Understanding Diamonds - Family Article

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By:David Chandler

A diamond is just pure carbon crystal. If you look at the chemistry of diamond, it is pure carbon. The arrangement of the carbon atoms differently makes it a unique gem. A diamond is considered precious from the ancient times and is popular for its strength.
How a diamond is formed?
Diamonds are formed in the earth thousands of years ago under extreme heat and pressure. This extreme heat and pressure in the earth transforms this carbon into crystals and colorless. Although diamonds are formed in the earth, the volcanic activities are thought to have brought them to the surface of the earth in the early days. Hence, these volcanic pipes are found to have diamonds in them. When some of the minerals mix with the carbon, the diamond takes some other color in it. Such diamonds that are colored are very rare and valued much than the normal diamond, which is colorless.
Some of the diamond mines
Diamond mines are found in Canada and Australia. Diavik Diamond Mines is found in Yellowknife, Northwest Territories Canada. It is estimated that this diamond mine reserves are 95.6 million carats. The Argyle diamond mine found in the Kimberley region in the far north of Western Australia is one of the popular mines that produce the Argyle diamonds. This mine produces more than one third of the world's production of diamonds.
How diamonds are valued?
Diamonds are valued by their Cut, Color, Clarity, and Carat weight. You should remember the four C's that are used to value diamonds. Cut, Color, and Clarity are used to measure the quality of the diamond and the final C, which is Carat, is used to measure the size of the diamond. Man creates cut in a diamond and the other C's are formed in nature.
Types of diamonds
When minerals are mixed in nature with the diamond, it gives the characteristic color for the diamond. Based on the type of mineral that is mixed, we can classify the diamonds in to many types. The following are the colors that are found in the diamond.
Yellow: this color is formed when Nitrogen is combined with diamond crystals.
Blue: During the formation of the diamond if elements of Boron are mixed then the diamond will be in blue color
Green: Green color is caused due to a missed out atom in the lattice of atoms.
Brown: Any dislocation in the lattice of atoms causes brown coloring in the diamonds.
Pink: Dislocations in the lattice missed out atoms, and some impurities that are non-nitrogen causes pink color in diamonds.
Carat - The Measuring Unit
Carat is the unit that is used to measure diamonds. In the earlier days, diamonds were weighed by using the Carob tree seeds. A seed from this tree was considered as one carat. Now-a-days one carat is equivalent to 0.2 grams. Diamonds of less than one carat are known as pointers. Suppose the weight of diamond is 0.18 grams, and then it is known as 18 pointers. The more the carat the more is the price of the diamonds.

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