Diamond - message report 3, 4 class the world around us

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Diamond is the hardest mineral, the name of which is translated from ancient Greek as “indestructible.” Due to its high hardness, the mineral is very wear-resistant during friction. To melt it, you need to heat it to 4000 degrees. If diamond is heated without oxygen, it turns into graphite. Both substances are simply different forms of carbon. Another property of diamond is its ability to glow when exposed to ultraviolet or x-rays. This allows you to find mineral deposits.

Diamond is one of the most expensive precious stones; after cutting, it becomes a diamond. Without it, a diamond is devoid of any beauty. There are colored diamonds, usually yellow or brown, but it is very rare to find a pink or blue diamond. The one-of-a-kind Dresden diamond, reminiscent of the color of a green apple, is known throughout the world.

There are quite a few diamond deposits, except in Antarctica. Stone mining began many thousands of years ago; the first to do this were in India, which is why the deposits in this country quickly became impoverished. Nowadays diamonds are mined in Russia, Africa, Canada, and also in Australia. To extract 1 carat of diamonds, you need to process 250 tons of rock. Small stones are most often cut in India, while large stones are cut in Israel. The largest stone was mined in Africa in 1905. It was named “Star of Africa” or Cullinan after the name of the mine owner. The mineral weighed more than 600 g. The weight of the stone is often expressed in carats (1 carat – 200 mg).

The first attempts to produce artificial diamonds date back to the 19th century, but only in the 20th century was their mass production established. Natural stone is too expensive to be used for the manufacture of cutting materials (knives, chisels), so more and more artificial stones are being produced. The powder that is formed during the cutting of natural diamonds has no jewelry value, so it is used as an abrasive coating for grinding wheels. Diamonds are used in watchmaking, the nuclear industry, and computer technology. More than 95% of minerals used in industry are artificial stones.

You can distinguish between natural and artificial stone using a special felt-tip pen. On an artificial diamond, the ink will “scatter”; on a natural diamond, you can draw.

Scientists do not know exactly how and when diamonds appeared on Earth. They are billions of years old. It is believed that they were formed during tectonic processes during volcanic eruptions. Minerals are also formed during the fall of meteorites, and they are also present in the cosmic bodies themselves.

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.

Magic properties

Important! Like all natural minerals, they have a magical purpose. Diamond is a transparent stone, and accordingly, gives a pure aura to the owner. The stone can help in both love affairs and career.

All the advantages of the stone that people with magical powers attribute:

• provides a guarantee of protection against magical effects of any direction;
• bestows courage, self-confidence, fortitude;
• protects against bad habits;
• makes the owner happy.

Diamond mixed with green shades gives a woman health and strong family ties.

For all its positive properties, the mineral is demanding of its owner. If a person has negative thoughts towards other people, then the stone will not work, this also applies to sinners. A diamond passed down by inheritance acquires a magical effect on the new owner only after 10 years of constant wear. According to legend, in order to acquire magical properties, a diamond must be given to a person, and not purchased independently. Under no circumstances should you steal a diamond or jewelry with it, this will bring misfortune and big life problems to the criminal.

In any case, a brilliant diamond is a beautiful piece of jewelry that will suit any person with a pure soul.

According to the zodiac system, it is better to choose a diamond for Aries and Libra. The stone bestows upon these signs the maximum positive qualities in the form of confidence, courage and determination. Pisces should absolutely not wear the stone, as it will not bring any action.

Blue diamonds are suitable for water signs, and red shades of the mineral are suitable for fire signs.

Types of diamonds

There are several classifications of gemstones. According to the first, there are the following types of diamonds:

1. Diamond - shining samples processed by a master.
2. Board - irregular fine-grained specimens. They are black in color and even more durable than regular diamonds.
3. Ballas are spherical gems with a radiant structure. They are distinguished by a cloudy grayish structure, for which they are nicknamed translucent crystals.
4. Carbonado - crystals of black, gray shades, dense or coarse-grained structure.
5. 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:

1. Small minerals include minerals whose weight does not reach one third of a carat.
2. Medium stones are those that do not exceed a weight of 1 carat, but are not small.
3. Large diamonds are gems larger than one carat.

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.

Option 2

Diamond is a rare and yet widespread mineral. It is the most durable material on Earth, and it is also a sparkling gemstone of mesmerizing beauty.

Diamond is a crystal of carbon. The origin of this mineral occurs in underground conditions, where carbon is exposed to high temperatures and enormous pressure. The resulting rock has indestructible hardness and stunning brilliance.

Humanity's interest in amazing stones has not waned for many hundreds of years. Even fire cannot damage this stone. Under any conditions, the diamond remains transparent, like water, and sparkling with rainbow rays.

Diamonds are mined almost everywhere except Antarctica. Scientists put forward many versions to explain the mystery of their origin. According to the most popular theory, carbon, transformed into valuable rock somewhere deep underground, is released with magma to the surface. It has been proven that some diamonds were brought to Earth by meteorites.

The true beauty of a diamond is revealed only after cutting. It is not known for certain who first came up with a way to grind a mineral using an iron wheel coated with oil and diamond dust. It was this method of processing that revealed to people the true power of stone brilliance. The sun's rays, having reached the depths of the diamond, are reflected from its faces and scattered in different directions: the diamond plays with colorful sparks.

Since then, a polished diamond has been called a diamond. An experienced cutter will turn a diamond into a precious diamond - the basis of a luxurious piece of jewelry.

The weight of a diamond is usually measured in carats. This conventional unit comes from ancient times, when a precious nugget was weighed using the seeds of a Caribbean tree.

The value of a stone depends on its transparency. There is no perfectly pure material in nature. Likewise, diamonds always contain foreign impurities and microscopic damage. The stones are also endowed with color differences. Colorless diamonds have the highest price, but they are very rare. A significant part of minerals has a certain shade.

Only a third of the diamonds mined are perfect. The rest of the breed is of industrial quality. This material will be used in drills, glass cutters, and saws for working with stones. Diamond chips are extremely in demand in the production of abrasive materials.

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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.

How to check authenticity

You can recognize a real diamond using a sharpened aluminum stick. To do this, the stone needs to be slightly moistened with water and passed over it with an aluminum rod. There should be a silver mark left on the fake. A real stone will be clean.

Everyone knows that natural diamond can cut glass. Or at least leave a scratch on it. True, this method will not give absolute certainty, since in addition to natural diamond, there are also minerals that are harder than glass.

For cut diamonds, there are a couple more simple ways to determine their naturalness.

A natural diamond is completely transparent. Therefore, if you put it in water, it seems to become invisible. Artificial stones do not have this property.

You can also just breathe on the stone. If you have a natural gem in front of you, it will not fog up.

But it is best, of course, to trust the specialists and purchase those products that have a certificate of authenticity of the stones.

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.

Main mineral deposits

Remarkable diamonds, known worldwide for their beauty and stories, have their own names . List of the most famous diamonds:

• The Cullinan (or Star of Africa) is the largest diamond in the world. Weight 621.35 grams. Found in January 1905 in a South African mine.
• "Cullinan-I" or "Big Star of Africa" ​​- 530.2 carats.
• “Our Light” is a colorless transparent diamond weighing 221.8 g.
• "Excelsior" - found in South Africa on June 30, 1893, weight 194.2 g.
• The Great Mogul is the largest diamond found in India. Weight 787 carats.

Russia is a leader in diamond mining. It has become the world leader since 2010. And this is no coincidence, because there are very few countries in the world that could boast of such rich deposits.

The main diamond producers besides Russia are:

• Australia;
• Botswana;
• Canada;
• SOUTH AFRICA;
• Angola.

The main contribution to this victory was made by Yakutia, where the bulk of Russian diamonds are mined in the city of Mirny. And although the mining of precious crystals in Yakutia is carried out not only in Mirny, this city is considered the diamond capital of the Russian state.

The mining of Russian diamonds began not in Yakutia, but in the Urals in the Perm province in 1829. The first 22 Yakut minerals were found on August 7, 1949 on the Sokolinaya spit, 135 kilometers from the city of Mirny. They were found by geologists under the leadership of Grigory Khaimovich Fainshtein, a geologist whose name also went down in the history of world diamond mining.

The largest diamond mined in Russia is the Twenty-sixth Congress of the CPSU, 342.57 carats. It was mined in 1980. Today it is believed that diamonds were formed 300 million years ago at depths of 20-25 kilometers.

Magma moved to the surface along cracks in the earth's crust, and when the overlying layers were no longer able to resist the pressure of the rocks, an explosion occurred and vertical geological bodies called kimberlite explosion pipes were formed.

The first such pipe was discovered in the Kimberley province in southern Africa, where the name comes from. Now one and a half thousand kimberlite pipes have been found in Yakutia.

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.

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.

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.