A popular belief is that some mined diamonds originated from coal. However, this is highly unlikely. Coal is a sedimentary rock formed from plant debris deposited on the surface of the Earth. Coal is not buried deep enough into the surface to be subjected to the heat and pressure required to make diamonds.
Due to the immense pressure that is present in this part of the earth, as well as the extreme temperatures, a diamond gradually begins to form. The entire process takes between 1 billion and 3.3 billion years, which is approximately 25% to 75% of our earth's age.
Diamond (left) and graphite (right) are both made of carbon, but their atomic structure is what makes them look so different from one another. Click to enlarge. Surprisingly, these gems are made of only one element, carbon. Carbon is the same element that makes coal or graphite used for pencils.
Never! Diamonds are not formed from coal. Diamonds were formed over 3 billion years ago deep within the Earth's crust under conditions of intense heat and pressure that cause carbon atoms to crystallize forming diamonds.
It takes around 2,500 degrees Fahrenheit and 825,000 pounds per square inch in pressure. Add in the carbon and the diamond seed that provides the foundation, to form a raw diamond.
Even so, debunking a myth is always fun, and the same is true of knowing exactly what's on your finger. The latter is certainly true if you paid for that diamond out of your own pocket. So go forth and tell everyone you know that, as it turns out, a diamond is not a chunk of coal that did well under pressure.
Labs across the world already produce man-made diamonds, and their process is much less messy than Frost's. However, the discovery that carbon from peanut butter can be turned into diamonds could have other uses. Many industries, like automotive and mining, use diamonds for cutting or polishing other materials.
The last way diamonds are produced is when an asteroid strikes Earth, causing the high temperature and pressure required to form these precious gemstones. Tiny diamonds have been found at many asteroid impact sites around the world, including the Popigai Crater in northern Siberia, and Meteor Crater in Arizona.
Diamond is only formed at high pressures. It is found in kimberlite, an ultrabasic volcanic rock formed very deep in the Earth's crust.
Coal is also known as black diamond because it is as valuable as diamond. Coal is the basic raw material for power plants. Thermal power plants need coal for combustion and the energy released is further used for generating the electric power. Coal is a fossil fuel.
Diamonds aren't an Earth-bound phenomenon, by the way. King also points out that some nano-scale diamonds have been found inside of meteorites. But there's no coal in outer space, so once again these tiny diamonds were probably formed by pure carbon. So no, it turns out that coal can't be turned into diamonds.
Red diamonds are the rarest and some of the most expensive in the world. Also known as Fancy Reds, they come in a variety of shades ranging from orange-red to brownish red. Majority of the world's red diamonds come from the Argyle Diamond Mine in Australia.
Today, diamonds are also mined in South Africa, Botswana, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Australia, Canada, Zimbabwe, Namibia, Angola, throughout many countries in western Africa and Russia. Diamonds in Australia were recorded in the Bathurst area, New South Wales in 1851.
The old wives' tale that diamonds were once pieces of coal that have evolved after years under high pressure and temperature is nothing more than a common myth. In fact, diamonds are actually much older than the earth's plant material, the main ingredient for coal creation.
The Cullinan Diamond is the largest gem-quality rough diamond ever found, weighing 3,106 carats (621.20 g), discovered at the Premier No. 2 mine in Cullinan, South Africa, on 26 January 1905. It was named after Thomas Cullinan, the owner of the mine.
1. Kohinoor- Priceless. The most expensive diamond in the world, the Kohinoor has been given a priceless status due to its uniqueness and brilliance. The diamond is 105.6 carats and is placed right on top of the UK sovereign's crown.
Diamond is the hardest known mineral. It is a high-symmetry allotrope of carbon (C). It has a Mohs “scratch” hardness of 10, which makes it the hardest mineral.
Diamonds are brought to the surface from the mantle in a rare type of magma called kimberlite and erupted at a rare type of volcanic vent called a diatreme or pipe.
Diamond is the hardest known mineral, Mohs' 10. Notes: It must be noted that Mohs' scale is arbitrary and non-linear, i.e. the steps between relative hardness values are not necessarily equal. Rather, it is a method of gauging the relative hardness of a mineral.
Diamonds are not a renewable resource.
Diamonds are carbon-based, and they form under intense pressure. They are generally made from coal, which is considered a fossil fuel, and it takes millions of years for them to form. Because of this, they cannot readily be replaced, renewed, or recycled.
Worldwide reserves are estimated to be some 1.2 billion carats. Russia has the largest reserves, estimated at some 650 million carats.
Like all of our planet's natural resources, diamonds are finite and only getting rarer. Nature will not bring anymore diamonds to the surface from the Earth's mantle as the volcanic activity that brought them there ended tens of millions of years ago.
Diamonds are exceptionally delicate, and thus, they require the utmost care. Harsh chemicals like acetone, chlorine, bleach and other abrasive substances like baking powder and toothpaste will damage your diamond beyond repair.
Physical Properties of Diamond
has a very high melting point (almost 4000°C). Very strong carbon-carbon covalent bonds have to be broken throughout the structure before melting occurs.
Diamonds are carbon, just like coal. It takes a bit more to get them burning and keep them burning than coal, but they will burn, as numerous YouTube demonstrations will attest. The trick is to create the right conditions so that a solid diamond can react with the oxygen required to fuel a fire.