text: The operation of the diamond anvil cell relies on a simple principle:
  where  is the pressure,  the applied force, and  the area. Typical culet sizes for diamond anvils are 100–250 micrometres (µm), such that a very high pressure is achieved by applying a moderate force on a sample with a small area, rather than applying a large force on a large area. Diamond is a very hard and virtually incompressible material, thus minimising the deformation and failure of the anvils that apply the force.