Everyone knows that diamonds is the hardest gemstone and women all over the world go crazy to own a diamond jewelry. This beautiful gemstone is renowned for its lustrous beauty, but very few people know of its ability to be used in other fields like electronics, machinery etc.The two aspects of this gem stone are so diverse in association and nature that one does not really connect the two uses with each other.The diamond has certain very unique properties that enable it to be used in these various applications. It is the hardest substance on earth, has an extremely high thermal conductivity, is optically transparent and has high electrical resistance.The hardness property of the diamond makes it amenable to be used as a cutting tool, especially for hard substances like marble, granite and hard wood. It is embedded in mechanical tools to enable the shaping of engine blocks and automotive components.Once the process of developing synthetic diamonds was discovered, these synthetic diamonds were obviously the most preferred option for use in machinery. Apart from the cost, there are many other benefits of using synthetic diamond in tools. synthetic diamond growth can be controlled and monitored to produce desired shape and consistency. This is not the case with respect to natural diamonds where nature determines the shape, size and contours of the diamond based on various random natural events. Since the development of the synthetic diamond takes place in a laboratory, the level of impurities and mineral inclusions can be controlled. Due to these reasons and more the synthetic diamond today is sturdier as compared to the natural ones.Another property that lends itself to use in mechanical work is that of thermal conductivity. The type IIa diamond can conduct up to 5 times more heat than the metal copper. The fact that it can absorb high levels of heat means that it can be used to reduce the friction in many engineering parts. Including the diamond as a ‘heat sink’ helps in extending the life of the machinery since it avoids wear and tear due to friction and heat. ‘Slices’ of synthetic diamonds are also be used for other industrial and surgical tools.Much research is being done to use diamond chips instead of silicon chips in computers and it is being said that such computers would be 1000 times faster than the existing ones.Even though the diamonds were being produced synthetically in the early 1990’s, they had not made their appearance in the jewelry industry. Large synthetic diamonds could be used only by using a lot of energy and ultra-modern technology. Since the engineering and mechanical market needs were yet not being met completely by the synthetic diamond supply, the proliferation of the synthetic diamond in the jewelry industry was abated. Another reason why the synthetic diamonds did not make their way into the studded necklaces was the fact that most of the synthetic diamonds being produced were still yellow or brownish in color.The development and growth process of large diamonds required for the tools industry itself took too long. In 1990, De Beers claimed to have produced the largest synthetic diamond; a yellowish brown piece that was about 14.20 carats. This diamond alone took 500 hours to grow. Three years later they reported having produced a 34.80 carat crystal that took 600 hours to grow. Another few years and De Beers claimed that it was possible to produce 30 carat crystals in lesser time. But now one can find synthetic diamonds in many fancy colours and in white colorless shades too.Even though there were great obstacles in perfecting the art of making gem quality synthetic diamonds, some companies forged ahead and continued to research the process. The challenge that they faced was that they could not avoid the nitrogen from entering the diamond while during the process of production, the gas that gives the diamonds the yellow color. GE was the first company to produce an almost colorless synthetic diamond by eliminating nitrogen from the process. This was done by using a metal flux, a substance that melts and dissolves other material in it. Special compounds were added to the metal flux to keep the nitrogen from entering the process chambers. Even though De Beers had also discovered the art of making synthetic colorless diamonds, neither company released their experiments and the colorless gems that came from them into the market. However, a Thai-Russian joint venture in Thailand distributed lab made colorless diamonds in the market.Since the jewelry market does not require large pieces, these colorless synthetics are faster to grow, produce and sell in the market. Though the synthetic diamonds caters to a larger audience of the gem industry, they increase the possibility of being swindled, fraud and non-disclosure in the trade. As the production process is perfected and better quality colorless synthetics are produced and marketed each year, the challenge for the professionals in the jewelry industry becomes harder.Source: GIA
Diamonds are perhaps the most loved of the precious stones. They are known for their brilliance, their beauty and of course their color. They have other properties too such as their low reactivity to chemicals, their electrical resistance and of course their hardness. They are the hardest known natural mineral so have many industrial uses.
Diamonds have been highly sought after since they were used as religious icons in ancient India and they have also been used as cutting tools since ancient times. Their modern popularity however is relatively recent as they have become more commonplace since the 1800’s. This due to greater availabilty and increased prosperity, not to mention some clever marketing.
A large part of the diamond supply comes from the African continent, though countries like Canada and Russia are prominent too. Some diamonds come from Australia including most of the highl prized natural pink diamonds.
Diamonds are in fact just another form of carbon as is the lead in that pencil on your desk. Most natural diamonds are billions of years old formed deep in the earth under great pressure. There are some surface diamonds but they are generally very small, formed sometimes by the intense pressure caused by meteorite impacts. Some diamonds are believed to have originated in outer space and were left here after asteroid impacts.
They come in many shapes courtesy of the skilled diamond cutters who craft the finished diamonds from the rough stones they start with. You may have heard of the four c’s when it comes to describing diamonds: cut, color, clarity and carat. The cut refers to the shape the diamond has been cut in. The color tells us how the jeweler sees the color, whether clear or pink for example. The clarity refers to whether the diamond is free of internal faults that dull its brilliance and lastly the carat refers to the weight of the diamond where one carat equals 200 grams.
Diamonds come in different cuts and settings. Popular cuts include the princess cut, the brilliant cut and the round while popular settings include prong settings, bezel settings and pavé settings
Good diamond jewelry is expensive. The everlasting demand for diamond engagement rings helps to keep their value higher than other forms of jewelry. Diamond necklaces and earrings are also popular jewelry items and diamonds set in platinum or gold pieces will never go out of style. Of course these days we sometimes see other uses for diamonds to with everything from sandals to swimsuits being blinged up for specialty designer pieces.
While an extremely hard material, diamonds can be chipped by sharp enough knocks so they should not be worn if there is any chance of rough treatment. They can be cleaned with a detergent or jewelry cleaning solution and a soft brush such as a soft toothbrush and dried with a lint free cloth.
These days diamonds are perhaps a little more commonplace than in years past but are still considered to be a beautiful, everlasting and special gift for special occasions.