Diamond films and novel method to grow the diamond films can improve the performance of products utilizing diamond films. In the cathodoluminescence taken at room temperature, the integrated intensity ratio of the diamond films, CL.sub.1 /CL.sub.2, is equal or greater than 1/20, where CL.sub.1 is the integrated intensity of the emission band in the wavelength region shorter than 300 nm while CL.sub.2 is the integrated intensity of the emission band in the wavelength region from 300 nm to 800 nm. Such high quality diamond films with intensive coalescence on the surface can be obtained by deposition on the substrates or films, made of at least one member selected from the group consisting of platinum, platinum alloys, iridium, iridium alloys, nickel, nickel alloys, silicon, and metal silicides.