Diamonds: Earth’s Deepest Gem

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In this episode we cover a range of topics centered around diamonds.  Where do they come from?  Why are they valued?  How are they formed?  Why do diamonds sparkle so much?  

Diamonds are a huge industry, and an economically important resource for many countries.  We cover the basics of diamond formation, what causes them to sparkle so much, and why they are scientifically so interesting!  

It all comes down to density and hardness.  Diamonds are formed deep within the Earth where carbon is put under great pressure.  The extreme pressure required for diamond formation is what makes them so hard, which in turn makes them sparkle more than most gems.  The extreme pressures are also difficult and expensive to replicate in the lab, so making diamonds synthetically is a pretty extreme task.  However, there are ways around this, including putting graphite into a small room with a bomb and blowing it up!  This is one method to make small micro diamonds for industrial uses like in polishing equipment or in saw blades.  

Reach out if you have any comments, questions, or suggestions!  We are @planetgeocast on Twitter and Instagram and planetgeocast@gmail.com; we love to hear your feedback and we have already had some awesome suggestions from listeners. Keep them coming!


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Instagram: @planetgeocast
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