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Diamonds: Natural, Synthetic & Simulated

Kondoru

Beloved of Ra
Joined
Dec 5, 2003
Messages
10,639
a fastinating subject in itself.

how are they made?

what is the difference between synthetic and simulated?
 
manufactured diamonds are made at high temperatures and pressures i'm sure horizon or similar uk TV program did a report on them saying they where virtually indestigushable from natural diamonds and as such De beers where taking measures to protect their market share.
 
It's quite easy to tell the difference between real diamonds and fake (cubiz zirconia etc). To be absolutely certain, drop them in water; real diamonds can still be seen in water; fake diamonds almost disappear.

This is a public service announcement brought to you by Ravenstone, jeweller by Royal Appointment :D
 
Indeed, I saw some documentary about how they're made on TV a while ago. They have these machines that involve pressure and heat, and the diamond is slowly (but not that slowly, obviously) formed at the bottom. The chemical they used to carry the carbon between the source and the diamond being generated could also define the colour of the resulting diamond, so they were available in more colours than they were available that apparently occurred in nature, although were still real diamonds. The program then went on to say that jewellers determine if a diamond is man-made by peering at them through a magnifying glass to see if there are tiny metal shapes inside the diamond (the bits they showed looked a bit like tracks on a PCB, like rectangles, possibly right-angled), and natural diamonds didn't have them. Then they went on to say that the company they'd been using to get footage of the process and such had perfected a way to make them with no such defects, and so they were indifferentiable from natural ones, and they had some jewellers trained in the art of spotting artificial diamonds have a look and some man-made and real ones and how they couldn't detect which were which :) But they didn't say how they'd perfected that specific problem in their process, as patents were pending or somesuch ;)
 
There was a wonderful story from a few years ago, where a Russian defence R&D site had started using its hypervelocity tunnel to convert carbon into diamond via extremely high speed impacts. :)
 
...And of course we got Lifegem, the people who make diamonds of cremated human remains. Wonderful if you want to keep granny around, preferably set into a shiny gold ring.
 
The 'bits' that a jeweller looks for in a real diamond are uncrystallised carbon particles, known as 'inclusions'. The size and number of them is an important part of a diamonds certification, usually called it's 'clarity'. Clarity grades are IF,VVS1, VVS2, VS1, VS2, SI1, SI2, I1, I2, up to 13.
 
...And of course we got Lifegem, the people who make diamonds of cremated human remains. Wonderful if you want to keep granny around, preferably set into a shiny gold ring.

I wonder what could be done with one of the newer AC Cobras? The body is made from carbon fibre. (much to the disgust of the traditionalists)
 
Homo Aves said:
I wonder what could be done with one of the newer AC Cobras? The body is made from carbon fibre. (much to the disgust of the traditionalists)

Well, since you seems to be able to use any kind of cabon you can mention... cremated wood and flesh, coal... But you may have to set fire to the car first. :D
 
StellaBoulton said:
The 'bits' that a jeweller looks for in a real diamond are uncrystallised carbon particles, known as 'inclusions'. The size and number of them is an important part of a diamonds certification, usually called it's 'clarity'. Clarity grades are IF,VVS1, VVS2, VS1, VS2, SI1, SI2, I1, I2, up to 13.


Ohh.....I love it when someone talks 'cut, clarity and colour' to me!!! :D
 
A friend of mine found an internal memo from a Jewlers that had been left on a train. It said something to the effect that there was a shortage of proper gem stones (rubies, diamonds, saphires etc) so we want the retail trade to start pushing citrines, tanzanites and other obscure semi-precious stones. I have noticed amathysts are every where at the moment - I expect this is down to them being relatively cheap and a trendy purple colour.

I often wonder what would happen if you had a machine that let you flood the market with really cheap synthetic stones or let you synthasize precious metals Goldfinger style. Could the worlds economy survive if its gold reserves were reduced in value?
 
my brothers a jewler...he said that synthetic diamonds are "too perfect"... the rotten old ones found in the ground are full of defects, which maybe give them some of their "charecter" but sythetic shine better... and De Beers who control the diamond trade are haveing to have a sign etched on the synthetics so they can tell which is which and of course to put the price of "real" ones constantly high,
 
There really is no real difference between the `Big Four` and semi precious stones. Its just something touted by jewelers.

and the most valuable stones are `not` diamonds.

I like stuff like opals, tigerseye and agates. But most shops dont stock anything but diamonds.
 
Homo Aves said:
I like stuff like opals, tigerseye and agates. But most shops dont stock anything but diamonds.

As far as aesthetics go I think you can wear any material - mineral, glass, plastic, wood - if you think it looks good. Wearing "the real thing" because it shows off your money strikes me as being more vulgar than dripping with costume jewelerr because it looks nice.

I only wear one piece: a cross made of some sort of white metal that I bought for £2.50 on Iona some years ago. It looks shabby but it reminds me of the good time I had on a retreat there.
 
Most of my stuff is inherited.

and most of it mere metals (generaly silver)

I have a red amber necklace that was a favorite of my mothers, and a lapis lazuli fan that I strung myself.

none of it is really valuable, but all of it I like to think as astheticaly pleasing, oh, and individual.
 
I love opals, I've got a beautiful blue edwardian opal pendant.
I think diamonds are a bit vulgar. When something is slathered all over the Argos catalogue, it loses a certain desirability if you ask me.
 
I think they're cool. Argos catalogue diamonds are lower clarity and worse colour, but they do mean that most people can afford a diamond even if they can't afford the 'best' diamonds.

At the risk of sounding like a great big cliche, diamonds endure; you might damage the setting but you won't damage the stone. And they're colourless, but they flash all colours.
 
Ive got an engagement ring. It was naff so I didnt marry him.

Seriously though, people should be like my lifelong batchelor uncle who got engaged. (this was five years ago. He isnt married yet.) He got her a real victorian diamond ring.

Opals are nice, but they have an awful reputation for being tempremental. You need expert advice, and who knows anything about anything other than diamonds?

(same for any other stone.)
 
I've had three engagement rings (or was it four???) Anyway, one was an antique 18 carat 1/3 carat solitaire, which was very nice. Another was a half eternity sapphire and diamond, which was quite pretty. And now I've got sapphire, yellow sapphire and diamond 10 carat white gold :D

It's very very pretty. I've always wanted yellow sapphire. Took us ages to find the right one.
 
I like rubies myself. Very difficult to get nice quality ones, and of course, they're more valuable than diamonds...
;)
 
Emeralds for me. Like rubies, it's hard to get a really clear one with good colour.

And opals, the colours in a good one are just fantastic.

Carole
 
Candles shine new light on diamonds
By Christine Lavelle
Thursday, 18 August 2011

Candle flames contain millions of tiny diamond particles, a university professor has discovered.
Research by Wuzong Zhou, a professor of chemistry at the University of St Andrews in Fife, revealed that around 1.5 million diamond nanoparticles are created in a candle flame every second it is burning.

Dr Zhou used a new sampling technique to remove particles from the centre of the flame, which is believed to have never been done before, and found that it contained all four known forms of carbon.
He said: "This was a surprise because each form is usually created under different conditions."

Dr Zhou added that the diamond particles are burned away in the process, but the discovery could lead to future research into how diamonds could be created more cheaply, and in a more environmentally friendly way.
He said: "This will change the way we view a candle flame forever."

The academic said he uncovered the secret after a challenge from a fellow scientist in combustion.
Dr Zhou said: "A colleague at another university said to me: 'Of course no one knows what a candle flame is actually made of.
"I told him I believed science could explain everything eventually, so I decided to find out."

The first candle is said to have been invented in China more than 2,000 years ago, and previous research has shown that hydro-carbon molecules at the bottom of the flame are converted into carbon dioxide by the top of the flame.
However, the process in between has remained a mystery until now, with the discovery of the diamond nanoparticles, as well as fullerenic particles and graphitic and amorphous carbon.

Rosey Barnet, artistic director of one of Scotland's biggest candle manufacturers, Shearer Candles, said the discovery was "exciting".
She said: "We were thrilled to hear about the discovery that diamond particles exist in a candle flame.
"Although currently there is no way of extracting these particles, it is still an exciting find and one that could change the way people view candles.
"The research at St Andrews University will be of interest to the entire candle making industry.
"We always knew candles added sparkle to a room but now scientific research has provided us with more insight into why."

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/scien ... 39499.html
 
Teen Finds 7.44 Carat Diamond In Crater Of Diamonds, Arkansas

A 14-year-old boy named Kalel Langford found a 7.44 carat diamond at the Crater of Diamonds State Park, Arkansas. The boy and his father were surprised to know that the diamond they found was the largest brown diamond to be found at the park in 40 years.

The officials also said that this was the seventh largest diamond to be discovered since the establishment of the park in 1972, according to several media reports published Thursday.

Kalel Langford found the pinto bean-sized brown stone while he was walking along the side of a riverbank in the park on Saturday. He knew it was not an ordinary rock and showed it to his father. Craig Langford, Kelal Langford's father said they both "knew we needed to have it looked at." Kelal Langford named his diamond "Superman Diamond" because he is a fan of the superhero and as per the park's policy, he was allowed to take the precious stone home as a souvenir. ...

FULL STORY: https://www.yahoo.com/news/teen-finds-7-44-carat-085101381.html
 
Using sound waves, scientists uncovered a cache of diamonds distributed deep below the Earth's surface, and it amounts to over a quadrillion tonnes of the precious mineral.
The diamonds are in underground rock formations called cratons, which are shaped like inverted mountains, lie at the center of the planet's tectonic plates, and can stretch up to 322 kilometres (200 miles) into the Earth, according to MIT.

The researchers estimate that the bottom sections of these cratons, or roots, may be composed of 1-2 percent diamond.


"145 to 241 kilometres (90 to 150 miles) below the Earth's surface" so the market is safe for the time being.

https://www.sciencealert.com/scient...s-of-diamonds-below-inverted-ground-mountains
 
This woman found a diamond within 10 minutes at Arkansas' Crater of Diamonds State Park ...

2.62-carat diamond found at Arkansas state park
A Colorado woman visiting Crater of Diamonds State Park in Arkansas found a 2.62-carat diamond in just 10 minutes of searching.

The 71-year-old woman, who did not want her identity revealed, said she and her family were only looking for diamonds for about 10 minutes at the park when she found the ice white diamond on the surface.

The grandmother said she was shocked when she took her find to the park's Diamond Discovery Center, where it was identified.

More than 33,100 diamonds have been found since Crater of Diamonds became a state park in 1972.

SOURCE: https://www.upi.com/Odd_News/2018/0...nd-at-Arkansas-state-park/9031538075389/?sl=3
 
People keep finding diamonds at the Arkansas park ...
A vacationing teacher finds a 2.12-carat diamond at an Arkansas state park

This Nebraska teacher will surely win show-and-tell once the school year begins.

Josh Lanik, 36, was vacationing with his family when he discovered a brandy-colored gem at Crater of Diamonds State Park in Murfreesboro, Arkansas.

"It was blatantly obvious there was something different about it," Lanik said, according to a press release from the park issued Monday. "I saw the shine, and when I picked it up and rolled it in my hand, I noticed there weren't any sharp edges."

The teacher from Hebron, Nebraska, showed the stone to his wife and then put the treasure in a bag where he collected other finds. The family spent two hours looking through the park's 37.5-acre diamond search area on July 24. Before leaving, they stopped by the Diamond Discovery Center in the park to see what kind of treasure they'd unearthed.

Unbeknownst to Lanik, he was carrying around the largest diamond found in the park so far this year. It weighed in at 2.12-carat.

More than 75,000 diamonds have been unearthed at the park since the first ones were discovered in 1906. So far this year, 296 diamonds have been registered at the park, weighing a total of 53.94 carats. ...

SOURCE: https://www.cnn.com/travel/article/teacher-finds-diamond-crater-of-diamonds-trnd-scn/index.html
 
It's a clever way for Murfreesboro to get their fields tilled.
 
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