73 Delightful Diamond Facts To Dazzle You
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If you ever wondered why diamonds are so popular, then these fascinating gem facts will clear it all up for you.
From facts about jewels, to rough diamond facts, to facts about how diamonds form and how long it takes, we have all the answers about the most precious of precious stones. These cool diamond facts are top quality, and are sure to make you the gem of your science class.
If you want some hope diamond facts, diamond head facts and everything else you need to know about the hardest natural substance on Earth, then these facts are the perfect place to start.
Why not keep learning with these facts about the Crown Jewels, or teach yourself all about Apollo, the Sun God, with these Apollo facts.
Facts About Diamond Formation
This fascinating gem is found all over the world in jewelry, but how is it actually made? We've got the lowdown on how diamonds form.
1. Diamonds are billions of years old.
2. Some of the oldest diamonds are over three billion years old.
3. So what are diamonds composed of? Diamonds are made from one single element called carbon.
4. A diamond is an allotrope, which means that it is a different form of carbon.
5. Carbon atoms that make up a diamond are in a tetrahedral structure.
6. Diamonds form through carbon atoms bonding. Each of the carbon atoms bond to four other carbon atoms using covalent bonds.
7. The strong pressure and intense heat of the Earth far below its surface makes the carbon turn into diamonds.
8. Diamonds are forced to the surface of the Earth by the pressure of volcanic eruptions.
9. The volcanic eruptions that bring diamonds to the surface of the Earth are called kimberlites.
10. Some diamonds from these volcanic eruptions, are released from over a hundred miles below the ground.
Diamond Location Facts
These facts about diamond mining and facts about the diamond district might not help you find diamonds in your local town, but they will help you answer this important question: Where do the best diamonds in the world come from?
11. The world's original source of diamonds in the 1400s was India. Diamonds from India were sold to European trade centers.
12. In the 1700s India started to run out of diamonds, and Brazil became the world's biggest source of the gems.
13. In the 1800s a diamond reserve was discovered in the south of Africa which was massive.
14. A high number of the diamonds found on the Earth today come from Africa.
15. Because they take billions of years to form, once all of the diamonds are mined in a country, more aren't going to be made there in our lifetimes.
16. Diamond Head Crater is a beautiful holiday location in Hawaii, but despite its name, it does not actually contain any diamonds.
17. The British named it Diamond Head, because it had calcite crystals on the crater that they originally thought were diamonds.
Facts About Diamonds In History
Diamonds are a lot older than people, they are over a billion years old! So it's safe to say there are a lot of diamond history facts for us to tell you.
18. Diamonds have been mined and valued for thousands of years.
19. Diamonds were collected in India and traded as early as the fourth century BC.
20. In the first century AD, Pliny the Roman naturalist was quoted saying that diamond is the most valuable thing in the world.
21. In the middle ages, people thought that diamonds had healing properties and could heal many things like mental illnesses and fatigue.
22. Diamonds were chosen by the ancient Hindus as eyes for their statues.
23. Ancient Hindus also believed that a wearing a diamond would protect you from danger.
24. Many ancient cultures thought that diamonds gave you strength and courage.
25. Because of this diamonds were worn by Kings on their armor in battle.
26. In 1477, the Archduke Maximilian of Austria gave a gold ring to Mary Burgundy, with an M spelled out on it in diamonds. That is known to be the first ever diamond engagement ring.
Facts About Famous Diamonds
These are some of the more famous diamonds around.
27. The largest diamond ever discovered on Earth was 3106 carats and its weight was 1.33 pounds.
28. The diamond was called the Cullinan diamond. The Cullinan diamond was found in South Africa in the year 1905.
29. The Cullinan diamond was given to King Edward as a gift, and was eventually cut into nine big diamonds and 100 small diamonds.
30. The three biggest diamonds of the world's largest diamond are displayed as part of the crown jewels in the Tower of London.
31. One of history's most famous diamonds is the Koh-i-Noor diamond from India, which was thought of as the largest diamond in the world at one point.
32. The Hope Diamond is 45.25 carats, and it looks blue because it has boron inside it. It is thought to carry a curse.
33. The Tiffany yellow diamond was discovered in South Africa in the Kimberley mine. It was 287.42 carats and sold to the jeweler Charles Tiffany in New York.
34. The Regent Diamond was found by a slave in a mine in India. It was 140.63 carats, and and is now on display in the Louvre, where it has been since the year 1887.
Facts About Diamond Properties
So are diamonds indestructible? We've got the facts about the world's hardest natural substance so you can know all there is to know.
35. Diamonds are the best known thermal conductor out of all natural substances, which means they transfer heat very easily.
36. Diamonds are thermodynamically unstable when they are out of the ground. This means they are slowly turning into graphite all the time, but it is much slower than we can notice.
37. Diamonds are officially the hardest natural substance on Earth. This makes them almost (but not completely!) indestructible.
38. Diamonds don't have any free electrons, they have a rigid structure that makes them very hard.
Important Uses Of Diamond
We've got 10 uses of diamond for you to learn all about, but there are many more impressive uses out there.
39. Diamonds are the world's most popular gemstone, with gem quality being very important.
40. Therefore, one of the most popular uses for diamond is in jewelry.
41. Diamonds are used for industrial machines that cut and polish the surface of things because they are so strong.
42. They are often used as an abrasive.
43. Small diamond particles are embedded into saws to cut hard materials.
44. They are also embedded into drills to drill through strong and hard materials.
45. Diamonds are also required to cut other diamonds, because they are the only thing on Earth that can.
46. Another fascinating use for diamonds is as diamond windows, which are used for lasers and x-ray machines.
47. Diamonds are used as heat sinks in production, because of the fact that they conduct heat extremely well.
48. Wear resistant surfaces are created by coating the surface in a thin layer of diamond.
Diamond Industry Facts
The diamond production and sales industry makes a lot of money, which means that some people are under a lot of pressure to find the stones. Learn even more about the diamond industry with these facts.
49. 26,000 kilograms or more of diamonds are mined all over the world each year.
50. The diamonds that are mined are worth billions of dollars to the big companies that are in control of the mines.
51. The term 'blood diamond' comes from diamonds being mined to pay for wars.
52. In 2006 there was a movie with Jennifer Connelly and Leonardo DiCaprio in it called 'Blood Diamond', this brought a lot of attention to the fact that diamonds were paying for wars all over the world.
53. Synthetic diamonds have been in production since around 1950, and are made in a few different ways.
54. You can make synthetic diamonds using high temperature synthesis, detonation synthesis and chemical vapor deposition.
55. Chemical vapor deposition and detonation synthesis is when the carbon is blown up with explosives, making very small diamonds.
56. Today you can buy a material called cubic zircona, which is the crystal form of zirconium dioxide. It is hard, colorless and looks like a diamond, but is a lot cheaper so it is sometimes used instead.
Blue Diamond Facts
Diamonds are special of course, but blue diamonds are even more special. Let us tell you why.
57. Blue diamonds are created naturally like other diamonds.
58. The elements boron and nitrogen both appear in a blue diamond.
59. If the diamond has a low level of nitrogen when it is formed, then it will have a much richer blue color.
60. Blue diamonds have been found in the Argyle mine in Australia and the Cullinan mine in South Africa.
61. These precious stones are popularly used in diamond ring designs and necklaces.
62. Because the diamonds with a blue color are very rare, jewelry created from them is very expensive.
63. You can purchase blue color diamonds that are created in a lab. They are less expensive as they are just white diamonds that have the color added by heat.
64. Lab diamonds are a different color of blue from the natural gem, so you can immediately tell the difference between a lab blue diamond and a mined one.
Fun Facts About Diamonds
These diamond fun facts are some of the most interesting facts we came across when we were looking for diamond facts for kids.
65. The word diamond comes from the Greek word 'adamas' which means "indestructible", because diamonds are extremely hard.
66. A diamond can only be scratched by another diamond.
67. In 2004, scientists discovered a planet that is mostly made from carbon. One third of the planet is made from diamond.
68. The planet orbits a star in the Milky Way and is called 55 Cancri e.
69. Scientists have also found a star that is a diamond. It is ten billion trillion trillion carats, which is pretty impressive, right?
70. The huge diamond star is named Lucy, after the song by The Beatles, 'Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds'.
71. Diamonds are the most popular gemstone in the world, and are used to make all kinds of jewelry like necklaces, rings and bracelets.
72. Diamonds are cut with extreme precision so the gem quality is maximised.
73. A 'rough diamond' is a term that us used to describe people throughout history who have good character but are lacking in style, education or good manners. It suggests that someone has potential to be a beautiful diamond if they were cut to shape.
Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family-friendly facts for everyone to enjoy! If you liked our dazzling diamond facts then why not take a look at these awesome Dubai facts, or some sweet facts about Christmas for kids.
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An experienced Londoner, Emily loves to discover new and exciting places in the city, especially with her two younger brothers. She has a passion for fashion and design and is also involved in art charities that facilitate workshops for children with special needs and difficult home lives. Emily is a trained life coach and enjoys writing about general wellness, mindfulness, and healthy relationships.
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