In India, a unique diamond-within-a-diamond occurrence has been reported.
The diamond was given the moniker "beating heart," and it will remain uncut and unpolished.
An even rarer gem than usual has been acquired by an Indian diamond company: a large, hollow diamond that holds a smaller diamond.
Rare Beating Heart
The smaller diamond can move around inside the cavity of the "Beating Heart," as it is known.
There has only ever been one other discovery of this kind, and the company intends to keep it that way to preserve the natural beauty of the gemology it contains.
The largest diamond exchange in the world, the De Beers Group, has Vallabh Dhanjibhai Global as a sight holder in the state of Gujarat in western India.
Diamond-Within-a-Diamond
The largest diamond exchange in the world, the De Beers Group, has Vallabh Dhanjibhai Global as a sight holder in the state of Gujarat in western India.
To better understand the natural formation of rough diamonds, Vaghasia's team analyzed it for a longer period of time.
Because of its unusual composition, they later named it "Beating Heart."
The unique diamond will be used as a vehicle for the promotion of natural diamonds, according to Vaghasia's nephew, who also works for the company.
The Matryoshka Diamond, the only other one ever discovered with a cavity occupied by another, smaller diamond, was made public by Russian diamond handlers in 2019, The Good News Network reports.
The Indian Express said that the team discovered that the cavity was created as a result of preferential etching of an intermediate layer of subpar fibrous diamond, according to the details in the De Beers research document.
The initial "core" would have been the growth of high-quality diamonds.
It is likely that after the initial gem-quality crystal layer, another layer formed on the outside, which was of inferior quality and had a fibrous texture.
The poor-quality layer would have disintegrated in its journey to the earth's surface.
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Diamonds
Diamonds are 58 times harder than anything else found in nature, making them the world's hardest substance.
Only about 100 miles below the earth's surface, extreme pressure and temperature conditions are necessary for diamond formation.
The bonds between the carbon atoms in a diamond are essentially the same in all directions.
Graphite is a different mineral that also only contains carbon, but it has a very different crystal structure and formation method.
Diamond is so hard that it can only be scratched with another diamond, whereas graphite is so soft that it can be used for writing.
The identity of a mineral is determined by the way it is formed.
Diamonds are created within a specific depth range of approximately 100 miles beneath the surface of the Earth, where high temperature and pressure conditions exist.
The crystal structure of diamonds is isometric, indicating that the bonding of carbon atoms occurs consistently in all directions.
Graphite, which also comprises solely of carbon, has a dissimilar crystal structure and formation process compared to diamond.
Consequently, graphite possesses a soft texture that enables writing, whereas diamond is extremely hard and can only be scratched by another diamond, according to GIA.
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