Disclosed herein is a transparent glass system that includes an optical grade silicon substrate, and a nanocrystalline diamond film on the silicon substrate, the diamond film deposited using a chemical vapor deposition system having a reactor in which methane, hydrogen and argon source gases are added. Further disclosed is a method of fabricating transparent glass that includes the steps of seeding an optical grade silicon substrate and forming a nanocrystalline diamond film on the silicon substrate using a chemical vapor deposition system having a reactor in which methane, hydrogen and argon source gases are added.