We attempt to coat a multi-spectrum chemical-vapour-deposition ZnS substrate with smooth crystalline diamond films on the top of properly designed ceramic interlayer, which provides protection for ZnS against corrosion by the H2-CH4 microwave plasma and mitigates the thermal expansion coefficient mismatching between diamond and ZnS. However, difficulties in the homogeneous diamond nucleation on a ceramic interlayer were encountered.It was found that high rate nucleation of diamond could be induced by a metal or semiconductor mask placed on the top of ZnS.