Category Archives: Diamond
A Question of Coating Diamonds to Reduce Dirt
Given that diamonds can easily catch oils and become dirty if we coat the surface with fluorine atoms can we make diamonds oil resistant and no longer require cleaning like Teflon coated pans? This question was asked on the question … Continue reading
The Professor Views some Huge Diamonds
The Professor from Periodic Videos is at it again. Alrosa let him handle some huge diamonds, including a few lovely coloured ones and he explores fluorescence again. He discusses types of cut briefly. We also get to see the cutting … Continue reading
Answering Questions on Quora
Just before last Christmas, I started using the social website, quora.com. It’s a ‘question and answer’ site where anyone can post a question and anyone can take a shot at answering. It’s a bit of fun, but sometimes you come … Continue reading
The Professor Washes his Hands in Diamonds
Periodic Videos featured The Professor on a visit to an Alrosa diamond sorting facility. He shows us some amazing diamonds, including some coloured ones. Purple, pink, yellow, octahedrons, cubes, twins. Fluorescent colours. We also see a few unique shapes such … Continue reading
Endpapers for a Soft Cover Book
The Guardian recently acknowledged the obsession of some readers for endpapers. These are the colourful patterned pages between the cover and the rest of the book, usually on hardbacks. Although there will not be a hardcover edition of Known Only … Continue reading
An Idea to Coat Diamonds with Teflon
I attempted to answer a Quora question about the possibility of coating diamonds with teflon so they would not need to be cleaned so often. I pointed out some possible problems with the idea. But it was certainly creative. It … Continue reading
North America’s Biggest Diamond
Dominion Diamond Mines announced what it claims to be the biggest diamond ever found in North America at its 40% owned Diavik Mine. It looks a beauty! 552 carats and no obvious fractures (from what photos I’ve seen). They say … Continue reading
Raw Footage of De Beers Diamond Sorting Rooms
Journeyman Pictures has dumped a quarter hour’s worth of unedited footage of a tour of De Beers’ sorting rooms by a Namibian Prime Ministerial delegation in 2000. It gives a rare look into how they sort rough diamonds by machine … Continue reading