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Intriguing Facts on Diamonds
A. 1 billion tons need to be mined in order to
get 1.0 carat of diamond
B. Only 20% of diamonds are gem quality, the
rest are used for industrial or technical
purposes (i.e., abrasives). Of these gem
quality, only
2% are FLAWLESS.
C. A diamond is a mineral created by nature,
millions and in some cases, billions of years
ago!
i. They formed around 100 miles below the
Earth’s surface, under immense heat and
pressure. Diamonds were pushed up from the
Earth’s
interior by volcanic eruptions.
ii. They were carried to the surface by
volcanic eruptions…just like here in Hawaii.
The Kilauea and Mauna Loa Volcanos on the Big
Island! [link is
http://hvo.wr.usgs.gov/volcanoes/]
D. 50% of gem quality diamonds have
fluorescence.
a. Fluorescent diamonds glow in light that
contains high amounts of ultraviolet (UV).
b. Standard incandescent bulbs emit no UV, so
under these conditions you see only the
diamond’s body color.
c. You might see the fluorescence of the
diamond, most common is a blue glow, in the
sunshine or under a fluorescent light.
E. Pink, green and blue diamonds are very
rare, but red and purple diamonds are
extremely rare. The entire world produces only
a few thousand carats of fancy color diamonds
annually.
a. “Fancy” color means a diamond has a color
grade darker then “Z” (which is yellow).
F. Placing the ring on the fourth finger of
the left hand comes from the Romans. They
believed there’s a direct connection between
that finger
and the heart. |
