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/ˈdaɪəmənd/
or
/ˈdaɪmənd/
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♦️⃟⋄⌺
”diamonds“♦️⃟⋄⌺
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-as of [13 NOVEMBER 2024]-
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(the word is from the ancient greek ἀδάμας – adámas “unbreakable”)
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-“diamond” is a ‘meta-stable allotrope’ of ‘carbon’, where the ‘carbon atoms’ are arranged in a variation of the ‘face-centered cubic crystal structure’ called a ‘diamond lattice’-
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(‘diamond’ is less ‘stable’ than ‘graphite’, but the ‘conversion rate’ from ‘diamond’ to ‘graphite’ is ‘negligible’ @ ‘standard conditions’)
(‘diamond’ is renowned as a material with ‘superlative physical qualities’, most of which originate from the strong ‘covalent bonding’ between its ‘atoms’)
(in particular, ‘diamond’ has the ‘highest hardness’ + ‘highest thermal conductivity’ of any ‘bulk material’)
(those properties determine the major industrial application of ‘diamond’ in ‘cutting’ + ‘polishing’ tools + the ‘scientific applications’ in ‘diamond knives’ + ‘diamond anvil cells’)
(because of its extremely rigid ‘lattice’, it can be ‘contaminated’ by very few types of ‘impurities’ (such as ‘boron’ + ‘nitrogen’))
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(small amounts of ‘defects’ or ‘impurities’ (about 1 per million of ‘lattice atoms’) color diamond…)
‘blue’
(boron)
‘yellow’
(nitrogen)
‘brown’
(lattice defects)
‘green’
(radiation exposure)
‘purple’
‘pink’
‘orange’
‘red’
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(‘diamond’ also has relatively high ‘optical dispersion’)
(…which refers to *’ability’ to disperse ‘light’ of different ‘colors’)
(most ‘natural diamonds’ are formed at ‘high temperature’ + ‘high pressure’ at ‘depths’ of *’140′ – ‘190’ kilometers* /// *87 – 118 mi* in the earth’s ‘mantle’)
(‘carbon-containing minerals’ provide the ‘carbon source’, and the growth occurs over periods from ‘1 billion years’ to ‘3.3 billion years’ (which is 25% – 75% of the ‘age’ of the ‘earth’))
(‘diamonds’ are brought close to the earth’s ‘surface’ through ‘deep volcanic eruptions’ by ‘magma’, which cools into ‘igneous rocks’ known as ‘kimberlites’ + ‘lamproites’)
(‘diamonds’ can also be produced synthetically in a ‘HPHT method’ which approximately simulates the conditions in the earth’s ‘mantle’)
(an ‘alternative’ (and completely different) ‘growth technique’ is ‘chemical vapor deposition’ (CVD))
(several ‘non-diamond materials’ (which include ‘cubic zirconia’ + ‘silicon carbide’ and are often called ‘diamond simulants’) resemble ‘diamond’ in ‘appearance’ + many ‘properties’)
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(special ‘gemological’ techniques have been developed to distinguish ‘natural diamonds’ / ‘synthetic diamonds’ / ‘diamond simulants’)
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*SKETCHES*
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