Here are ten interesting trivia items about diamonds:
Some diamonds are over a billion years old, with the oldest diamonds being around 3.3 billion years old, almost as old as the Earth itself.
Diamonds form under extreme heat and pressure about 100 miles below the Earth’s surface in the mantle. They are brought to the surface by volcanic eruptions through kimberlite pipes.
Diamonds are the hardest known natural material on the Mohs scale of mineral hardness, scoring a perfect 10. They can only be scratched by other diamonds.
Diamonds are made entirely of carbon atoms arranged in a crystal lattice structure. This arrangement gives diamonds their incredible hardness and light-reflecting properties.
Diamonds are graded based on the “Four Cs”: Carat (weight), Cut (quality of the shape and facets), Color (lack of color), and Clarity (absence of inclusions and blemishes).
While most diamonds are clear, they can come in various colors due to impurities or structural anomalies. Rare colored diamonds include blue (boron), green (radiation exposure), yellow (nitrogen), and pink (unknown causes).
The Cullinan Diamond, discovered in South Africa in 1905, is the largest gem-quality rough diamond ever found, weighing 3,106 carats. It was cut into several stones, including the Great Star of Africa and the Lesser Star of Africa, which are part of the British Crown Jewels.
Besides jewelry, diamonds are used in industrial applications due to their hardness. They are essential in cutting, grinding, drilling, and polishing tools.
Synthetic diamonds, also known as lab-grown or man-made diamonds, have the same physical and chemical properties as natural diamonds. They are created using high-pressure high-temperature (HPHT) or chemical vapor deposition (CVD) methods.
In ancient times, diamonds were believed to have healing properties and were worn as talismans to protect against evil and provide strength in battle. The Greeks thought diamonds were splinters of stars or the tears of gods.
