|
Diamonds |
Online
diamonds Directory
|
| |
| Diamonds Advertisers |
| Lower Your Bills and get back on Track! LowerMyBills.com allows you to get quotes, compare low rates and save on all your monthly bills. |
| |
| diamonds |
| Definition of diamonds: a diamond is a crystalline form, or allotrope, of carbon |
| Synonyms of diamonds: precioust stone |
|
|
| The mineral diamond is a crystalline form, or allotrope, of carbon (other allotropes of carbon include graphite and fullerene). It is one of the most known and most useful of more than 3,000 known minerals. Diamonds are renowned for their superlative physical qualities, especially their hardness?the word "diamond" derives from the ancient Greek adamas (ad??a?; "impossible to tame")?and their high dispersion of light. These properties and others make diamond valued for use in jewelry and a variety of industrial applications. Most diamonds are mined from volcanic pipes, where they have been deposited by deep-origin volcanoes drawing material from over 90 miles (150 km) deep within the Earth, where the pressure and temperature is suitable for diamond formation. Most diamonds are mined in central and southern Africa, although significant deposits have also been discovered in Canada, Russia, Brazil, and Australia. About 130 million carats (26,000 kg) of diamonds are mined annually, with a total value of nearly $9 billion. In addition, nearly four times that mass is artificially produced as synthetic diamond. The gemological appeal of diamonds lies in their hardness and optical properties. Diamonds used as gems are cut and polished into a number of faceted shapes in order to accentuate these attractive qualities. The hardness of diamonds allows them to hold a polish extremely well and resist scratching (only other diamonds can scratch a diamond), giving excellent luster. The dispersion of white light into a rainbow of colors, known in the trade as fire, is the other primary characteristic of gem diamonds, and has been highly prized throughout history. Gem diamonds are commonly judged by the four Cs: carat, clarity, color, and cut. Diamonds have been treasured as gems since at least 2,500 years ago, when they were used in religious icons in India. Popularity of diamonds as gemstones increased starting in the 19th century as new cutting designs that display diamonds' gem qualities better were developed. |
|
|
 Have a question about Diamonds Just type it in below and our experts will review it and reply back with an answer. |
This
Internet Directory is not to be regarded as advice. This Internet
directory has been formed to provide a service to the general public.
This Internet Directory in no way endorses or supports any of the
advertisers, listings or firms represented. This Internet Directory
accepts no responsibility for any faulty or misleading information
or advice that may be given, either malicious or accidental. Also,
the Internet Directory accepts no responsibility for the information
within the ads or any information or advice that might be given
from responses to the Ask the Expert service. |
This
article is licensed under the GNU
Free Documentation License. It uses material from the
Wikipedia article "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diamond ." |