Things you might not know about diamonds…

Diamonds are one of the most coveted gems in the world.

They have become an important symbol in the tradition of engagement and marriage, and they are often seen as a lovely way to celebrate important milestones like anniversaries and the birth of babies. Many people own at least one diamond and we’ve put together some facts about these fascinating gems…

Diamonds are the hardest natural substance on Earth.

Diamonds are brought to the surface of the Earth by volcanic eruptions.

Diamonds can break.

Many people believe that diamonds are indestructible. Whilst they are the hardest of the gemstones (number 10 on the Moh’s scale), they often have unique inclusions within the stones that can cause weaknesses. Also, the hardness of the gems means that they can ‘cleave’ along the facets on the top of the diamonds if they are hit very hard. To avoid breaking diamonds, take off your precious diamond jewellery when doing things like gardening, heavy housework or any activities where the diamond could be impacted. We’d love to answer any of your questions in person, please feel free to pop in.

Diamonds are found in a rainbow of colours.

Whilst white diamonds are the most commonly worn, there are many beautiful, unique diamond colours.

photo: colourdiamonds.com

The most valuable of the colours are the pink diamonds, most famously mined at the Rio Tinto Arygle mine ( http://www.riotinto.com/diamondsandminerals/argyle-4640.aspx).

Here are 10 of the most famous pink diamonds:

Diamonds are used in industrial settings.

Diamonds are used in industrial settings because of their natural hardness. These diamonds differ from the stones we use at PIKE to make jewellery. To quote http://geology.com/minerals/diamond.shtml:

Gem Diamonds vs. Industrial Diamonds

Gem diamonds are stones with colour and clarity that make them suitable for jewelry or investment use. These stones are especially rare and make up a minor portion of worldwide diamond production. Gemstone diamonds are sold for their beauty and quality.

Industrial diamonds are mostly used in cutting, grinding, drilling and polishing procedures. Here, hardness and heat conductivity characteristics are the qualities being purchased. Size and other measures of quality relevant to gemstones are not important. Industrial diamonds are often crushed to produce micron-sized abrasive powders. Large amounts of diamonds that are gemstone quality but too small to cut are sold into the industrial diamond trade.

Other Uses of Diamonds

Most industrial diamonds are used as abrasives. However, small amounts of diamond are used in other applications.

• Diamond windows are made from thin diamond membranes and used to cover openings in lasers, x-ray machines and vacuum chambers. They are transparent, very durable and resistant to heat and abrasion.
• Diamond speaker domes enhance the performance of high quality speakers. Diamond is a very stiff material and when made into a thin dome it can vibrate rapidly without the deformation that would degrade sound quality.
• Heat sinks are materials that absorb or transmit excess heat. Diamond has the highest thermal conductivity of any material. It is used to conduct heat away from the heat sensitive-parts of high performance microelectronics.
• Low friction microbearings are needed in tiny mechanical devices. Just as some watches have jewel bearings in their movements diamonds are used where extreme abrasion resistance and durability are needed.
• Wear-resistant parts can be produced by coating surfaces with a thin coating of diamond. In this process, diamond is converted into a vapor that deposits on the surface of parts prone to wear.

We love using diamonds at PIKE, please come and see us if you have any questions about your diamonds. And we would love to clean them for you!