钻石

• Pinyin: zuàn shí
• Hanzi breakdown: 钻 = 钅+ 占 (metal + occupy — drill/bore, referencing hardness); 石 = pictograph of a cliff with a stone

Meaning

Diamond. A precious gemstone valued for its exceptional hardness and brilliant lustre.

Used literally for the gemstone and figuratively for anything of the highest value or quality. Common in jewellery, materials science, and metaphorical expressions such as 钻石婚 (diamond wedding anniversary, 60 years).

Examples

1. 这枚戒指镶嵌着一颗重达两克拉的天然钻石，在灯光下折射出璀璨夺目的光芒。 This ring is set with a natural diamond weighing two carats, refracting dazzling light under the lamp.
2. 南非长期以来是全球最重要的钻石产地之一，其钻石开采业对该国经济影响深远。 South Africa has long been one of the world's most important diamond-producing regions, and its diamond mining industry has had a profound impact on the country's economy.
3. 公司将这对情侣的爱情比作钻石，坚硬而永恒，以此作为珠宝品牌的核心营销理念。 The company compares this couple's love to a diamond, hard and eternal, and uses that as the core marketing concept for its jewelry brand.

Usage Guide

Context: jewellery, science, commerce, culture

Tone: neutral

Do Say

• 人工培育钻石的技术日趋成熟，其物理性质与天然钻石几乎完全相同，却能以更低廉的价格获得。(The technology for cultivating synthetic diamonds is maturing rapidly; their physical properties are almost identical to natural diamonds, yet they can be obtained at a far lower price.)
• 她在结婚三十周年之际收到了丈夫精心挑选的钻石项链，深受感动。(On the occasion of their thirtieth wedding anniversary she received a diamond necklace her husband had carefully chosen, and was deeply moved.)

Don't Say

• 这个人是个钻石 — this metaphorical usage is unnatural in Chinese; use 他是个人才 or 他非常出色 to express that someone is a gem of a person

Origin & History

钻 (to drill — alluding to extreme hardness) + 石 (stone)

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal