Diamonds were formed deep underground and pushed to the surface by volcanoes over millions of years. There are a lot of them inside the earth’s crust today, but industrial mining of these stones is carried out in a limited number of deposits. A report on diamonds as a mineral should focus on the properties of this material and methods of its extraction.
Diamond: description of the stone
Nature has given people many gems. Diamond is considered the best and most famous of them. The shining crystal got its name from the word adamas, which is translated from Greek as indestructible. And in England the mineral was called “diamond”.
A rough diamond doesn't look very attractive.
Only after the precious stones are in the hands of a jeweler do they turn into incomparable diamonds.
Crystals, which amaze everyone with their beautiful appearance, have been used to create jewelry since ancient times. In some states several centuries ago they were hard currency.
Physical properties
Mineralogists recognize that the physical properties of diamond are extraordinary, different from all other minerals. It has:
- diamond shine;
- perfect transparency;
- resistance to heat;
- perfect cleavage;
- high thermal conductivity;
- inability to conduct electricity;
- fracture conchoidal to splintered;
- cubic system;
- refractive index from 2.417 to 2.421;
- strong dispersion.
The color range of Adamas is very diverse. There are specimens that are colorless, and others with blue, green, yellow, pink, red, and brown tints.
Chemical properties
Chemically, diamond is one of the modifications of crystalline carbon. The chemical properties of diamond are:
- hardness on the Mohs scale 10 units;
- specific gravity 3.48-3.55 g/cm3;
- the mineral is resistant to acids;
- it may contain impurities.
Magic properties
The magical properties of diamonds were revealed by rich people who could afford jewelry with sparkling stones. Many close to the imperial courts noticed how crystals influenced the lives of people or their families.
- A diamond necklace will help you cope with difficulties at work. Thanks to the necklace, the girl will attract the attention of a wealthy man. This acquaintance will be the beginning of a long-term cooperation, in which the owner of diamonds will have the opportunity to improve her financial situation.
- A diamond ring will bestow talent on its owner. One of a person’s abilities will actively develop, which will become the basis for new attempts to prove himself in different professional fields.
- A bracelet with diamond inserts will be the key to a happy personal life. The owner will be able to find his soul mate and get rid of the feeling of loneliness.
- Earrings will multiply a person’s thinking abilities many times over. The owner will have a disposition to work hard for a long time, and complex tasks will no longer seem unsolvable.
Optical properties
Mineralogists highlight the optical properties of diamond:
- refraction of a shining crystal is 2.4175, impurities can increase this indicator;
- the variance is 0.63;
These abilities give the precious mineral the ability, after professional cutting, to shimmer with all the colors of the rainbow.
Luminescence (the ability to shimmer under solar, cathode, ultraviolet and x-ray rays) is an important property of a unique gem. Cathode and X-ray radiation make all diamonds glow, ultraviolet radiation only makes some.
When heated to 900 degrees, the precious mineral turns into graphite.
Report on the topic Diamond mineral
Diamonds are stones that are incredibly exciting. Once upon a time, poets compared them with the sparkle of a woman’s eyes, with crystal tears flowing down the cheeks of beautiful women.
The first diamonds were found in India before our era. For a long time, it was India that had a monopoly on the supply of diamonds to Europe. Most of these ancient stones were transported along the Silk Road, which connected India and China.
It's amazing that diamonds have a lot in common with coal. Both consist of the most famous substance on the planet - carbon. Diamonds differ from coal in the structure and formation of the carbon atom.
Until the beginning of the 20th century, diamonds were mined using very primitive methods. Among other things, simple scrubbers were used, similar to those used to separate gold nuggets. Today these methods have been significantly improved
Geologically speaking, natural diamonds occur in two environments. Most of them are found in kimberlites - tubular formations created as a result of volcanic and tectonic activity. The second geological source of diamonds is placer deposits.
Natural diamond has been discovered in 35 countries around the world. Countries producing industrial diamonds: USA, Australia, Botswana, Brazil, China, Congo, Russia and South Africa.
Less than 30% of diamond mines are underground. Some mines in South Africa reach depths of more than 4 kilometers. The service life of quarries can range from 2 to 50 years.
Here are some interesting facts known about diamond: it remains transparent in a greater range of wavelengths than any other substance, from ultraviolet to infrared; Diamond conducts heat better than any substance; has the highest melting point; Diamond atoms are packed closer together than the atoms of any other substance.
Diamond color varies: pale yellow, brown, gray, as well as white, blue, black, reddish, greenish and colorless.
Diamond will cut any material. Industrial diamonds are embedded in large steel drills to drill into rock for wells where water, oil and natural gas will be extracted. This mineral is necessary in the manufacture of machinery, where it is necessary to drill and cut metal parts of the machine.
The United States is the world's largest consumer and market for industrial diamonds. Yakutia is the largest region of Russia. It is often called the “diamond heart of Russia”. About a quarter of all the world's highest quality diamonds are mined here. Therefore, prices for Yakut diamonds are much higher than those mined in other places.
Diamond is a mineral with enormous hardness, extraordinary beauty and sophistication. Very suitable for personal decoration and industrial use. Because the origin of this unique mineral requires extreme temperature and pressure, natural diamond is so rare that some are the most valuable commodity on earth.
Types of diamonds
There are several classifications of gemstones. According to the first, there are the following types of diamonds:
- Diamond - shining samples processed by a master.
- Board - irregular fine-grained specimens. They are black in color and even more durable than regular diamonds.
- Ballas are spherical gems with a radiant structure. They are distinguished by a cloudy grayish structure, for which they are nicknamed translucent crystals.
- Carbonado - crystals of black, gray shades, dense or coarse-grained structure.
- Yakutite is a dark mineral with inclusions and a silvery sheen on the surface.
In addition to this division into types, all diamonds after extraction are divided depending on size:
- Small minerals include minerals whose weight does not reach one third of a carat.
- Medium stones are those that do not exceed a weight of 1 carat, but are not small.
- Large diamonds are gems larger than one carat.
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Substance formula
The formula of a diamond reflects the chemical composition of this substance. The stone is pure carbon. Carboneum occurs in nature in different compounds, depending on the number of atoms, the appearance of the minerals changes. This can explain the unusual metamorphosis of the strongest diamond into brittle graphite under certain environmental conditions. The influence on the chemical composition and formula leads to changes in appearance and physical properties.
Impurities in diamond
To sell jewelry, the composition of the diamond must be flawless. These are the gems that are used in the jewelry industry. However, in nature there are stones interspersed with other chemical elements besides carbon. The most common impurities are:
- nitrogen;
- aluminum;
- boron;
- calcium;
- silicon.
Sometimes impurities appear even in opaque specimens. Then they do not affect the external attractiveness, but they change the strength and weight indicators. Such natural defects are difficult to predict, so during jewelry finishing, diamonds with inconspicuous inclusions can break and sometimes cannot be cut.
Diamond processing
Before processing a diamond, the jeweler selects the best material without significant damage or natural defects. If there are microcracks on the stones, they are removed or masked using special devices that change the structure using environmental indicators.
After this, cutting is carried out. The most popular diamond shapes are hexagonal. This type of cut is considered universal, as it is suitable for diamonds regardless of the type, color and natural characteristics of the specimens. Moreover, this form allows you to preserve the natural size of large and medium-sized gems and not reduce the size of small crystals even further.
Amulets and talismans with diamonds
If you want to use jewelry with cut diamonds as talismans and amulets, it is recommended to wear them in the form of rings on the ring finger of your left hand, in the form of pendants around the neck, or in the form of earrings. In this case, the stone must touch your skin. A talisman with a diamond will only work if the intentions of its owner are highly moral and honest. Murderers, swindlers, thieves, repeat offenders, swindlers, dishonest people, etc. should not wear jewelry with diamonds as talismans and amulets.
Origin of the diamond
The main diamond deposits are located in:
- Africa;
- Russia;
- Australia;
- Canada.
Since mining began long before research into the crystal, natural treasures have been significantly depleted. This is reflected in both the price and quality of the extracted material. However, Brazilian and South African deposits, discovered only a century and a half ago, continue to provide humanity with rare, but very elegant gems. The origin of each stone affects its physical and chemical properties , as well as its price and appearance.
Where and how are they mined?
Diamond deposits are found in the countries: Russia, Africa, Australia and Canada. The first to start extracting minerals were the peoples of India, but by the end of the 19th century, reserves were running out. The richest mineral deposits were discovered in the middle of the 18th century in Brazil.
Reference. Diamond is pure carbon, and its direct cousin is graphite. To transform graphite into diamond, special conditions are needed: a pressure of about 60 thousand atmospheres and a temperature of over 900 degrees. Such conditions of origin exist in the crust of the globe at a depth of over 80 km. It reaches the surface, thanks to volcanic magma, forming kimberlite pipes - the body in which diamond is formed.
The mineral is not only mined in the ground, but also reaches the earth's surface through meteorites. The process of diamond formation is associated with the conditions during the collision of unearthly objects with the earth, and they are called impactites. Mining impactites is unprofitable due to the small size of the crystals. For industrial mining, the method of extracting deposits that are located in the ground is used.
There are two large diamond mining companies in the world. De Beers - USA and Alrosa - Russia, each of them extracts a large amount of minerals from the world turnover.
Applications of diamonds
The structure of diamond, high strength and irresistible appearance - all this allows the stone to be in demand in many industrial fields.
- Precious stones adorn both girls and men, complementing their looks with luxurious sparkle and rainbow tints.
- The hardness index, which is significantly higher than that of many other precious stones, determined the use of diamonds to create knives, drills, daggers and other sharp objects.
- Diamonds are often used to make individual instrument parts for research centers around the world.
Medicinal properties
There is a belief that the owner of a diamond will always have a good memory. Even old age will not interfere with this, because diamond helps older people feel younger and restores their vitality. It is for these purposes that the stone is used in Ayurvedic medicine.
This gemstone is credited with properties such as improving metabolism, the ability to strengthen the heart and blood vessels, and also prevent the formation of kidney and liver stones.
In addition, it absorbs electromagnetic radiation well.
In the east, they fought against fatigue with the water in which the diamond lay overnight. This infusion provided a surge of vitality.
This stone was used to fight inflammation and infections. It is believed that diamond can reduce heat. The mineral is also good for treating skin diseases.
Green diamonds were considered a talisman for women in labor.
At the same time, diamonds heal not only the body, but also the soul. These stones are used as assistants in the treatment of nervous and mental disorders, such as schizophrenia or depression.
Artificial analogues of diamonds
Thanks to research, it was possible to discover a method for synthesizing agglomerate, thanks to which it is possible to create stones identical in structure to natural diamonds. Synthetic specimens - cubic zirconia - are close in their characteristics to real crystals. The creation of synthetic diamonds is a necessary measure, since the existing reserves in the deposits are not enough to provide all areas of industry with a large number of stones. Despite the efforts of scientists, there are minor differences in the appearance and structure of diamonds and cubic zirconia.
Natural and synthetic diamonds are very similar, but not identical.
Diamonds of Yakutia are a national treasure of Russia
Their second name is Yakut diamonds. Currently, cutting factories in Yakutia are in fact the undisputed leaders in the production of these minerals throughout the world. Experts and jewelers say that it’s all about the high quality of diamonds located in the depths of the Yakut lands. It's hard to believe, but today even South African diamonds have already lost their status as the best diamonds in the world.
Diamonds from Yakutia, unlike their direct and more famous competitors, can boast of the rarest purity in the world: the absence of cracks and all kinds of abundant inclusions on their surfaces allows Yakut diamonds to “play” fabulously and divinely in the sun, skillfully refracting rays of light. However, despite their obvious advantages, these stones are not widespread in our country.
The quality of diamonds mined in Russia certainly should not be questioned. Apparently, this is due to remnants of the Soviet worldview, according to which diamonds are of exceptional value only in the country’s defense industry. Currently, up to 80% of all diamonds mined in Russia are exported to elite European and Western jewelry stores.
Diamond jewelry
The modern jewelry market offers a variety of jewelry with diamonds of different sizes.
A wedding ring with diamonds will make the bride and groom stand out, because expensive jewelry will indicate their financial situation and status.
A set of jewelry completely covered with small diamonds will subtly indicate the wealth of a wealthy woman over the age of 40.
How is a diamond different from a diamond?
Nothing. Many people mistakenly believe that diamonds and rough diamonds are different gemstones. Moreover, some of them even argue with each other about which of these stones is the most expensive. Let us note that all disputes between people regarding diamonds and rough diamonds are empty talk.
The fact is that a diamond (a photo of the mineral is presented in the article) and a diamond are the same stone. The only difference between them is that a diamond is a primary source mineral, while a diamond is a diamond that has already been processed and cut. In general, the word “diamond” is French. Translated into Russian it means “sparkling.”
