Your Handy Video Channel for info about Diamonds How Diamond mining works
Diamond mining in Sierra Leone
The Diamond, from the mine to the market
How to read a GIA diamond report
Diamond Clarity
Diamond cutting
How to choose a diamond
How Diamonds are formed - National Geographic
Diamond, composed of carbon, is the hardest natural
substance in the world.
Each
carbon atom is surrounded by four neighboring carbon
atoms in a tetrahedral coordination that is the result
of a covalent bond and a face-centered arrangement
in the cubic unit cell.
Diamond
crystallization originates some 200 kilometers, or
320 miles, beneath the surface and the disaggregated
crystals are merely transported to the surface via
kimberlite and lamproite pipes.
These
igneous host rock formations are roughly cylindrical
in shape and act as a conduit from the Earth's mantle
to the contintental crust.
Diamonds are differentiated between various types,
Ia, Ib, IIa, and IIb.
Diamond's
superior optical properties and hardness has earned
this mineral the highest respect in both industry
and jewelry.
It
has a long tradition of invincibility and hence the
Greek name, adamas.
Individuals and societies have ascribed diamond's
important status with both symbolism and as a scientific
curiosity with industrial value. Therefore, both scientist
and laity find diamond fascinating because of the
dual nature of scientific-industrial practicality
and romantic ethereality created through traditions
and advertising.
The
origin of diamonds may have been uncovered in the
twentieth century, but appreciation for diamond has
been known since diamond discovery in India, prior
to 400 B.C.E.1.
Historically,
diamond has been referred to as the essence of purity
and invincibility, a symbol of royalty, and token
of everlasting love .
Diamond
is the birthstone for April.
Today, 75-80% of the world's natural diamonds are
used for industrial purposes and 20-25% for gemstones.
It is the chemical and physical properties of this
mineral that give it the superior cutting ability
for industrial use. Diamond coatings have improved
on diamond's industrial applications in cutting and
in aiding the performance of semiconductors. It is
the optical properties of this mineral that give it
the superior beauty and durability to be used as a
gemstone.
The
rarity of this gemstone is related to the petrogenesis
of the igneous rock in which the diamond is recovered.
Diamond may even be found in meteorites. It is an
important economic resource, responsible for developing
nations and creating war. Faceting diamond, in order
to maximize its optical properties, depends upon a
knowledge of geometry.
Diamond
is the perfect mineral to focus on considering its
notoriety and the fact that diamond studies cross
disciplines, such as mineralogy, geology, astronomy,
material science, mathematics, anthropology, art,
history, and economics.
