About Diamonds
Approximately 130 million
diamonds are mined annually,
with a total value of nearly
USD $9 billion, and about
100,000 kg are synthesized
annually. Diamonds are
specifically renowned as a
material with superlative
physical qualities; they
make excellent abrasives
because they can be
scratched only by other
diamonds, borazon, ultrahard
fullerite, rhenium diboride,
or aggregated diamond
nanorods, which also means
they hold a polish extremely
well and retain their
lustre.
Diamonds are the hardest
known naturally occurring
mineral. It is possible to
treat regular diamonds under
a combination of high
pressure and high
temperature to produce
diamonds that are harder
than the diamonds used in
hardness gauges. Presently,
only aggregated diamond
nanorods, a material created
using ultrahard fullerite is
confirmed to be harder,
although other substances
such as cubic boron nitride,
rhenium diboride and
ultrahard fullerite itself
are comparable. In
mineralogy, diamond is the
allotrope of carbon where
the Carbon atoms are
arranged in an
isometric-hexoctahedral
crystal lattice. It is the
second most stable form of
Carbon. Its hardness and
high dispersion of light
make it useful for
industrial applications and
jewelry.