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Diamonds: The World of Diamonds


The American Museum of Natural History provides a wonderful online exhibition about diamonds at American Museum of Natural History - A World of Diamonds. The diamond exhibit is well laid out for exploring the various topics, but you can also use the index below to look up specific items.

What is Diamond?

Composition: what is diamond made of?
Structure: how do carbon atoms connect to form a diamond?
Trigons: why is each diamond crystal unique?
Hardness: what does it mean to say diamonds are the hardest substance?
Durability: what is cleavage and why are diamonds not unbreakable?
Surface: why do diamonds repel water but become greasy?
Density: why are diamonds heavier than graphite?
Refraction: why are diamonds brilliant and lustrous?
Color: why are not all diamonds colorless?
Dispersion: what gives a diamond "fire"?
Flourescence: what does it mean when a diamond is fluorescent?
Electrical Conductivity: why is diamond a poor conductor and graphite a good electrical conductor?
Thermal Conductivity: why do diamonds feel cold?
Vital Statistics: all the scientific facts

Origins

Origins of Carbon: where does the carbon in diamonds come from and what is the difference between harzburgitic (peridotitic) and eclogitic diamonds?
Formation: where and under what conditions do diamonds form?
How Diamonds Surface: how do diamonds move to the earth's surface?
Where Diamonds are Found: why are diamonds found on cratons?
Indicator Minerals: what are indicator minerals?
Kimberlite and Lamproite: what do kimberlites and lamproites look like?
Kimberlite Pipes: what does a kimberlite look like inside?
Age: How old are kimberlites and diamonds?
Xenoliths: what are mantle xenoliths in a kimberlite magma and why are they important?
Inclusions: what are diamond inclusions?
Collisions and Stardust: are kimberlites that sampled the diamond stability field the only source of diamonds?

History

What's in a Name: what does "diamond" mean?
A Royal Gem: initially so rare only royalty possessed diamonds
Love & Betrothal: diamonds as a token of love have an ancient history
Origins in India: Earliest reference to diamond occurs in a 300 BC Sanskrit text
Indian Traditions: a complex system of meaning and value
Castes & Buddhism: a color for every caste and the adoption by Buddhism of diamond as a symbol of religious virtue
Mediterranean: Diamonds showed up in Rome via India by 100 AD
Myths and Legends: Alexander and the Valley of Diamonds
The Middle Ages: while diamonds disappear during the Middle Ages conceptually they stay alive through "lapidaries"
Trade: Diamonds from India show up in Europe in 1300
Renaissance: a royal craving for top stones
17th Century: Brilliant cut diamonds emerge in 17th century
18th Century: Arrival of South American diamonds boosts popularity, especially with women
19th Century: Arrival of South African diamonds broadens ownership base
20th Century: the rise of American capitalism and the adoption of diamonds as a symbol of success

Mining and Distribution

A World of Diamonds: where are diamonds mined?
Across southern Africa: Distribution of diamond pipes in southern Africa
South Africa: a short history of the discovery of diamonds in South Africa
Other African Countries: Congo, Botswana, Namibia
Brazil and Venezuela: distribution of alluvial diamond deposits in Brazil
India: the earliest source of diamonds
Russia: from indicator minerals to major producer
Australia: Argyle - the world's most prolific diamond producer
North America: Canada, the newest major diamond producer
Types of Deposits: the difference between primary (kimberlite & lamproite) and secondary (alluvial) diamond deposits
Mining a Kimberlite Pipe: different ways to mine a pipe
Processing Diamond Ore: how are diamonds separated from the host rock?
Marine Deposits: what are marine diamond deposits and how are they mined?
Alluvial Deposits: history's original source of diamonds
Sorting and Distribution: what happens to diamonds after they are separated from their host rock?

Industry and Technology

Diamonds Shape the World: what are diamonds used for?
The Big Squeeze: how are synthetic diamonds made?
Research: how are diamonds used in high pressure based research?
Handling Heat, Friction and Light: growing diamonds through chemical vapor deposition
Growing diamonds: the history of making diamonds
Into the Future: future applications for synthetic diamonds
 
 

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