Diamond anvil - Definition and Overview

A diamond anvil, more properly a diamond anvil cell (DAC), is a device used by physicists to exert extreme pressures on a material. It consists of two opposing cone-shaped diamonds squeezed together by a lever arm. The resultant high pressures - of as much as a million atmospheres - are produced when force is applied to small areas of the opposing diamond faces.

The device has been used to simulate the extreme pressures existing in the heart of planets, often creating new substances in the process. Notable examples are the production of metallic hydrogen, found in the gas giant planets, and perovskite, thought to be the major component of the Earth's mantle.