Diamond wire, originally adopted for mass production by the sapphire industry and then by the silicon industry, significantly increases the productivity of wire sawing and provides downstream benefits as well. It also offers an interesting option for cutting composite materials: demonstrating advantages when cutting both core materials and carbon fiber.

Diamond wire is made in a number of ways, but the most common way is by attaching fine diamond particles to steel wire through an electroplating process. Wire manufacturers provide the nominal diameter of the wire and the diamond abrasive, as well as the core diameter (the diameter of the wire itself) and the size of the abrasive particles. While the most commonly used wires don’t offer high diamond density, wire makers can fine tune the abrasive density and some offer particularly high-density diamond wire for special applications. Resin-bonded diamond wire is also available, though it is less common.