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Diamonds are desired for their sparkle and message of love
By Michael Sanford
A Diamond is a form of carbon that crystallizes in the
crystal system of highest symmetry known as the cubic
system born hundreds of miles underneath the surface of
the earth. It possesses a hardness far surpassing that of
any other substance known in nature with 100 years in the
making of it¡¯s formation. Diamonds were formed more
than 70 million years ago when diamond-bearing ore was
brought to the surface through volcanic eruption. After the
magma cooled, it solidified into blue ground, or kimberlite,
where the precious rough is still found today.
The durability of a gem depends on both its hardness and
toughness. Diamond, although highest on the scale of
hardness (rated 10 on the Mohs scale), is not as tough as
some gems because of its good cleavage. (Cleavage is
the tendency of a diamond to split in certain directions
where the carbon atoms are furthest apart.) Diamonds
have a very high degree of transparency, refractivity and
dispersion or 'fire' which gives rise in cut diamonds to a
high degree of brilliancy and a display of prismatic colors.
A diamond's fiery brilliance makes it cherished above all
other gemstones by the majority of people. Diamonds
occupy a position of incomparable demand.
Beautiful and rare, diamonds are desired for their sparkle
and message of love. When you buy a diamond there are
four points that you should consider, collectively known as
the Four C¡¯s.
Cut:
Refers to the symmetry and proportions of the stone; it is
what gives the diamond its sparkle. There are many
diamond shapes to choose from. Whatever shape and
quality you prefer; a Laboratory Report should be a
requirement for your engagement ring or any significant
diamond purchase.
Color:
The most desirable diamonds are colorless. The best color
is D, which is almost clear white; the color scale descends
from there through the alphabet toward Z, moving further
away from colorless toward yellow or brown tints.
Clarity:
Diamonds have small imperfections in them known as
inclusions; the fewer inclusions, the more valuable the
stone.
Carat Weight:
This is the size of the stone. The word carat comes from
the carob seeds that were used to balance scales in
ancient times.
DIAMOND. The mere mention of the word fills the mind
with a multitude of concepts and images. Diamond is a
mineral, a natural crystalline substance, the transparent
form of pure carbon. Diamond is something superb, the
peerless "king of gems" that glitters, dazzles, and
symbolizes purity and strength. Diamond is for
engagement and the 75th wedding anniversary, for a
commitment to never-ending love. Diamond is
indomitable, the hardest surface known. Diamond is
exotic, formed in Earth's interior and shot to the surface by
extraordinary volcanoes. A diamond is likely the oldest
thing you will ever own, probably 3 billion years in age,
fully two thirds the age of the Earth. Diamond is a strategic
and high-tech super material for our technological society.
Diamond is a shape. This exhibition presents the
fascinating story of the nature of diamonds.
There are some, including the former writer of this that
make light of strain in diamonds. It is also called Stress
and occurs in about 40% of diamonds. It is generally more
prevalent in pears, triangle shapes and marquise shape
cut diamonds than in rounds.
To a cutter strain is of severe importance. Any cutter worth
his salt will analyze the location, color and amount of the
strain before cutting a diamond. Strain sometimes also if
evident around an inclusion in the stone and shows up
with tension marking, which sort of has an appearance of a
circle with a cross.
Is strain something to be ¡°terrified¡± of? No it isn¡¯t. Industry
perception is that if the diamond crystal survives the cutting
and polishing process it will survive normal wear and tear.
However being armed with the information is important to
know.
Diamonds are the most coveted of all precious gems, as is
witnessed by the extremely high demand for them. While
this has not always been the case, diamonds are
nonetheless exquisite gems that go through a long,
tedious refining process from the time they are pulled from
the ground to when you see them in the jewelry store. And,
while some of the mystique of diamonds may be gone --
they're just carbon, after all -- the diamond will likely
continue to be a highly coveted jewel, because, well, "A
Diamond is Forever."
Physicists in Germany have created a material that is
harder than diamond. Natalia Dubrovinskaia and
colleagues at the University of Bayreuth made the new
material by subjecting carbon-60 molecules to immense
pressures. The new form of carbon, which is known as
aggregated diamond nanorods, is expected to have many
industrial applications (App. Phys. Lett. 87 083106).
The hardness of a material is measured by its isothermal
bulk modulus. Aggregated diamond nanorods have a
modulus of 491 gigapascals (GPa), compared with 442
GPa for conventional diamond. Dubrovinskaia and two of
her co-workers - Leonid Dubrovinky and Falko
Langenhorst - have patented the process used to make the
new material.
Diamond derives its hardness from the fact that each
carbon atom is connected to four other atoms by strong
covalent bonds. The new material is different in that it is
made of tiny interlocking diamond rods. Each rod is a
crystal that has a diameter of between 5 and 20
nanometres and a length of about 1 micron.
The group created the ADNRs by compressing the carbon-
60 molecules to 20 GPa, which is nearly 200,000 times
atmospheric pressure, while simultaneously heating to
2500 Kelvin. "The synthesis was possible due to a unique
5000-tonne multianvil press at Bayerisches Geoinstitut in
Bayreuth that is capable of reaching pressures of 25 GPa
and temperatures of 2700 K at the same time,"
Dubrovinskaia told PhysicsWeb.
The Bayreuth team measured the properties of the
samples with a diamond anvil cell at the European
Synchrotron Radiation Facility at Grenoble in France.
These measurements indicated that ADNRs are about
0.3% denser than diamond, and that the new material has
the lowest compressibility of any known material.
In addition to working out why the new material is so hard,
the Bayreuth team also hope to exploit its industrial
potential. "We have developed a concept for innovative
technology to produce the novel material in industrial-
scale quantities and now we are looking for partners in
order to realize our ideas," said Dubrovinskaia.
About the Author
For more information on neil diamond art please visit the neil diamond art resource center at http://www.diamonds-resource-guide.info
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