Comments on: Biggest Diamond

Biggest Diamond

Kirth Gerson — Tue, 01 Jan 2008 09:52:40 -0800

The biggest diamond in the world is insignificant, compared with the biggest diamond in the galaxy. Discovered in 2004, the Center For Astrophysics suggests that you should use the galactic one "to impress your favorite lady." Here's information about how diamonds are formed, and where they are found.

By: itchylick

itchylick — Tue, 01 Jan 2008 10:10:35 -0800

Shhh. Don't tell Richard Branson.

By: eye of newt

eye of newt — Tue, 01 Jan 2008 10:33:23 -0800

Considering how easy it is to grow synthetic diamonds these days, it is a wonder the whole 'high priced' diamond jewelry industry hasn't collapsed. It is amazing how well the industry has managed to keep this sham going. It just shows how well organized and experienced the diamond cartels are. The sooner it collapses, the better, though. There are just too many useful things you can do with diamonds. I can't wait till the day you can get diamonds in gumball machines.

By: The Bridge on the River Kai Ryssdal

The Bridge on the River Kai Ryssdal — Tue, 01 Jan 2008 10:51:16 -0800

Damn, that's 2.5×10^33 carats!

By: bonobo

bonobo — Tue, 01 Jan 2008 10:54:50 -0800

re: diamond industry This month's issue of National Geographic has a full-page notice of a class action suit against DB (DeBeers) Investments, Inc. on page 163. I haven't a stake in the claim/settlement since I've long despised the industry and hype about diamonds and haven't purchased any. My diamond Dremel bits, on the other hand...

By: dontoine

dontoine — Tue, 01 Jan 2008 11:26:09 -0800

I was wondering what the Diamondstar DA40 was named for...

By: MtDewd

MtDewd — Tue, 01 Jan 2008 12:03:17 -0800

I first heard about diamond pipes in John McPhee's In Suspect Terrain, part of his Annals of the Former World geology books. I had assumed diamonds were formed slowly, deep in the earth. It's amazing to think that they are shot out of the earth at high speed. More info from the American Museum of Natural History exhibit.

By: porpoise

porpoise — Tue, 01 Jan 2008 12:14:39 -0800

eye of newt - yeah, I too really wish that synthetic (industrial, don't care about the gem-trade) diamond production would take off, but... are the cartels really hindering that industry? I know that there are funeral homes that will take cremated ashes and synthesize diamonds from the carbon therein. Oooh, practical, commercial application of the synthetic sapphire in a LCD - it'll withstand a (n albeit pretty pathetic) crossbow bolt. Haven't some high-end watches come with synthetic sapphire faces for years now? "Transparent aluminium" = synthetic sapphire (aluminum oxide (Al₂O₃)

By: smackfu

smackfu — Tue, 01 Jan 2008 12:21:44 -0800

Isn't there a huge diamond in Clarke's 2010 or 2061?

By: nickyskye

nickyskye — Tue, 01 Jan 2008 12:52:46 -0800

Gives a whole new meaning to twinkle twinkle little star.

By: porpoise

porpoise — Tue, 01 Jan 2008 13:02:37 -0800

Yeah smackfu - the implosion of Jupiter crystalized the carbon in it's core and ejected giant mountains of diamond into orbit. One hit Europa. But by then, they already had diamond-based space elevators, didn't they?

By: zoogleplex

zoogleplex — Tue, 01 Jan 2008 13:29:59 -0800

No, they didn't have them until 3001 - and they weren't just elevators, but gigantic tower structures built on the same principle as the "ribbon" type elevator. The idea is that they found other huge chunks of diamond floating around the solar system besides the one that hit Europa, and mined them for raw materials. And actually, IIRC, in the book 2010, there's a sequence where the disembodied and modified consciousness of Dave Bowman/HAL flies into the core of Jupiter before it gets blasted, and sees that the very center core of Jupiter is a diamond about the size of Earth, which gives it/them a chuckle.

By: Astro Zombie

Astro Zombie — Tue, 01 Jan 2008 14:02:15 -0800

I gave my girlfriend that space diamond for new year's. But she has to go get it herself.

By: hattifattener

hattifattener — Tue, 01 Jan 2008 15:13:35 -0800

See also: carbonado diamonds, thought to be extraterrestrial in origin.

By: Kirth Gerson

Kirth Gerson — Tue, 01 Jan 2008 15:14:04 -0800

There's a sparkly Quicktime animation of the space diamond cutaway illustration here.

By: kcds

kcds — Tue, 01 Jan 2008 17:59:44 -0800

The halo around that diamond star looks like a hubcap (NOT T-REXIST)

By: bashos_frog

bashos_frog — Tue, 01 Jan 2008 18:50:21 -0800

That's quite a bit bigger than the Ritz, I'd say.

By: nickyskye

nickyskye — Tue, 01 Jan 2008 18:53:11 -0800

carbonado diamonds Thanks hattifattener, didn't know that term before. ET diamonds. Little aside: 92% of the world's diamonds are cut and polished in Surat, India.

By: AsYouKnow Bob

AsYouKnow Bob — Tue, 01 Jan 2008 23:09:10 -0800

Dammit, now I have T. Rex's Bang A Gong going through my head. (Those of you old enough to remember the lyrics will understand.)

By: AsYouKnow Bob

AsYouKnow Bob — Tue, 01 Jan 2008 23:11:47 -0800

And dammit, kcds beat me to the T. Rex reference.

By: quin

quin — Wed, 02 Jan 2008 07:18:28 -0800

Well, I guess it's true what they've always said: white dwarf stars less than 60 light years away really are a girls best friend. The world will be a better place when artificial sapphire is as common as glass. I want it for my laptop, watch, car, house, and sunglasses.

By: Pollomacho

Pollomacho — Wed, 02 Jan 2008 07:38:18 -0800

Yeah, you try pulling, "yeah, honey, in stead of the diamond ring I told you I was going to get you I got you the naming rights to this star. Wait, no, wait, the star has a diamond core larger than a planet. No, wait, honey, really... Well, no you can't exactly see the star with the naked eye but here's the super awesone chart that the observatory sent where someone with a massive radio-telescope can find it! And its name just for you, sweetie! Sweetie?"

By: mrducts

mrducts — Thu, 03 Jan 2008 19:09:45 -0800

That's in-contheev-able!