Can heat damage a diamond?
Isabella Harris
Updated on January 09, 2026
Diamonds will burn at about 1562°F (850°C). House fires and jewelers' torches can reach that temperature. A house fire caused the white, cloudy appearance of this diamond (left). The stone was recut to remove the burned area, reducing the diamond's size, but leaving no sign that it was ever damaged (right).
Can diamond be burnt?
Yes, diamond can be burned. The most common form of burning in everyday life is carbon combustion. In carbon combustion, carbon atoms break their bonds with each other and with other atoms (which requires energy) to form bonds with oxygen atoms (which releases even more energy than first required).What does a burnt diamond look like?
Burnt diamonds look almost like an ice skating rink's thick white ice. But this damage is only surface deep! We can polish your diamonds and they will look like new. Expect a small amount of weight loss, usually about 3 - 5%, depending upon the depth of the diamond burn.How do you damage diamonds?
Sadly, diamonds can be damaged during setting when the stone is fixed to the ring band. Pressure must be applied to the diamond in order to set it properly, and in some cases, this pressure chips or cracks the diamond, particularly with fancy shapes like marquise, pear and hearts.Can you mess up a diamond?
Put On Lotion, Makeup and Hair Products:Build up of makeup, lotion, hair products and creams can mask the brilliance of the diamonds in your ring. Hairspray and some hair chemicals can eat away at gold and also dull the surface of diamonds and gemstones.