Diamond cubic strong isotropic property. Namely, for any two vertices "x" and "y" of the crystal net, and for any ordering of the edges adjacent to "x" and any ordering of the edges adjacent to "y", there is a net-preserving congruence taking "x" to "y" and each "x"-edge to the similarly ordered "y"-edge. Another (hypothetical) crystal with this property is the Laves graph (also called the K crystal, (10,3)-a, or the diamond twin). The compressive strength and hardness of diamond and various other materials, such as boron nitride, is attributed to the diamond cubic structure. Similarly truss systems that follow the diamond
Synthetic diamond Diamond can be one single, continuous crystal or it can be made up of many smaller crystals (polycrystal). Large, clear and transparent single-crystal diamonds are typically used in gemstones. Polycrystalline diamond (PCD) consists of numerous small grains, which are easily seen by the naked eye through strong light absorption and scattering; it is unsuitable for gems and is used for industrial applications such as mining and cutting tools. Polycrystalline diamond is often described by the average size (or "grain size") of the crystals that make it up. Grain sizes range from nanometers to hundreds of micrometers, usually referred to as