We can make Diamonds from peanut butter - High pressure physics. *No Joke*

news.bbc.co.uk...

Could this be the end of the Diamond trade?

I know at the moment the amount of Diamonds that they can create is fairly small, but how long will it take before they could produce 1 or 2 karat diamonds.

This would completely screw the diamond traders, I have seen the film "Blood Diamond" I don't know if this abuse is still continuing, but if it is, then this procedure could also save hundreds maybe even thousands of lives.

Also I'm kinda pi55ed because the wifes "stone" cost me a small fortune!



Nuts!

MonKey

The only requirements for making a diamond are pure carbon, high pressure and heat for an extended period of time.

Originally posted by grover
The only requirements for making a diamond are pure carbon, high pressure and heat for an extended period of time.

So! Then could this be the end of the diamond trade?

and If it's that easy why isn't everyone at it and making a fortune?

MonKey

Those are man-made diamonds. While they may be the same on a molecular level, they will never be as valuable as a natural stone.

There's a company that will take some of the ashes of a loved one and create a diamond from them. Which is a pretty neat way to memorialize some one.

The diamond trade is already micro inscribing in the diamonds "NATURAL" as that will be the reason to buy their diamonds... lmao yeah right

When I pop the question if I have a choice between a

$10 2 karat flawless diamond

or a

$25000 diamond

take a wild guess...

Of course once diamonds are just about worthless women won't care for them anymore anyway. They'll want platinum or something.

For the last few years companies have been able to make large flawless diamonds. DeBeers is scared shtless cause the untrained eye can not tell the difference and soon they won't be able to either.

[edit on 28-6-2007 by American Madman]

[edit on 28-6-2007 by American Madman]

Originally posted by yadboy
Those are man-made diamonds. While they may be the same on a molecular level, they will never be as valuable as a natural stone.

To an extent this seems true, but you have to realize that the ability to replicate and control, artificially, a resource, greatly lowers the value of that resource. Our greater ability, today, to control the growth of things like corn and rice is partially to blame for the depreciation in their value. A better example would be gasoline. If gasoline could be produced easily, consistently, safely (wait... doesn't the fact that it's GAS rule out this part?), efficiently (again... it's GAS... if it was efficient, we wouldn't have to refuel so often), and at a very low cost, would people be able to get away with selling 'natural' gasoline for hundreds of times the price? Foods that are created organically do generally sell for more, but this is because the artificial parts of non-organic food can be potentially dangerous. Unless synthetic diamonds start causing cancer, I think it would be safe to assume that the value of a diamond would greatly depreciate.

Making artificial diamonds is totally pointless unless there is an industrial need for a very specific shape or crystalline structure or size or something like that. Diamonds are actually quite common, when compared to most other gemstones. The reason they are expensive is due to an artificial scarcity imposed by the few companies that basically have a diamond monopoly, like DeBeers. They literally have warehouses full of diamonds that they are just sitting on to keep demand high.

From a purely scientific (and silly geeky) point of view, though, it's pretty cool to have a diamond that used to be peanut butter!

Any word on how big of a diamond can be made with this technique?

Originally posted by Valhall
There's a company that will take some of the ashes of a loved one and create a diamond from them. Which is a pretty neat way to memorialize some one.

Not to stray off topic, but do you know the name of the company? I really like that concept! =]

**EDIT: Weird. I quoted Valhall but now it says FishermanFred

[edit on 29-6-2007 by Cloak and Dagger]

Here you go, they are called LifeGem

www.lifegem.com...

(seems my account is still gimped up)

I think one of the first, if not THE first substitute for the diamond, for jewelry, was the Cubic Zirconia. Not carbon but resembled a diamond none the less. So the idea of finding a replacement for the diamond is an old one. These can also be coloured for different appearances i.e. ruby, citrine etc etc. I have to say that i recon DeBeers got rich of other peoples misery and as mentioned are sitting on warehouse amounts of diamonds creating supply and demand - that's what it is all about. Why should they care being so rich when the demnd is so high people lose their lives for it - Diamonds that is.

Something Extra

[edit on 29/6/2007 by shearder]

A better example would be gasoline. If gasoline could be produced easily, consistently, safely (wait... doesn't the fact that it's GAS rule out this part?), efficiently (again... it's GAS... if it was efficient, we wouldn't have to refuel so often

Actually I am not sure about the Gas example as I dont think it is the inefficency of the gas but rather the internal combustion engine that is to blame.

If you watch the documentary on who killed the electric car there is a point in the movie where a Honda spokesperson stands up and talks about how no modern day engine is more than (something like 10% efficient, cant remember exact percent) anyhow so the gas isnt to blame its the engine.

Which reminds me there is a good post in this section about a 6 cycl engine which should yield great mpg see link

www.abovetopsecret.com...

Now back to the OP post what does this statement mean anyone?

"We are currently developing techniques that will create pressures of up to five million atmospheres, much higher than the pressure at the centre of the earth, to find the holy grail of high-pressure physics, the metallic phase of hydrogen."

Mettalic hydrogen and the holy grail of high pressure physics??? I dont understand why that is so important...

That and the ability to turn oxygen into red crystals sounds cool but is there any point to it?

Originally posted by DragonsDemesne
Making artificial diamonds is totally pointless unless there is an industrial need for a very specific shape or crystalline structure or size or something like that. Diamonds are actually quite common, when compared to most other gemstones. The reason they are expensive is due to an artificial scarcity imposed by the few companies that basically have a diamond monopoly, like DeBeers. They literally have warehouses full of diamonds that they are just sitting on to keep demand high.

From a purely scientific (and silly geeky) point of view, though, it's pretty cool to have a diamond that used to be peanut butter!

Any word on how big of a diamond can be made with this technique?

Inexpensive diamond has a huge market, it potential is tremendous. Paints building material electronics ect. It is not pointless it boundless.

Well, certainly I know that diamonds have many uses in industry, as well as in jewelry. What I'm saying is that if the diamond companies didn't have such a stranglehold on the market, that there would not be any real need to make artificial diamonds. They are not expensive because they are rare, they are expensive because the companies want them to be.

Originally posted by Valhall
There's a company that will take some of the ashes of a loved one and create a diamond from them. Which is a pretty neat way to memorialize some one.

Yeah I've heard about that. I'd like to get that done with my grandfather maybe. well see how much it costs... Now i just have to wait for the old man to die! haha


But for the people that say that a fake diamond will never be as valuable as a real one, now a days, you cant tell the difference. Before, when all we had as a diamond substitute was Cubic Zirconium, Jewelers could easily tell the difference. The fake diamond didn't have any flaws in it at all. But real diamonds have very very small scratches on them, because you know, they grow in caves and stuff, they're not going to be perfect. But today they really look exactly the same, so i DO think that in the very very near future, the diamond will lose all its power, lust, and value, but not beauty of course.

Let me think...

Either purchase an artificially made "clean" diamond or a blood diamond where possibly hundreds have died to export a single stone.

Why are people even buying diamonds? Is the blood of our African brothers/sisters really worth that shiny pretty piece of carbon?

I haven't seen Blood Diamond, nor did i know that it was based on reality. Do people actually kill for diamonds?

Originally posted by Schmidt1989
I haven't seen Blood Diamond, nor did i know that it was based on reality. Do people actually kill for diamonds?

Yes it is a lucrative illegal trade. It has been outlawed in parts of West Africa, but some nations still export them.

DeBeers was proven to be purchasing "blood" diamonds that had been smuggled in from Sierra Leone to Liberia.

business.timesonline.co.uk...

Basically every time you buy a DeBeers diamond or pretty much any other diamond that has come from Africa, you are buying a conflict diamond. These companies say "no they're clean, conflict free." In reality, the chances of that being the case of very slim.

You are funding rebel paramilitary groups to stay in power and slaughter more civilians. To me this is a no brainer.

A). Buy diamonds from pretty much anywhere in the world (besides Canadian diamonds) and you will have almost certainly bought a conflict diamond

B). Don't buy diamonds at all or don't make them

C). Make your own using high pressure carbon

The choice is yours, support the slaughter of thousands of African brothers and sisters if you choose. I won't be the one with blood on my hands.

Wow that horrible.

It's a good thing i'm only 17 and cant afford diamonds yet!

Yes good thing. Good thing I didn't plan on buying my girlfriend diamonds.

Oil is another commodity people are dying daily over in the middle east. People die for gold in Africa as well. I don't want to depress anyone, but the world is not the most care-free place outside of the Western world.

We have all the luxuries we want (#, I'm partially to blame I'm not trying to take a high ground here) yet so called "3rd world" countries can barely get enough food and water to feed their people.

Truly a sad state the world is in right now.


You know I can't really blame people for wanting to have nice things. I have the same faults. We all want what's best for our children, that's a given. I just don't understand why so many other people have to suffer so greatly. At what cost of life is our current standard worth living?

I plan on moving out soon, starting fresh off the land. Call me a hermit, I don't care really . I just want to be free.


[edit on 30-6-2007 by biggie smalls]