At a Glance

If you want to add a little magic to a snowy winter scene, fantasy or no, diamond dust might be what you want to go for. Your characters look up to find that diamond dust sparkles in the clear air around them, bringing another element of beauty to the snowy landscape.

How It Works

Diamond dust is, at the most basic level of description, a ground-level cloud of ice crystals. These ice crystals form slowly and are simple in structure, either forming as hexagonal plates or columns. This is what gives diamond dust its reflective properties.

The formation of diamond dust relies on temperature and water vapor. It can form anywhere the temperature is in the range of -10 °C(14 °F) to -39 °C(38 °F), with Antarctica sporting the phenomenon almost year-round. The second element required, water vapor, comes from a warmer moisture-bearing mass of air moving over the cold ground-level air. Ice crystals form as these two masses of air interact and then fall to the ground as diamond dust. Since clouds are not required for the formation of diamond dust, it tends to appear under clear skies. Diamond dust is distinct from ice fog, and doesn’t tend to impede visibility.

The crystal types that make up diamond dust are also associated with optical phenomena such as halos, light pillars, and dun dogs.

Words for Describing It

Neutral

Nouns

  • Diamond dust
  • Facets
  • Flecks
  • Ice-crystal haze
  • Ice crystals

Adjectives

  • Brief
  • Cold
  • Fleeting
  • Minute
  • Pale
  • Silver
  • Thin
  • Tiny

Verbs

  • Blink
  • Drift
  • Flash
  • Float
  • Glint
  • Reflect
  • Refract
  • Shine
  • Sift
  • Wink

Interactions

  • Air currents
  • Light source
  • Solid objects

Example

    “Diamond dust sifted down from the clear sky above, reflecting the sun with tiny flashes of light.”

Positive

Adjectives

  • Brilliant
  • Ephemeral
  • Magical
  • Whimsical

Verbs

  • Dance
  • Glitter
  • Shimmer
  • Sparkle
  • Swirl
  • Twinkle

Metaphor

  • Fairy dust
  • Glitter
  • Stars
  • Stardust

Example

“Diamond dust danced and glittered in the clear air.”

Negative

It’s going to be a little difficult to make this phenomenon directly negative as far as I can see, but focusing on the bitter cold that is required for it or contrasting its beauty with something horrible going on in the scene could do it. An unnatural light source that they’re picking up could also work.

Adjectives

  • Frigid
  • Ghostly
  • Sharp
  • Steely

Verbs

  • Mock

Example

“The shadows glinted with the ghostly flashes of diamond dust, its presence revealed by the wretched red glow of eldritch flames.”

Associated Phenomena

  • Cirrostratus clouds
  • Halos
  • Light pillars
  • Sun dogs

Got anything you’re curious about? Let us know down in the comments!