Taking Diamonds Down a Notch

by Michael Reilly | February 17, 2009

It may still be the most captivating stone on Earth. But it's no longer the hardest.

Many hearts have been won and wars fought over the resplendent diamond, and that's not likely to change. But its crown as "Nature's Hardest Material" is gone, relinquished to two oddly-named minerals -- lonsdaleite and wurtzite boron nitride.

Both are exceedingly rare in nature, and both form under crushing, searing conditions. Lonsdaleite is a cousin of the diamond, a hexagonal arrangement of carbon atoms that's 58% stronger than its shimmering relative, according to a computer simulation of its behavior. It's forged in nature during asteroid impacts.

The other mineral, wurtzite boron nitride is even more enigmatic. It comes together in especially punishing volcanic eruptions, and has flexible atomic bonds. When placed under stress it hardens until it is 18% stronger than a diamond.

The compounds aren't likely to become the next big thing in engagement rings, though. They occur in such small deposits on Earth that they'll have to be grown in a lab if they're ever to be useful (say, to protect space shuttles during re-entry). For now we'll have to be satisfied with cranking the Mohs hardness scale up to 11.    -Michael Reilly

Source: New Scientist

 

Comments

[Greatest Dog]

The material formed from my mother's chicken recipe is 98% harder than diamond.

[Toni]

Diamonds are beautiful and it is tempting to wear your diamonds at all times. Whether they are your first pair of diamond earrings or your precious engagement ring, you may vow to never take them off unless it is an emergency situation. However, there are a few occasions when wearing them may not be the best for you, or not the best for your diamonds.
http://www.gemfind.com/

[شات]

blogs.discovery.com

[مصريه]

thank you ar