This document deals with diamond tools whose cutting edges are made of CVD diamond, either as a solid single piece or as a coating. The tool specifications are differentiated into CVD diamond-coated tools (CVD diamond thin-film coatings) and tools with a CVD diamond cutting insert.

According to ISO 513, CVD diamond tools can be classified under "hard coatings of hard metal and ceramic" and "binder-free polycrystalline diamond". In order to differentiate the CVD diamond tools from tools with monocrystalline synthetic or natural diamond (MCD or monocrystalline diamond) or with sintered diamond with a binder phase (PCD or polycrystalline diamond), the structure and characteristics of MCD and PCD tools with binder phase are also briefly described.