The Amazing Forms of Diamond

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PinkDiamond
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The Amazing Forms of Diamond

Post by PinkDiamond »

Here we have intriguing diamonds that defy explanation as to how they formed, brought to you by Robert James, of the ISG. Way cool. 8-)

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The Amazing Forms of Diamond

For a few minutes I want you to forget what you know about diamonds. Even you wonderful folks at the CIBJO, IDEX and the World Federation of Diamond Bourses who read this newsletter. For a few minutes, let all of it go and join us for a fascinating study of the forms of diamonds. Not the formation....the forms.

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The amazing shapes that diamonds can take are not only unusual, but also beautiful and highly marketable. Sit back, relax for a minute and dream about something other than the mundane diamond crystals you see at left and in the banner. For a few minutes, join me on a magical mystery tour of just a few of The Amazing Forms of Diamond.

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Sometimes diamonds form....not only together but actually inside each other. These are called interpenetrant crystals, or sometimes inter-growth crystals. When the optical properties line up just right they are often called "twins", or "twinning". But whatever the orientation of the crystals, the fact that diamonds can grow with two or more crystals existing in the same dimensional space is pretty amazing, owing to the fact that the atoms are so far apart in the crystal lattice that the two crystals can grow in the same location and simply join up with each other while holding their own shape.

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Since diamond crystals form in the cubic system, just like pyrite crystals, it's no surprise to find two interpenetrant crystals of these very different materials appearing very much the same: one with pyrite (far left) and the other with diamonds (near left). Part of the amazing world of diamonds that few stop to consider and enjoy.

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When I received the diamond inter-growth at right I had to fire up the Enwave Raman to make sure we had a diamond here. Sure enough, an amazing inter-growth of diamond crystals that pretty much defies the imagination. I do not have the whole story on this one, and yet we have found 2 or 3 of these since. Perhaps one of our readers out there with the WFDB or IDEX can help us out with understanding the form of this.

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At left is one of our favorites, and another diamond crystal form that has so far defied any explanation regarding how it formed. Two very specific diamond cube crystals, but what appears to be additional diamond growth material that extends from one to the other, but as an outside growth. All is verified as diamond, but the form of this crystal pair is truly amazing.

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For those who I know are already asking: yes...diamonds do form as cubes as you have seen above and at left. Perfect cubes. Remember: the cubic system is not called the "cubic" system for nothing. While we are used to seeing the eight sided octahedral diamond crystals, (since most gem quality diamonds form as octahedra), it is not often that you see the cube shapes unless you collect diamond crystals in small sizes as seen at here.

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Of course, not all cube diamond crystals are quite so boring as the one above. At left you see a beautiful, and very natural, cube diamond crystal that is very transparent, light brown in color and has the appearance of having been etched at the crystal face junctions.

There is a growing market for collectors of these types of diamonds, but no.....ours are not for sale. We have too much fun sharing them with you to ever let them go.

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For many of us old folks with gray hair, we remember when the diamonds you see at right were once used to play our 331/3 rpm vinyl records of Pink Floyd or Lynyrd Skynyrd. Record player needles were about as close as we ever got to diamonds of this form...or lack of form might be the better term. Today, however, rough diamonds of what some think of as "low quality" are in high demand as drilled beads for necklaces and jewelry. Below you see two close-up images of these diamond crystals that have been drilled and threaded as diamond bead strands to be used in jewelry designs.

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This is just a peek at the amazing world of unique forms of diamond. There is a growing market interest in these diamonds and the availability is better now than at any time I can remember. Unique! Amazing! Marketable! All of these apply. So I thought that today I would simply take you on a bit of a magical tour through some of the beautiful, and very Amazing Forms of Diamond.

All of these amazing diamonds are part of the ISG Student Reference Collection and all photographs were taken by me to share especially with you.


Robert James FGA, GG
President, International School of Gemology
Property and Casualty Adjuster, Texas Department of Insurance

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©2020 International School of Gemology. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. We encourage sharing and caring throughout the industry as long as all copyrights are left intact.

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International School of Gemology
PO Box 1727
Helotes, TX 78023
PinkDiamond
ISG Registered Gemologist


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SwordfishMining
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Pink Flyod & not You Amazing Diamond.

Post by SwordfishMining »

Well, they just remastered "Dark Side of the Moon"!

I bet I've listened to this album & own it in more media than any other.
I'll jump over my shadow. https://www.virginvalleyopal.com"
Opals & more at my ESTY store https://swordfishmining.etsy.com"
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PinkDiamond
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Re: The Amazing Forms of Diamond

Post by PinkDiamond »

I think everyone from our generation at the very least has the album, as well as the following generation who heard us playing it and I also have this lovely stained glass version of the album cover hanging in my window that I picked up from an artist at the War Eagle festival we go to yearly for such things as this. 8-)


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PinkDiamond
ISG Registered Gemologist


· ´¨¨)) -:¦:-¸.·´ .·´¨¨))
((¸¸.·´ ..·´ There are miracles left for you to do .... -:¦:- -:¦:-
-:¦:- ((¸¸.·´* It all begins inside of you. ;)
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Re: The Amazing Forms of Diamond

Post by SwordfishMining »

Thats nice. Stained glass is one of my favorite mediums.
Is War Eagle on during the 2024 eclipse?
I have the green pyramids album poster framed on my wall.
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I'll jump over my shadow. https://www.virginvalleyopal.com"
Opals & more at my ESTY store https://swordfishmining.etsy.com"
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