People considered diamond as the star of jewellery. This hardest substance shines and sparkle like a star. If we talk about its structure, the diamond stone has a 3-dimensional arrangement of carbon atoms that are linked together by the strong covalent bonds. We are going to discuss why diamond shine and sparkle total internal reflection in the upcoming crumbs of this article. Which are the properties that make it shiny?

The brilliance in shining and sparkling of diamond occurs due to the phenomenon called as a total internal reflection of light. In this condition, the refractive index of diamond is high (2.42), due to this critical angle for diamond air interface is low (24.4 degree). For the betterment in sparkling and shining, the jewellery properly cuts diamond so that light enters the diamond from any face could suffer multiple total internal reflections at the various facets within the diamond. It enhances the sparkling and shining of the diamond.

this phenomenon in explanation

Total internal reflection is the primary cause of why diamond sparkles. The refractive index of diamond wrt air is 2.42 and its critical angle is 24.41°. When a ray of light enters a diamond at an angle greater than 24.41° the phenomenon of total internal reflection is performed by the light. Light travels slowly in the first medium in comparison to the second medium. The jewellers cut the diamond in a way so that multiple internal reflections can be made to occur. 

When the ray of light passes from one medium into a second (less dense medium), the ray of light bends away from the normal. On the other hand, if the incident angle is increased beyond the critical angle, the rays of light reflect into the incident medium. This phenomenon is known as total internal reflection.