For Example Diamonds Are Almost Forever

Over the eons there have been many materials, from sea shells to spices, that have been used as a medium of exchange, but the most popular have been materials that are durable and gain as much value from their scarcity as their utility. Gold is an example of the latter, as well as gemstones, in particular, diamonds. The durability of gold, its resistance to corrosion, has contributed to its usefulness for applications such as dental prostheses and electrical contacts. Likewise, the durability of diamonds has con- 

One method involves the microwave-induced removal of hydrogen from methane (CH, swamp gas) in a very sparse gas phase so that carbon atoms, stripped of most of their hydrogen, can settle out on the substrate and start building diamond crystals. In the past, the diamonds formed in this process were tiny and only suitable for industrial applications, but lately gem-quality crystals have been grown. The artificial diamond is virtually indistinguishable from the natural diamond because they are both just a crystalline form of carbon. 

If diamonds are manufactured rather than mined, will that dim their sparkle in lovers eyes Probably somewhat. But it is hoped that someday semiconductor materials with important properties can be routinely made from the less expensive and more perfectly pure synthetic diamonds. If diamonds find use in semiconductor devices, this could give a whole new meaning to a diamond chip.  

The interest in diamonds, artificial and real, is due to their unique properties, one of which is their extreme durability. But are diamonds indestructible Not at all. As may be recalled from our discussion of Lavoisier s proof of the conservation of mass, diamonds will bum in oxygen, if heated enough. As we shall see next, in science as in social situations, strange things can happen when matters heat up. 

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