Diamond

Diamond is an in-game material used as a construction and crafting element. It appears as a refined, high-melting-temperature material with very high thermal conductivity compared to most other in-game solids, which makes it especially useful in thermal applications and for high-Decor decorative buildings. Diamond is also interactable by certain critters and appears in specific story and Spaced Out! mechanics.

Diamond can be used to build Tempshift Plates, Window Tiles, Park Signs, and Aero Pots. It is one of the required materials for the Monument Top. Its high thermal conductivity and high melting temperature make Diamond one of the best material choices for Tempshift Plates. When used for Window Tiles and Aero Pots, Diamond grants a +100% Decor modifier, improving aesthetic effects for nearby Duplicants. Diamond also increases overheat temperature by +200 °C, though this change has no practical effect on any of the buildings that accept Diamond as a construction material because those buildings do not have overheat temperature mechanics in-game.

Certain critters interact with Diamond: Radiant Bugs will eat Diamond, and Diamond can be used in Airborne Critter Bait to attract Radiant Bugs. In the Spaced Out! DLC, the Drillcone consumes Diamond during operation. Diamond can also be produced in Spaced Out!: the Diamond Press crafts Diamond from Refined Carbon and Radbolts.

The Ancient Specimen story trait converts Diamond into Fossil once the trait completes; this conversion follows a 1:100 mass ratio (1 kg Diamond → 100 kg Fossil).

Practical notes and interactions:

• For thermal engineering, prefer Diamond for Tempshift Plates when you need efficient heat exchange combined with high melt resistance. Its in-game thermal conductivity is much higher than most materials.
• Use Diamond for Window Tiles and Aero Pots when you need a large Decor boost in key locations; the +100% Decor modifier is significant for creating high-Decor areas.
• Although Diamond raises overheat temperature by 200 °C as a material property, this is irrelevant for its usable buildings because they lack overheat thresholds.
• Radiant Bugs can consume Diamond; avoid leaving loose Diamond where you do not want critters to feed. Conversely, Diamond works in baits to deliberately attract Radiant Bugs.
• In Spaced Out!, plan for Diamond consumption by Drillcones and consider producing Diamond with a Diamond Press using Refined Carbon and Radbolts to supply those needs.

Trivia: real-world diamond has an extremely high thermal conductivity (natural diamond around 2200 W/(m·K)), far exceeding its in-game representation, which is why Diamond stands out among in-game materials for heat management.