Facts About Diamonds
Diamond is
a composed Carbon, and the hardest natural substance in the world. It has the
perfect four directional cleavages, adamantine luster, high refractive index
2.42 and specific gravity of 3.52. Color is usually pale yellow to colorless
but it can also be of other colors like brown, blue, green, orange, red and
black. As well as being considered to be the hardest known material, it is also
the least compressible material.
Diamond is
supposed to be up to 3 billion years old, which is much older than their
surface host rock. Diamond crystallization originates some
Diamonds
superior optical properties and hardness has earned this mineral special
importance in the industry and jewellery. Diamonds are differentiated between
various types, IA, IB, IIA, and IIB which is of paramount importance to the diamond
cutters. The Greek name Adamas subscribed to diamonds, only because of
its invincibility.
Although
the origin of diamond was established in twentieth century but appreciation for
diamond was prevalent since its first discovery in
Chemical
and physical properties of diamond give it the superior cutting ability to
facilitate industrial uses. The diamond coatings have given diamond the edge in
industrial applications in cutting and also aiding the performance of
semiconductors. Diamond’s superior optical properties bestow it with beauty and
durability for its use as gemstone. It is an important economic resource for a
nation for its development and growth – an important ingredient for any
developing nation.
Some of
the vital statistics of diamond are:
Composition:
Carbon; Hardness: 10 Moh’s scale; Density: 3.51gm/m3 ;
Luster: Adamantine; Color: Colorless, blue, yellow and many other colors;
Refractive Index: 2.4175 (in the yellow light of sodium lamp) ; Dispersion:
Large(0.044), leading to rainbow colors on refraction; Optical Transmission:
Transparent over board spectrum of the electro magnetic spectrum – and an
excellent material for optical windows; Thermal conductivity: Superb – 5.25
Watts/centimeter- four times greater than Copper which is an excellent thermal
conductor for industrial use; Electrical Conductivity: 0 to ~100
ohm-cm(resistivity at 300K) an insulator
Diamond
was also the root cause for warfare and conflicts between nations and also
between warrying groups of men, in the recent past. Some of the facts which are
connected to diamond are revealing, thought provoking and disturbing to say the
least as enunciated below:
- An estimated 500,000
Angolans, 50,000 people in Sierra Lione and 4 million people in the
Democratic Republic of Congo have died from civil wars that were funded
from the sale of diamonds
- A recent study found 46% of
miners in
- More than 3 Lac Carat of
diamonds are mined currently by slave labour in