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Articles on Diamond

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Kimberlite volcanic rock with mantle crystals (green olivine and purple and orange garnet) and fragments of country rock (light grey).

We used to think diamonds were everywhere. New research suggests they’ve always been rare

Diamonds form alongside a distinct purple companion. We studied it to reach a conclusion about how rare they might actually be.
Diamond or zirconia? Apart from the price, it can be hard to tell these two gems apart. from www.shutterstock.com

A disappointing earring, and the world’s hottest rock: zirconia

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.
The first three Natural History Museum painites – including one in its natural state with rubies that had been sitting in their collection for years. It had initially been misidentified as the much less valuable tourmaline. © The Trustees of the Natural History Museum, London

What is a gem? And why painite from Myanmar can fetch US$60,000 per carat

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.
Zimbabwe needs more responsible diamond mining companies, not fly-by-night operators. Reuters/Goran Tomasevic

Why Zimbabwe’s diamond mines need better regulation, not state ownership

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.
Diamond geezers. Indians are taking Antwerp. Racineur

The rise and rise of Belgium’s Indian diamond dynasties

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…

Diamonds show depth of carbon cycle

Diamonds from 700 kilometres below the earth’s surface show the carbon cycle extends deep into the planet’s interior. The…

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