A diamond blade is composed of two fundamental elements: a steel plate and a diamond-impregnated segment. The latter may have a number of appearances: the segmented rim, the continuous rim, the castellated rim.

The steel plate is of very high quality, treated, hardened steel. Slots separate the segments which contribute to the cooling of the blade during sawing by allowing the water (wet cutting) or the air (dry cutting) to flow between the segments. They also allow the blade a certain amount of bending during cutting. The segments contain a mixture of diamonds and metal powder. During the manufacturing process, the metal powder and diamond mixture is compressed at a very high temperature in order to obtain a solid metal alloy which holds the diamonds. The segment or rim is slightly wider than the steel blade to allow the attacking edge to penetrate the material without the steel blade rubbing against it.

In a diamond tool properly suited to the material to be cut, the equilibrium between the work of the diamond and the abrasion-resistance of the bond is optimum; the diamond is held in place until it is destroyed and new crystals appear. It is in this equilibrium that all the quality of the diamond tool resides. A blade intended for cutting hard, dense (less abrasive) materials requires a softer metal matrix. This wears out more rapidly, by replacing the worn diamonds relatively quickly so that the blade continues to cut. A blade intended for cutting soft, abrasive materials must have a hard, abrasion-resistant blade in order to retain the diamonds longer.

A diamond blade does not cut but works by milling. During the sharpening process performed at the factory, individual diamond crystals are exposed on the face and sides of the segment and it is these that do the milling work. The metal matrix holds each diamond in place. During the work, each diamond is supported by a comet’s tail which strengthens the supporting action of the bond immediately “behind” the diamond crystals.