Whether forged by geological processes or laboratory techniques, diamonds are diamonds. Their unique properties mean they have applications that are not bling-related as well.
Feeling blue? An Oppenheimer Blue diamond of 14.62 carats.
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Some diamonds come from depths of more than 650km. Tiny imperfections in these gems give us clues about what’s happening in Earth’s hidden geological layers.
Diamond or zirconia? Apart from the price, it can be hard to tell these two gems apart.
from www.shutterstock.com
Zirconia is a mineral with a crystal structure made from the elements zirconium and oxygen. It looks pretty like diamond, but is only worth a fraction of the value.
What makes a stone a gem? It boils down to a few key qualities: beauty and durability. But opal, the national gemstone of Australia, is an anomaly - it’s soft.
With current modes up against their limits, we need new data storage solutions. Tiny defects in diamonds’ atomic structure might turn them into a new medium for memory.
Zimbabwe needs more responsible diamond mining companies, not fly-by-night operators.
Reuters/Goran Tomasevic
Zimbabwe has said it will take over all diamond mining operations in the country. But what is needed to maximise revenues isn’t state ownership, but improvements in existing regulatory practices.
A speck of gold from a mine in Liberia, Africa.
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From the outside, Number 2 Hoveniersstraat Street in Antwerp is a nondescript office block. Only the clusters of businessmen speaking in Gujarati on their mobile phones or with each other, give any indication…
Diamond is well known for its appeal as a gemstone. Perhaps less well known are some of its extreme material properties. As well as being the hardest material in nature, diamond is very good at conducting…