid form, when discussing the composition of e.g. a planet as an ice giant vs a gas giant.
Diamond
Of, relating to, or being a sixtieth anniversary.
Today is their diamond wedding anniversary.
Ice
(countable) A frozen dessert made of fruit juice, water and sugar.
Diamond
Of, relating to, or being a seventy-fifth anniversary.
Today is their diamond wedding anniversary.
Ice
An ice cream.
Diamond
(slang) First-rate; excellent.
He's a diamond geezer.
Ice
(uncountable) Any substance having the appearance of ice.
Diamond
To adorn with or as if with diamonds
Ice
Crystal form of amphetamine-based drugs.
Diamond
A precious stone or gem excelling in brilliancy and beautiful play of prismatic colors, and remarkable for extreme hardness.
Ice
The area where a game of ice hockey is played.
Diamond
A geometrical figure, consisting of four equal straight lines, and having two of the interior angles acute and two obtuse; a rhombus; a lozenge.
Ice
Elephant or rhinoceros ivory that has been poached and sold on the black market.
Diamond
One of a suit of playing cards, stamped with the figure of a diamond.
Ice
An artifact that has been smuggled, especially one that is either clear or shiny.
Diamond
A pointed projection, like a four-sided pyramid, used for ornament in lines or groups.
Ice
(slang) Money paid as a bribe.
Diamond
The infield; the square space, 90 feet on a side, having the bases at its angles.
Ice
(transitive) To cool with ice, as a beverage.
Diamond
The smallest kind of type in English printing, except that called brilliant, which is seldom seen.
Ice
(intransitive) To become ice; to freeze.
Diamond
Resembling a diamond; made of, or abounding in, diamonds; as, a diamond chain; a diamond field.
Ice
(transitive) To make icy; to freeze.
Diamond
A transparent piece of diamond that has been cut and polished and is valued as a precious gem
Ice
To murder.
Diamond
Very hard native crystalline carbon valued as a gem
Ice
(transitive) To cover with icing (frosting made of sugar and milk or white of egg); to frost; as cakes, tarts, etc.
Diamond
A playing card in the minor suit of diamonds
Ice
(ice hockey) To put out a team for a match.
Milton Keynes have yet to ice a team this season
Diamond
The area of a baseball field that is enclosed by 3 bases and home plate
Ice
(ice hockey) To shoot the puck the length of the playing surface, causing a stoppage in play called icing.
If the Bruins ice the puck, the faceoff will be in their own zone.
Diamond
The baseball playing field
Ice
Water or other fluid frozen or reduced to the solid state by cold; frozen water. It is a white or transparent colorless substance, crystalline, brittle, and viscoidal. Its specific gravity (0.92, that of water at 4° C. being 1.0) being less than that of water, ice floats.
Ice
Concreted sugar.
Ice
Water, cream, custard, etc., sweetened, flavored, and artificially frozen.
Ice
Any substance having the appearance of ice; as, camphor ice.
Ice
To cover with ice; to convert into ice, or into something resembling ice.
Ice
To cover with icing, or frosting made of sugar and milk or white of egg; to frost, as cakes, tarts, etc.
Ice
To chill or cool, as with ice; to freeze.
Ice
Water frozen in the solid state;
Americans like ice in their drinks
Ice
The frozen part of a body of water
Ice
Diamonds;
Look at the ice on that dame!
Ice
A flavored sugar topping used to coat and decorate cakes
Ice
A frozen dessert with fruit flavoring (especially one containing no milk)
Ice
Amphetamine used in the form of a crystalline hydrochloride; used as a stimulant to the nervous system and as an appetite suppressant
Ice
A heat engine in which combustion occurs inside the engine rather than in a separate furnace; heat expands a gas that either moves a piston or turns a gas turbine
Ice
A rink with a floor of ice for ice hockey or ice skating;
The crowd applauded when she skated out onto the ice
Ice
Decorate with frosting;
Frost a cake
Ice
Put ice on or put on ice;
Ice your sprained limbs
Common Curiosities
What causes the sparkle in diamonds?
The sparkle in diamonds is caused by light refracting within the crystal lattice and reflecting off its facets.
Can diamonds be found anywhere outside of Earth?
Diamonds are unique to Earth due to the specific pressure and temperature conditions required for their formation.
Is it possible to melt ice into water?
Yes, applying heat to ice will cause it to melt back into liquid water.
What is the main component of a diamond?
Diamond is primarily made of carbon atoms in a crystal lattice.
How is ice used in sports?
Ice is used as a surface for sports like hockey and ice skating.
Can ice exist in different forms?
Yes, ice can exist in several forms, including snowflakes, glaciers, and icicles, depending on the conditions of formation.
At what temperature does water turn into ice?
Water freezes and turns into ice at 0°C (32°F).
Why are diamonds so expensive?
Diamonds are expensive due to their rarity, the complex process of mining and cutting them, and their demand in jewelry.
What industries utilize diamonds aside from jewelry?
Industries such as manufacturing (for cutting tools) and electronics (as semiconductors) utilize diamonds.
How does the melting point of ice vary with salt?
Adding salt to ice lowers its melting point, causing it to melt at temperatures below the normal freezing point of water.
Is it possible to create diamonds artificially?
Yes, diamonds can be synthesized in laboratories under controlled conditions that mimic those deep within the Earth.
How does ice affect sea levels?
Melting ice from glaciers and ice caps contributes to rising sea levels.
Can diamonds be recycled?
Yes, diamonds can be repurposed or recycled into new jewelry pieces, maintaining their value and durability.
What are the environmental impacts of diamond mining?
Diamond mining can lead to habitat destruction, soil erosion, and water pollution.
What role does ice play in climate regulation?
Ice reflects sunlight and provides a cooling effect on the Earth's surface, playing a crucial role in climate regulation.
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Written by
Fiza RafiqueFiza Rafique is a skilled content writer at AskDifference.com, where she meticulously refines and enhances written pieces. Drawing from her vast editorial expertise, Fiza ensures clarity, accuracy, and precision in every article. Passionate about language, she continually seeks to elevate the quality of content for readers worldwide.
Co-written by
Urooj ArifUrooj is a skilled content writer at Ask Difference, known for her exceptional ability to simplify complex topics into engaging and informative content. With a passion for research and a flair for clear, concise writing, she consistently delivers articles that resonate with our diverse audience.
