- Diamonds come from all over the world.
Many countries produce diamonds, some more than others. However, the United States is the largest consumer when it comes to buying the gems, according to Geology.com. America spent about $19 ,or 35 percent of total world consumption, on diamond purchases in 2008. Worldwide, $54 billion was spent on the purchase of diamonds in 2008.
According to Geology.com, the following countries produced more than 1 million carats of diamonds in 2008: Botswana (25 million carats); Russia (23 million carats); Canada (17.5 million carats); Angola (10 million carats); South Africa (6 million carats); Congo (5.5 million carats); Namibia (2.5 millions carats), Guinea (1 million carats). - Hope diamond at 45.52 carats.
Diamonds mined and used for commercial purposes are sold as gemstones. Diamonds come in many different cuts, taking on various shapes like a pear cut, (pear-shaped); princess cut (square); round (brilliant cut); marquis cut (football shaped); heart cut (idealized heart shape); Trilliant (triangular); oval; and emerald cut (rectangular). The price of these gems are based on the 4 Cs of diamond grading: cut, color, clarity and carat size, according to Geology.com. - Industrial-grade diamonds in an angle grinder blade.
According to the American Museum of Natural History, 80 percent diamonds are used in industry. There is also a synthetic industry producing diamonds that churns out 500 million carats annually, the Museum says. Most of the diamonds being used find their way into a variety of tools. Because diamond is the hardest substance known, it is great for sanding and cutting. - Drill embedded with diamonds.
Diamonds are embedded in many of the cutting and sanding instruments we use today. According to the American Museum of Natural History, industrial diamonds are used in three ways: as a cutting tool, embedded in another material and used as a tool or abrasive, and as a powder or paste for grinding and polishing.
Diamonds are also used in microelectronics as heat-sinks because of their ability to transfer heat away from sensitive circuits. Geology.com says that diamonds are also used in speaker domes, windows for lasers and x-ray machines, as micro-bearings, and as a wear-resistant material for moving parts. - CE, (clarity enhanced), and HTHP, (high pressure-high temperature), are processes for treating diamonds that improve their appearance. These diamonds are natural but have been altered to clean up the natural flaws. These diamonds are 15 to 25 percent cheaper than non-treated gems, according to AwesomeGems.com.
The CE process involves removing feathers from the stone. Feathers are tiny imperfections on the surface of the gem. HTHP uses very high heat and pressure to remove the imperfections says. A trained jeweler is the only one who can tell the difference between an all-natural and treated diamond.
