Diamonds - Creation Process & Uses

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Diamonds can be created through both geologic forces and man-made processes. However they are made diamonds have many uses. In the first part of this essay we will look at the geologic forces involved in the making of a diamond. Next we will examine the man-made processes. In closing we will take a brief look at the many uses of diamonds.
As we begin to look at how diamonds are formed it’s important to understand a little about the composition. Graphite which is used for pencil lead and a lubricant is pure carbon just like a diamond. So the hardest mineral and one of the softest share the same composition. The difference is in the bonding. Diamonds have covalent bonds that form a three dimensional structure. Graphite also has covalent bonds that form together in sheets with much weaker electrostatic bonds. These bonds also known as van der Waals bonds are what makes graphite so soft (Charles C Plummer).
Natural diamonds are formed at both a high pressure and temperature at depths of 140 to 190 kilometers (87 to 120 miles) in the Earth’s mantle. Minerals that contain carbon provide the carbon source and growth periods occur from 1 billion to 3.3 billion years. This is a significant number that represents twenty five to seventy five percent of the age of the earth. The diamonds are moved close to the Earth’s surface through deep volcanic eruptions of magma (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diamondwikipedia).
Now let’s take a closer look at the processes which move diamonds from deep within the earth to a place closer to the surface, where they can be mined. Gas-rich magmas otherwise known as molten rock, force their way up from the mantle and erupt explosively at the surface. Sometimes during this process they swee...

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...al essay and that it opened your eyes to other uses of diamonds. It can also instill a since of awe when you think about the incredible amount of time earth made diamonds take to form. It is also interesting that like watching bird fly and copying flight, we found ways to duplicate the earth’s processes.

Works Cited

(http://www.nhm.ac.uk/nature-online/earth/rock-minerals/diamonds/diamond-formation. n.d.
AuthorLastName, FirstName. Title of the Book Being Referenced. City Name: Name of Publisher, Year. Type of Medium (e.g. Print).
Charles C Plummer, Diane H. Carlson,Lisa Hammersky. "Physical Geology 14th edition." n.d. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diamondwikipedia. n.d. http://geology.com/articles/diamonds-from-coal/. n.d. http://literary-devices.com/. 2010. 12 September 2013.
LastName, First, Middle. "Article Title." Journal Title (Year): Pages From - To. Print.

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